From the outside your pack looks very lightweight and all too similar to each other. Reminds me a bit of ours (Wire) last season. Think you’ll have a decent season but will struggle against larger packs unless the conditions are particularly favourable.

I don't think the pack did as bad as people are making out really. We had plenty of opportunities and territory to win that game last night, it was our backs that lost it for us. Poor passing, lack of organisation and inability to create any sort of overlap. Catalans played it simple, which is exactly what i thought we would do so its a disappointing result. Going for the 2 really lost our momentum, it was an absolute pathetic call and we deserved to lose for taking it.

My biggest worry is Powell, he's been a great servant to the club and its one thing being loyal to players who are Wigan through and through but its ultimately hampering the teams performance. Peet needs to be brave enough to make that call to drop him.

Apart from Mago and KPP our pack is identical in style and the way they play.

We lack a dominant prop. I do think Ellis could be one to step into that role but he hardly seems to get game time.

Mago went well last night simply because he offers something different, he’s a big target in defence against a mobile 9 though.

Our secondrow is a major issue, letting Bateman go without a replacement lined up (I appreciate that would be almost impossible given the short notice) is proving to be a huge error and something we need to rectify mid season.

KPP’s attitude is terrible. He looks like he wants gone now and for the level of contribution he is offering we may as well let him go. I’d seriously rather run with Nsemba than him at the moment. Can he turn it around? Obviously he’s clearly a talent but he needs a significant attitude adjustment.

Looking at it there will be whole sale changes to the team for 2024 but I simply am not willing to write off 2023 so Peet on the coaching front and Rads on the recruitment front need to really get to work.

To be honest I’ve never understood the need for something different off the bench re the hooking role. A decent hooker should have the skill sets to mix his play. If he can’t then he probably isn’t good enough.
If Cust is a better hooker than Powell then he should start and do the 80 minutes. If Powell is too slow and predictable then for presumably 50 per cent of the game we will play as we have done so far this season.
The other problem for me is that if we put Cust at 9 then Field will have to play at 6 and for me he isn’t a 6 of any description.

I think Powell is strong defensively but his delivery/attack is average. Cust is the opposite so it gives the defence a new problem to think about.

I understand what you are saying about Field but he looked by far our most dangerous half last night when he moved there and French looked much more involved when he moved to 1.

Think you might be judging based on the fact they are ‘Wigan’ and bound to be good. They are generally pretty balanced on here, so sounds a genuinely poor Wigan team…..
Bar Field and French in good weather, I’m inclined to agree….

I’ve assumed over the years that we play Powell for his defensive qualities and that we sacrifice his potential attacking qualities to ensure a steady and repetitive passing game to enable us to move the ball through the backs.
Our passing at the moment is clunky to woeful and if Cust improves the speed and accuracy from ptb I’m not sure that Field is the answer to make the best use of that.
For me Forber with his youthful enthusiasm and his high tempo would give us more options.

Having said all that the problem comes back to an ineffective pack that are easily dominated.

Our poor play aside, I thought we got very unlucky on a couple of occasions with some attacking kicks - particularly the excellent high bomb from Smith. If the ball had bounced anywhere but against the post then we would have likely scored.

Powell seemed to get better under Lam, but has now gone back to the average player he was before

It was just like watching the play off semi final last year, we just don't look capable of winning a dog fight, without taking anything away from Catalans who came with a better game plan and dare I say attitude it was very disappointing

Ridiculous comment

Powell good defensive non existent attacking qualities
Cust poor defensive pretty good and quick ptb
Forber fast tempo/capable of making regular breaks and a decent defence

Tell me why he isn’t

Inexperience, he has only played one game at this level that is not a friendly which is a game we played alot of youngsters.

The potential is there, but it is far to early to say he is out best by a country mile, let the lad get a few games and experience under his belt before we start proclaiming him as the saviour.

Never said he was the saviour I just think he’s better than the other options.
The lack of urgency and speed at the ptb are two of our issues at the moment which he could resolve instantly.
Our tempo is flat. The crowd is flat. Atmosphere is flat.
People are suggesting Field for 6. How much experience has he got at playing 6 in first team football. When was the last time Field played 6 on a regular basis? Schoolboy level? We signed Cust as our starting 6 with very little if zero experience as a starting 6 and people were talking about him as a potential mos. I could say both of those calls are ridiculous but some people think it’s a valid call so fair enough. Time will tell if either of them will ever make a decent 6.

For me we need something different as there are few if any other options with a thin and inexperienced squad.
Not particularly worried about being called ridiculous. I’ve always been a believer in giving youth a go. The history of the game is littered with young guys starting at 17 or 18. The cream hit the ground running and the not so good fall by the wayside. I just happen to think Forber could be pretty special.

MP will have to make the call on Powell sooner or later, everything is so slow, if the opposition sprint out at our 1st/2nd receivers everything stops dead.
If a muggins like me can see this you know all the opposition can.

I didn't call your opinion rediculous, i pointed out Forber is a very inexperienced player as it stands and it's is far too early in his career to be claiming him as our best hooker by a country mile, and i stand by those comments. He has the potential to be, but until he has some more games under his belt and shows he can perform to them standards at this level it is all if's. but's and maybe's. I agree about giving the youth a chance i am all for that, especially when established players are underperforming and i even pointed out Leigh as a potential game for him to feature a couple of pages back.

Field played basically all of his NRL games at stand off, it was us who started playing him as a fullback. I still rate Cust, as i did when we signed him, i have seen him perform to a high standard in the NRL at both Stand Off and Hooker. He has not reached that level yet for Wigan for whatever reason, and i am willing to try something new with both moving to positions that are familiar with and potentially bringing French into more involvment.

I wasn’t pointing the ridiculous statement at yourself BW apologies if you thought that it was.

When you say Field and Cust played in the nrl how many games of completing 80 minutes at 6 did they complete? I don’t know the actual answer but I know combined it is very low.

Unless there is considerable improvement I think Leyth away we will be (pardon the pun) lambs to the slaughter. We need a shake up and there is virtually zero options using proven experienced players hence my suggestion of Forber. Cust may well be an alternative at 9 but I think we just move the elsewhere as we don’t have an experienced proven 6 to call on.

The first half was what killed us. Gradual torturous loss of the arm wrestle to the superior pack and we couldn't recover. To be honest I thought the attitude second half was fine. Just from 12-0 in those conditions we left ourselves too much to do. To be fair though Cats played well over the 80 mins, controlled proceedings, and defended when the time came and were well worth the win.

Some things come as no surprise - lack of go forward in both front and second row, the age old problem at 9 - and I think we will need to try and dip in to the market to get a body or two in to rectify it in the pack. Lack of intensity in these dogfight games, some lazy/passive defence, some poor discipline at times, and people like French barely getting the ball are more disappointing aspects and need sorting out ASAP.

Also, why have Cust and Smith switched sides this season? Cust whenever I see him play seems to like to step off his left foot as one of his go to options and going the other side surely negates that.

Also seems totally unnecessary to me when we've already got new centres and the right second row trying to build combos with those around them, to also have the halfbacks getting settled in on the opposite side is maybe a bit too much.

Out of his depth according to a Whitehaven supporting pal of mine.

He isn't exactly a big Wigan fan though so may just be using that as a reason.

Loan deals are difficult and I’m not a fan of them.
You are not really part the club and could be keeping a local lad out of the team. I think moving from a Wigan culture and all the benefits of a SL club to a part time set would a difficult environment for a lot of youngsters.
I’d rather we had a proper reserves competition played on a weekly basis. I’m hoping that this will be part of the IMG strategy going forward.

Agree there

I’d second the statement that Tom Forber is the best hooker in the squad and I’d rather him play than Powell. He’s quick out of dummy half and tackles better than Powell.

Your cheque is in the post.
Thanks for your loyal support son

What on earth