It wasn’t really a case of Catalans wanting to let him go, it was more to do with the circle of friends and outside influences he had around him from his youth that were deemed to be holding him back.

They tried on several occasions to adjust his mentality but he kept going back to the same group.

It was deemed by Catalans and the player who wanted to break away the only way this could be done was a total move away hence why he ended up with us. Were his off field situation sorted he would be a Catalans player now.

We’ve been crying out for a kicking 7. We still don’t really have one but Tomkins is miles better than Powell at it. Powell just can’t get any length to his kicks although I do like his kicking close to the line. Surprisingly Escare did some great field kicking from FB last season.

I do think that when comparing Escaré and ST at full-back, opinions were coloured, not unreasonably, by the relative expectations for both players and the size of their pay-packets. Escaré looked a risk, to say the least, and people were pleasantly surprised when he proved much better than expected.

Does that make him a better full-back than Sam? Not so clear-cut, to say the least.

Escare isn't a better full back than Sam but the balance of the spine looks very good with Morgan, Sam, George, TL and Lockers.
That looks like the best spine of any team in SL.
To make them play at their best we need the front row and the whole pack to get us on the front foot and going forward with power and pace. The backs have real pace and it all needs us getting our act together.

Spot on FT. If we can have a bit more luck with injuries and keep key players fit, we’ll not be far off. I may be in a severe minority but I can’t wait for the season to start.

I just hope the players are buzzing to get going. They’ve looked like their minds are elsewhere at points these past couple of years and as though they’re struggling to motivate themselves for anything other then the really big games. We can learn a lot from Cas last year and how they seemed to enjoy each other’s success and celebrated try’s as a team.

If we can get a good spirit going and some excitement in to the players, we’ve got more then enough talent to not only win games but to entertain.

There’s definitely something in this. If we look back 2 or 3 years it was almost as if there was a forfeit for being last to join the celebrations! They were running in from everywhere and laughing their heads off!

Under Maguire I think there was or at least they were encouraged to all get in.

I’m not one of those fans who bags Wane constantly but there is no doubt over the years that some of that spirit and culture that Maguire instilled in the place has been eroded. This may sound silly and non important but even little things like seeing the players going to training camps or turning up for games in all odd training gear is a sign that the place has lost some professionalism and discipline. I’d want my ‘team’ looking like a ‘team’.

Maybe I’m sad

Never heard anything of this. Just witnessed a FB who was under-par then replaced.

I hope I'm wrong, but as cover, Escare is a good signing, as a first team starter? I'm not so sure.

I think you are absolutely correct.
Aim for perfection accept excellence.
The last few seasons we have drifted along accepting poor discipline (on and off the field) and standards thinking that the "Wigan way" whatever that is would see us through.

I've watched all of the interviews on Wigan tv on pre season training and hopefully some lessons have been learned from last season and there appears to be acknowledgement that we need to improve which hopefully we will see with talking turned into action.

john is right

Cheers for that.

no worries

Escare was a strange one from a fans point of view and to a certain extent it is to do with expectation, and managing expectations.

When he joined us he was seen by most including myself as a squad player who would only get a run out when we had an injury crisis.

As I mentioned above the coaches who are paid to know their stuff in both France and England rated him much higher than that.

I accept he is still green and learning which seems an odd thing to say for a player of his age and experience, however he was an absolute breath of fresh air in relation to providing the speed and evasiveness and general X factor that our turgid dull team so badly needed and I think that because not much was expected when he delivered like he did providing real moments of entertainment he became a fans favourite.

It’s kind of a role reversal from Tomkins where much was expected but for whatever reason last year he didn’t deliver and some fans turned on him.

I would say in both cases I would trust the coaches judgement over that of us sat in the stands.

Personally I’m more than happy for him to have the odd brain fart but start and give us as spectators something to shout about in a positive way.

100% agree

No brainer for me.. ST will no longer have the elusive pace he once had, and will therefore be more suited to using his experience closer to the forwards... Escare was excellent early last year, should obviously play at FB.

That’s kind of the point I was getting at. Escare, I think it is fair to say, was good and also provided some much needed entertainment value and quality at times but he also showed signs that he needs time to mature. Expectations were so though that he was described as excellent, which for me is a bit OTT can’t deny though he was good.

Similarly I’m not sure Saam was as bad as some would have us believe, once again more to do with expectations.

Just watched wigan tv and with the interview with wane it sounds like TL and Ganson to 9 and Powell to 6/7 bad move for me better with TL at 6/7 and MM/SP at 9

Shaun Wane knows more about how to be a rugby league coach than me but I’d love to see him start with Escare at FB with Sam in the halves. I’ve said all along I don’t think Powell is creative enough at 9, he’d be even worse at 6 or 7.

Funnily enough I think the reverse: Powell is no world-beater, but I think he's a better half than he is hooker.

I haven't watched the Wane interview, but do we deduce from this that Escaré isn't match-fit?

I don't think Powell has really had an opportunity to show what he can do in the halves alongside a more direct running threat like Williams is. Powell has played quite a few games in the halves over the years but the vast majority have been alongside Matty Smith (and as a result generally on the left edge with Smith on the right). The obvious problem with Smith and Powell in the halves is that neither are particularly direct so defenders are always expecting a pass. Powell played mostly at stand off and at least attempted to be more direct and if my memory serves me right he did okay during that period, but nothing spectacular.

In total he played 17 times alongside Smith, twice alongside Blake Green, 3 times with Williams, twice with Ryan Hampshire and once alongside Josh Woods (actually Gregson for most of that game if I'm not mistaken).

His games in the halves this year weren't great but there's some mitigation. One was the away embarrassment against Castleford where the entire team was a shambles and no half was likely to make an impact and the second was the home defeat to Salford with a weakened team (and as mentioned, he ended up partnering Gregson in the halves that game).

Really we don't know exactly how well Powell could do alongside an in form Williams and with some time to build up a partnership with the players on the right, just as we don't really know how Tomkins or Escare could do.

On his very few outings playing on the right side I've been impressed with Powell's passing ability from left to right, which might just help to make us a little bit more threatening on that edge. But then there are all sorts of options available, such as Williams playing on the right instead, allowing Tomkins or Escare on the left, or the more unlikely options of ditching split halves altogther.

Taken from Gellings new Blog the reason why he has gone... https://anthonygelling.wixsite.com/mysi ... in-a-bit-1

Taken from Gellings new Blog the reason why he has gone... https://anthonygelling.wixsite.com/mysi ... in-a-bit-1

Personally I really want to see how Tomkins would go as a halfback. Its a position England are desperate for and Tomkins has all the skills required (except possibly kicking). As for his defence, I think his one on one is fine, and I'd say there are plenty of SL halfbacks around who are a lot more shaky than him. Its obviously Wigan's call, but I'd love to see him at 6. Regardless of where he plays though, you also need Williams to kick on. I'm fed up of seeing young English halfbacks with obvious talent just stop developing or even go backwards. If Luke Gale is the best we can hope for we'll never beat Australia.

With a Wigan hat on its obviously great to see Williams still here but with an England hat on, he’d have been far better served going testing himself in the NRL.

Superleague isn’t forcing him to work on his weaknesses. I thought it was one of his biggest weaknesses that probably held him back from going and that’s a lack of confidence.

No where near goof enough to play NRL. Not even a stand out in SL.