A prop at 6 and Smith at 7 = receipe for disaster.

If only we had a decent halfback as cover......oh wait!

I like Smith and think he's capable of doing a Solid job but unfortunately tonight just wasn't his night. Probably the worst I've seen him play for us. I think now he's effectively on his own so to speak he's struggling,

with powell at hooker and lockers trying to fill in at 6 we don't have any one else to create anything and if that one person isn't firing then you get what happened tonight.

I really think not getting someone in to replace micky mac could hurt us. Powell is doing a good job but if we can get someone in at hooker and have powell sharing the responsibility with smith it would give us another option, and then when Williams returns we've got another player capable of of sharing the hooker/halves role.

Nope! Not based on what he's shown over the last two years.

O'Loughlin was playing prop at the start of the year but put him to shame tonight. The only glimpses of creativity were coming from him and the accuracy of his passes was excellent. Smith...not so much.

Should have been binned for the trip as well.

Smith was OK, there are other mistakes through the team. At the end of the day Widnes played an excellent game and to be honest, tonight was the best game of the season for me. Kicking, missed. However, scoring on the very edge of the field will do that.

I'm actually almost OK (maybe happy) by the result going against Wigan. Wigan were beaten by a team who are, for the large part from the town and have worked incredibly hard to be Wigan beaters. Betts was dumped into first team coaching I'm really happy that he (as a long time servant to the club, promoted too young and simply stepping up to fill the big gap left by Mike Gregory) is now getting the recognition he deserves.

Smith is absolute baba. A JOKE he gets selected for England. So overrated. Garbage at conversions too so tonight isn't exactly new.

The 4 year deal we gave him is one of the worst decisions Lenagan and Wane have made.

Hard to disagree.

Given what it means for Hampshire (and Wigan eventually) it's hard not to agree.

No defence for him last night.

If you're a half without a real running game and defensively you can be got at then you simply have to be a good passer and a good kicker or else you shouldn't be playing at the top level. His passing is killing the team currently with so many balls go to the floor or being difficult for the runners to take which is killing our momentum. His kicking game is usually his saving grace but that was appalling last night as well.

He's been a little shown up since Green left for me.

No

He will play for the rest of the season because we have no else to put in.
We have a squad packed with middles but zero depth elsewhere.
We have one injury at halfback and have to bring a prop or whatever SOL is these days at 6 to pair up with a very average 7 in Smith.
This problem is fairly and squarely down to IL, KR ( who seems bomb proof) and SW whose recruitment since 2013 has been non existent in terms of improving the squad.
We have a 7 who now plays 9, a 7 who plays 6, anyone can have a go at 1, a 3 incapable of passing, the smallest backrow in the competition, props who hang around with their finger up their arris in their own 20, a first choice highly paid 9 who is incapable of playing 80 minutes, we resign a prop who is less than useless, sign Isa as the next coming when he is just another journeyman, pick 4 middles as subs every game irrespective of conditions or opponents and then we blame Smith.
SW needs to understand that although hard work is a prerequisite for a good team on its own it isn't enough. This mantra of tough rough middles and edges is driving me to despair to the point of not being too bothered if I watch a game or not. Losing I can cope with but tedious boring play starts to wear very thin after a few seasons.
Does anyone in the team know how to or practice any kicking? Sarginson and Gelling have started kicking and are useless. Mossop God bless his cotton socks has also got into the act. Pathetic for a professional club truely pathetic.
Smith was appalling last night but the problem is much deeper than just a Joe average number 7.
This isn't about injuries it's about poor recruitment and exceptionally poor coaching. I'm sick to death of hearing about wrestling, fitness and middles. Do the three quarters actually practice any passing or are they continually in the gym or the wrestle pit? On another thread someone was extolling what pace we have in the back line which made me laugh out loud.
Smith will recover albeit he wil never ever be a top 7 however, I dread to think how many bombs Saints will put up next week and how Sarginson will react. Never mind we can try someone else there as anyone can play at 1 or 6 or 9 or 3 or 4.................

He will play for the rest of the season because we have no else to put in.
We have a squad packed with middles but zero depth elsewhere.
We have one injury at halfback and have to bring a prop or whatever SOL is these days at 6 to pair up with a very average 7 in Smith.
This problem is fairly and squarely down to IL, KR ( who seems bomb proof) and SW whose recruitment since 2013 has been non existent in terms of improving the squad.
We have a 7 who now plays 9, a 7 who plays 6, anyone can have a go at 1, a 3 incapable of passing, the smallest backrow in the competition, props who hang around with their finger up their arris in their own 20, a first choice highly paid 9 who is incapable of playing 80 minutes, we resign a prop who is less than useless, sign Isa as the next coming when he is just another journeyman, pick 4 middles as subs every game irrespective of conditions or opponents and then we blame Smith.
SW needs to understand that although hard work is a prerequisite for a good team on its own it isn't enough. This mantra of tough rough middles and edges is driving me to despair to the point of not being too bothered if I watch a game or not. Losing I can cope with but tedious boring play starts to wear very thin after a few seasons.
Does anyone in the team know how to or practice any kicking? Sarginson and Gelling have started kicking and are useless. Mossop God bless his cotton socks has also got into the act. Pathetic for a professional club truely pathetic.
Smith was appalling last night but the problem is much deeper than just a Joe average number 7.
This isn't about injuries it's about poor recruitment and exceptionally poor coaching. I'm sick to death of hearing about wrestling, fitness and middles. Do the three quarters actually practice any passing or are they continually in the gym or the wrestle pit? On another thread someone was extolling what pace we have in the back line which made me laugh out loud.
Smith will recover albeit he wil never ever be a top 7 however, I dread to think how many bombs Saints will put up next week and how Sarginson will react. Never mind we can try someone else there as anyone can play at 1 or 6 or 9 or 3 or 4.................

Wow itchy, talk about OTT. The trouble caused by an injury to Williams is exacerbated by injuries to our first choice full back and hooker. Can't you see that? We have no first choice 1, 6, 9 or 13 playing in their correct positions. Last night we didn't get away with it, that's all.

I dont think Sarginson did too bad at FB either

Looked dodgy under the high balls....

I'm not going to repeat what others on here have said about Matty Smith's woeful performance last night. Presumably as penance, the publicity department have made him do a press release.

[urlhttp://www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2016-03-18-not-at-the-races?utm_term=Wigan+Warriors&utm_content=Rugby+League+News&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Official+News[/url

"“Our attack wasn’t clinical or direct enough and we didn’t capitalise on the chances we had. I think our last plays were terrible throughout the whole game. We have got to learn from this defeat.”

"Our" last plays Matty? Shouldn't that be [uyour[/u last plays?

Losing isn't the problem it's the utter crap style of play. No variation no spark no skill.
Middles who get changed after 15 minutes after hanging around for most of that time with their finger up their arris. Last night after 14 minutes play in the 2nd half after waiting 4 minutes for the Widnes no try we make substitutions for what?
Just totally fed up of middles and edges.
Last night In the south stand people around me were on their phones, rabbiting on about anything but the game. Two women were debating which is the best chippy in Wigan for god's sake at one point! What is there to debate its in Manor Street!
The style of play it utter total rubbish. MM only plays for 40 minutes and SOL only plays 50% of matches so we can't use that as an excuse. Explain how one injury to a 7 who plays 6 means that our only option is to play a prop or whatever he is.? Please explain this to me JJ?
From 2013 we have been on a decline which some supporters for whatever reason just don't seem to see or except it.

The pain of losing is greater than the joy of winning

Also reserve hooker (Waterworth) injured, reserve halfback (Shorrocks) injured,
Then there is Hampshire who is out on loan (at his own request)

Matty Smith is not good enough, this is a fact.

When we have won trophies with him in the side it is because we have had a good 6 like Blake Green who takes full control. I never rated Green highly but we sure have missed is infulence since he has left. I dont know what is main attribute actually is you go through the important ones for a No 7 and he is poor in the majority of them.

Organisation - Poor
Taking the line on - Poor
Kicking in General Play - Poor
Decision making - Poor
Defence - Poor

There are probably more to this list but these are the reasons why we cant seem to get over the line in the Grand Final IMO

I know it seems that i am making Smith the scape goat in all are problems but I actually think it is more to do with Wane / recruitment....... last night was a example of poor planning / game plan.........why start with Tautai and leave us so down in numbers of the interchange bench. Gregson played 0 minutes, Burke maybe 15 minutes, Sutton maybe 20 minutes Mossop maybe 30 minutes this meant that the middle men had to play long minutes which lead to fatigue in the game (in particular Flower/Clubb) which meant we couldnt make the yards in attack for Smith to put in kicks under less pressure. Plus are outside backs Sarge, Josh, Gels, Gildart, Dom taking too many drives, in particular Sarge so when it came to his full back duties he was knackered and made errors Will Sam be taking that many hit ups? Compare that to Widnes / Hanbury looked fresh and became a deciding factor in the game when he cut open Smith and Gelling.

I mean why select Gregson on the bench then don't put him on......remember this is the guy (Wane) who comes out and says he believes in the young lads so doesn't want to recruit players in who he sees not better than what we have. We all know that Wigan was in for Brett Ferres so we know there is cap available.....but again why did we need another back rower when there is other positions to strength. This leads me to another issue .......Wane was a forward as we all know rough and tough, which is unsurprisingly the way and the only way we play through the forwards / middle rough and tough. This is proven by how bad are attack as become, we are still running the same pattern in attack as when Madge was in charge full back chiming in "the round the back play". Is it a coincidence that our last couple attacking coaches have left the club and Wane as replaced them with his mates (insiders) Deacon and Harris moved on both under a bit of a cloud as we know Wane n Harris dont see eye to eye anymore.

Wane as won trophies and he is a Wiganer through and through i get all that which is great but I dont want to end up like Arsenal for example sticking with a coach and being too stubborn to change.

We have the option to recall Hampshire week by week if we chose too

Didnt they give Amos a 4 year deal too?

Looking these posts got me thinking there are 13 players in a team of rugby not just one that everyone on here is slagging off .......

Yes Matty did not have one of his best games for Wigan and by the end of the game looked mad at himself as he already knew this but the whole Wigan team did not play to the standards everyone expects.

No one can deny that the main pivotal players in the team full back / scrum half / standoff / hooker / loose forward if they play well the team plays well no matter what team they are. If we look at Wigan ATM how many 1st choice players do we have in these positions the answer is 1 and that's at scrum half which it Matty. I have also seen people saying he not played well for the last 2 yrs but then he had a experienced standoff in Blake Green and currently has had Williams ( still learning the game it that position ) Lockers more recently who has already played Prop this season then standoff but not his best position loose forward due to injuries in other positions. As people still say the half's need to gel and play more together but we are only 6 games in and 2 of these he has had a prop / loose forward playing alongside him.

Wigan will only get better as the season goes on so I will look forward to the mass of negative comments Im going to get now from the Anti Matty Smith supports who probably are the same ones as the last year Anti Gelling / Anti Shaun Wane / Anti Tauti / Anti Tomkins or Anti any Wigan player who has a bad game and is not fit to wear the Wigan shirt.

One thing that does baffle me is I understand people are allowed views but some are so anti Wigan / Players why do they still support them if the dont like em so much ?? just a thought.

As a Wakey supporter who has to watch Finn and Miller operate at 6 and 7 I would obviously be on cloud 9 if we had a player as good as Smith, but I have to say, as an outsider looking in, he just isn`t good enough for Wigan, he is and has been a weak link in many excellent Wigan teams. The amazing thing for me is that Wane, who I admire as a coach greatly for his fearless attitude is player young players has Rocky Hampshire on his books. Hampshire for me is the best player of his generation and is already far superior to Smith in all aspects of the game, plus he can kick goals something that Smith is very poor at. Hampshire should have been given his chance to play at 7 two years ago. Apparently Wigan / Wane prevented him from going to Trinity on loan this season, and I understand that decision, where he would have played at 7 every week and set the game alight. Instead Wigan / Wane send him to Cas , again I understand that the Powell, Orr, Sheridan coaching will be good for him, but in order to get a game at 7 Gale needs to loose form or be injured. As it is he has played one game at 6. Wane should recall Hampshire, drop Smith and play Hampshire at 7 every week