I personally have tried to avoid getting on the back of players like Riddell and Roberts (mainly after how much of a turn around a player can make after a season, Richards for example) so I have been in favour of giving them a "settling in" period.

But after tonight I think its only fair on Ainscough that soon as he is fit to play (apparently injured but correct me if Im wrong) he should get Roberts' place in the 1st team.

He had a stinker of a start and was a shoddy second to Fox but then when he made that break I thought we would get a glimse of what everyone was claiming to be his true strength, His pace in open field...

Instead what do we see? He gets chased down quickly on 2 occassions when he is through and clear.

I think he should get another chance next season but I am truely in favour of using Ainscough for the remainder of the season (especially after seeing the passion shown from the likes of Tomkins, McIlorum, OLoughlin tonight) and give a determined young player a chance who will give 150% whenever he has the ball.

Were giving away tried in Roberts anyway so why not give Ainscough his chance and hopefully get more tried for us instead of against.

He isnt all bad he does some good things (made a few breaks today and did fantastic in the build up to pats 2nd try) if we didnt have Ainscough waiting for his place in the team behind him i dont think he would get as much criticism as he does but for me he just doesnt look d, and frankly i cant believe we gave him a 4 year contract

To be fair to Roberts, Peter Fox is lightening.

Correct....Fox is rapid.

we scored not soon after.

Definately righted the wrongs of his early mistakes throughout the match and after the first 10/15 mins was one of our better players.

Very true and I know that.

But when I saw that it just ruin the little hope I had that he would really show some burning pace.
Thats what his main attribute has been made out to be and when I saw him make that break I got excited that he was going to go flying away the way Carney and Dallas used to and show us a great flying wingers try. But when he got caught so soon I was really dissapointed.

I didnt call for him to be shipped off or anythin OTT like that but for the time being Ainscough should get his chance.

Form over Reputation should be the true selector...

I agree. He got caught when he made breaks v Salford as well so it isn't just him losing the race against Fox he just doesn't look that fast, period.

The duty of care nonsense re Ainscough is now surely not applicable given the number of games left.

Ainscough's attacking statistics walk all over Roberts and I don't just mean tries scored.

Dave

Fox is imo the quickest player in the league, getting caught by him was no disgrace.

Ainscough is still our top try scorer and is a great finisher but teams may unfortunately pinpoint him with kicks as we found out Vs Warrington earlier in the season.

I can understand why Noble is playing it safe and keeping Ainscough in the reserves especially considering Noble's job is on the line and the fact that currently we have less than a 50:50 win/loss ratio.

Has anybody noticed Roberts likeness to a Klingon when up close?

Do not think he can take blame for the second Fox try, he moved infield to cover for Smith who was injured and trying to stay out of the way on the wing.

It is interesting to see the reaction off the dropped ball for the first try, which in truth was a difficult one coming out of the sun and with his blockers (Tim Smith) running in the total wrong area of the pitch. Taking all that into account Ainscough would still have been crucified.

The lad though i felt did some pretty good things as well tonight, he certainly does not have the gas he has been hyped up to, again i do think this may be an issue with our coaching rather than the player himself as he certainly looks to have lost a yard from his NRL days. His ball for Bailey off the deck was superb as was the experience and thinking to put Richards in.

The question is raised though would Ainscough have had to come up with those plays or would he have scored them himself? Who knows? I think he may well have finished at least one and made more of the space he had, but apart from the high ball a bit hard to criticise him tonight, much in the same way it is pretty hard to criticise Ainscough or at least go way OTT when he makes an error on the kicks, which Roberts has also struggled under.

This is going too sound harsh but IMO, Wigan would be a better team by replacing.
Riddell (too slow, not creative enough and embarrassed by McIllorum when he came on),
Roberts,(positionally shocking can't catch is an Aussie version of Calderwood),
Smith, (doesnt look interested half the time best thing that happened today was him getting injured, bad I know),
and Feka (one good run all game, he seems to be offering less and less every week I know he is great with the fans but he needs too start offering more for the team).

Would Ainscough have scored from that move?


I have to say I fail to see what all the fuss was about with Roberts. I didn't rate him when he came over, I still don't.


Richards is deceptively quick too, however, how about their prop getting back? Fair play to him.

I see a pattern

Riddell - Young up and coming Wiganer (Macca) means he's bad named.

Smith - Young up and coming Wiganer (S. Tomkins) means he's bad named.

Bailey - Young up and coming Wiganer (Mossop) means he's bad named. By the odd post and comment.

Roberts - Young up and coming Wiganer (Ainscough) means he's bad named.

What about the underperforming - Carmont, J.Tomkins, Hansen, Fielden, Gleeson??

Or is it because the four named higher up the post are Aussie's?

Correct. Fox really can catch pigeons.

Dont mind Bailey, as for Mossop hope he will come back, with Hock being suspended.

I think your exaggerating. If any player has been targeted as being replaced by Mossop it has been Hansen.

Plenty of people are saying this should be Carmont's last season, most people long ago lost patience with Fielden. Not sure what yur problem is with Gleeson and while J Tomkins is not as good as last year he isn't playing 13 which IMO he should be.

Riddell is being shown up by MM so that is the reason why people are saying these things not because of the comparison you make.

Roberts is not showing anything to suggest Ainscough should not get a run in the side, if fit.

I think it is just down to what people are seeing from the players on the left side of your list.

Dave

Im not just picking on you Jonh.

But why would Ainscough have to have done the same results Amos came up with for Richards try etc. Otherwise we might as well just keep Roberts in....
By suggesting Ainscough Im assuming he will offer something different to the team. Not just replicating the same plays



Things like supporting the man, Sticking to his centre/second row (like for Tomkins pass where Amos had overrun).
Ainscough must have something different about him to be able to have score 13 tries in superleague compared to Roberts 5.

J Tomkins had an absolute shocker, but noone seems to be picking on him? Also regarding a previous post, Feka was looking to offload about 4/5 times tonight and had ZERO support. We should definitely stick with him.

The young lads are again and again showing the so called more experienced and better players what to do, I don't know about others but I'm literally cringing when Fielden either takes the ball in or goes for a tackle in fear of him knocking on or conceding a penaty.

Maybe your thinking too much about it.....maybe the aforementioned aussies are just 5hytee?!?!

Personally I hope AR will be another PR - we all know Pat had an awful first season but he has since come good. AR has the potential to be one of SL finest wingers - if he gets the delivery he will come good.

Riddell on the other hand I can't see how and why we should keep him. He's average at best.

J Tomkins wasn't brilliant today dropped a couple of balls and through one into touch when ROBERTS over ran the pass. But he give 110% evry week his support play isnt too bad either.

As for Feka, what does he give the side that Fielden doesn't yet we want Fielden shot half the time. Can he play 50 mins +? NO, can he make 30+ tackles a game? NO, does he do one good run a game and get's everyone excited YES. My opinion of Feka has reduced week on week, he seems to be offering less, yet escaping any flack; and what has happened to his diet and susposed fitness drive????

By the looks of things Bailey is the de facto captain at the moment.

Ill agree with you on that. The only thing unaverage about Mark Riddell is his Weight!!!!