I'm sure that all of you like me are looking forward to the new season so I thought I would try and get some predictions for next year.

To avoid this becoming a Wigan/Saints thread on your own board I will keep it to Wigan only.

So who do you feel will be:-

Your player of the season
Breakthrough player (so either a relative unknown so far or someone not expected to do so well)
Fans scapegoat

Your player of the season - Smithies - hoping this is the season he really steps up. He is now seen as one of our senior players and needs to take on a leadership role in the pack if he is going to progress to meet the level that many think he can play to
Breakthrough player - Harry Smith - time that he really makes the 7 shirt his own and takes games by the scruff of the neck. We need to be talking about Harry Smith more than Jai or Bevan
Fans Scapegoat - Powell is likely to be a front runner (especially on Warriors fans forum), but could be closely followed by Ellis and Mago if they dont kick on. I'm not into scapegoating personally, as no-one goes out to play poorly. Yes, players have bad games like we have bad days at work. I'll rightly criticise if i think it is needed but equally praise the same player(s) when the deserve it

Player of the year - Liam Farrell
Breakthrough - Junior Nsemba
Scapegoat - Toby King / Sam Powell

Player of the year - Jake Wardle or Cade Cust
Breakthrough - Harvie Hill
Scapegoat - Willie Isa

Player of the Season-Bevan French

Breakthrough-Zak Eckersley (would go Hill but can see Eckersley getting more games due to us being thin in depth in the backs)

Scapegoat-Sam Powell

Player of the Year H Smith
Breakthrough J Shorrocks
Scapegoat T King

Other teams looking forwards to Clifford and Hoy at Hull. Could have the same sort of effect as Field and French

Player of the season - Smithies. Im hoping for the sake of the squad he can have a cracking 23 season at 13. The lad is a talent and I have no doubt under the guidance of lockers he’ll kick on from his good season last year

Breakthrough player- Nsembe only one I’ve really seen play in the Hull KR game last year. Looked ready for the step up. Hopefully will be great cover

Fans scapegoat- Always Powell. However another season under the belts of Ellis and Mago will put them in the firing line. Think fans will slowely turn on King if we start shipping point on his edge

Player of the season - Bevan French, because that will mean he has scored a million more tries. (Hoping for big things from Smithies, Havard, and Smith this year also).

Breakthrough Player - Kinda needs to be Nsemba.

Scapegoat - The main contenders will be Isa, Mago, Singleton, King. Obviously Powell will be most discussed as per every year, but I'm in the detractor camp so won't call it scapegoating

Its interesting to see that a lot of you have picked Powell as a scapegoat. I often wonder sometimes if fans have less patience for local lads than others. It should really work the other way but doesn't always.

I'm a Utd fan and I recall a period where Giggs was a scapegoat and criticised by match going fans. It seems ludicrous given the service he gave, his talent and the fact he didn't cost the club a penny yet fans were on his back. Meanwhile some overseas players were cult heroes despite achieving much less.

NB I'm not for one minute comparing Giggs to Powell in terms of talent, it was the "local lad" analogy that I was referring to

Note this isnt my opinion, just relaying what i see on an almost daily basis on Warriors fans
The biggest gripe is that he isnt world class, and he should be cos he touches the ball more than anyone else. He passes too slow and is generally too slow or just isnt good enough - you should give Warriors fans a look if you are really bored one day to see what some fans think of him.

I personally would prefer a more dynamic hooker, but in a salary capped sport its not possible to have class or world class players in every position. For every Hanley / Offiah, we need an Ian Potter, Ian Gildart, Ged Byrne type player, who we know what we get with them. They give 100% week in week out, arent world beaters but the side is better for them being there than not.
Its also a fair point re him being a local lad as very often the expectations are set quite high with them. Recently we had Williams and Hampshire come through, and they were future internationals, now one of them believed the hype and the other one got on and delivered it.

Interesting that you mention Hampshire. I know this is going off at a tangent but I remember the Saints v Wigan game at Langtree in 2013 ( I refuse to call it the Totally Wicked Stadium) it was the Richards DG game.

I was nervous every time Hampshire got the ball, I think he played FB that day because Tomkins was injured but he looked an unbelievable talent and yet he has gone on to do very little since.

i've never been fortunate enough to have time to watch reserves / academy matches so dont get to see some of the talent coming through. i find some of the chats on here really insightful as there are posters from both Wigan and Saints who give fair assessments of the talent coming through both clubs

re Hampshire, there is no doubt he has talent, but i personally after reading about him at junior level, dont think he has fulfilled that potential. I'm sure there are plenty of other players i could pick, but Williams and Hampshire both came through at the same time, and as i say 1 took his chance, whilst the other (allegedly) was listening to his agent etc instead of putting that graft in to take the next step

Problem with Hampshire he had people close to him whispering bad advice into his ears too much. Look where it got him.

Player of the year Jai Field

Breakthrough player KKP (start right second row every week and make the dream team)

Scape goat - Cust/Ellis/Mago

Nsemba will not be your breakthrough player.

He really isn’t that good. Delaney has absolutely mullered him everytime they have played and Delaney is no where near the saints first team

You're right . Just like you were with Bateman not leaving and Wardle not signing.

My thoughts on Rocky are Wigan was not a good move for him under Wane.

They Wane style of coaching was very structured and robotic, Rocky was a natural eyes up play what is in front of you player and that didn’t fit into the Wigan system. I think it would be a different story under Peet.

In regards the original question

Player of season - Field
Breakthrough -as others have said kind of needs to be Nsemba
Scapegoat - Powell

Interesting, Delaney is a prop, Nsemba is a 2nd row!
Harvey Hill got the better of Delaney in the Wigan v Saints games last season.

I do think Delaney looks a good prospect though.

Brian, what's your thoughts on Ramon Silva? Been with the club coming up to two years I think, obviously a young project signing from London. I've seen next to nothing on himas yet, good enough to break through?

Re. Catalans, just read their council has shut two of their stands, assuming safety issues, not a great start on top of the fine they picked up last week for crowd trouble

Player of the season- Marshall
Breakthrough- Nsemba
Scapegoat-Powell

Brian will have seen more of him than I have but I personally don’t see him having a future long term at Wigan.

He’s done a year at Wigan, 2023 will be his second.

I’m with Jonh, seems extremely raw.

Will be interesting to see him in preseason , he had a few injuries last year.

How do we all feel we’ll go with Tommy replacing Briers. He’s got the experience on the field and has done his stint with New Zealand. Not sure what stamp he can put on the team creative wise that he hasn’t as a player

I honestly don't know but haven't been overly impressed with what I have seen, I think this season will tell us al we need to know.