1 – Jordan Rapana 2 – Harvey Barron 4 – Ed Chamberlain 5 – Tom Briscoe 22 – Lewis Martin 14 – Cade Cust 7 – Aidan Sezer 8 – Herman Ese’ese 25 – Denive Balmforth 16 – Yusuf Aydin 19 – Brad Fash 12 – Jordan Lane 13 – John Asiata Interchange: 10 – Ligi Sao 21 – Will Gardiner 31 – Hugo Salabio 33 – Will Hutchinson 18th Man: 32 – Will Kirby

[quote="WIZEB":kyzgg1qo]Don't see the problem with short drop-out. What do we do, weere 18 points down and need the ball. In truth it was a bang on the money kick from Rapana, manage to knock it back but aren't alert enough to regain it second-ball. What's the alternativ, punt it downfield with the likelihood of them scoring with a full set anyway? Think we'll be big underdogs away at Giants but these are the games we need to compete in otherwise it's gonna be 2024 deja-vu.[/quote:kyzgg1qo] Agree it was a gamble worth taking. Should have done some line out lifting

Pretty much agree with what's already been said. There's definitely some promising signs with our attack. Sezer looks quality and Salabio looks like he's a good signing. Runs and hits hard. Makes you realise just what big losses Cartwright and Hardaker are on that right edge. I know it's easier said than done but we desperately need to try and bring in a couple of forwards ASAP

Lacked energy and spark from the off last night and only had a glimpse of it early in the second half before the ridiculous decision to go for a short drop out. Line speed was everything. We were static for most of the game and Wigan (with the usual aid of the dip in the middle) were blistering. Sezer looked fantastic, even behind our beaten pack (which has to be one of the weakest in the league) and the two wingers continue to impress. Despite the contrast in quality and the missing players I expected a lot hungrier performance last night. It was almost like last week's result created to much pressure for them to handle. Flat and ultimately disappointing. I really hoped these sort of performances were behind us. As others have eluded to, we probably need at least two or three new players if we are to have a better season this year (of Sezer's quality too). Just don't know where they're coming from. The quality and depth just isn't there and despite the rhetoric, pure hard work doesn't always cut it. It's early in the season and I'd have been happy with one from two when the fixtures were announced, so despite my current mood, it's time to suck it up and move on.

[quote="TnT":2ialscwu]Several factors I felt contributed to a loss: injuries, missed go forward in Ashworth, then Sao, so injuries are an issue including Hardaker. Wigan were just really good - strong, fast agile, well drilled, inventive, thinking on their feet, etc, etc. I did feel that we have potential in that we have quicker distribution a decent spine, some young talent, some valuable experienced players and a close up look at where we need to beafter 80 mins against a top outfit. I do see now that perhaps apart from his defence Fash is lacking, not sure about Gardiner. Thought Lane was ok. We missed Cartwright big time. Need another prop and back rower but that’s not a new idea I wasn’t happy about the tackle on Ligi. Didn’t Asiata get in trouble for similar tackles a season or two before? This is a developmental team, we all know it. Last nights result is not the end of the world. Bye the way I think our discipline was better too. S So let’s stay positive and aim for lower mid table. Don’t see anyone but Wigan winning the GF[/quote:2ialscwu] I didn't see anything in the tackle on Sao, it looked like he was injured when stepping before any tackle was affected and Dupree (I think it was) to his credit tried to alert the officials to get Sao some help.

It’s a funny old game!!! Not so much Rugby League but more this being a fan business. The word itself depicts a fanatic and so we are all are really, because even after watching the club into my sixth decade I never cease to be amazed by how the pre-season hype, marketing and general talking up inspires me each year and convinces me things are back on track, a miracle has occurred and we will do well in the coming season. Last night we sat there and witnessed a visiting team as good as anything our competition has produced that would hold their own very well in the NRL. I’m not saying Wigan would win it but boy, they’d give it a good go and were they good last night? Stinging after a defeat as they were, it’s unlikely any other Super League club would have beaten them. However biased I am towards the club I love, however much I want a magic wand to have been waved you have to admit that and I have to be a bit more realistic as to just how far we have to travel to get anywhere near that level of performance. Had we kicked on from 2017 we could have been up there but it’s hard to see how our attaining that level again will not take several seasons of building a team and developing the squad. How far we have been allowed to fall is the real disgrace really and yet we pitch up in our absolute thousands full of hope for a new beginning yet with many of us knowing in our hearts, through bitter experience, that it very likely that disappointment will continue to haunt many aspects of the season ahead. I’m trying to not let the disappointment that comes with losing to a brilliant opponent on the night, colour our judgement for there were positives. We hung in, there the resolve to be better was there for all to see, the line speed was OK the ruck was a lot better we never gave up on what was a lost cause, we have tons of potential, we had some bad luck and tough calls but everyone tried. And at last facing a big defeat heads didn’t go down. I can hack it as long as that continues, but it’s a shame for those less case-hardened individuals who want to see a winning team and turned up fuelled by the hype and expectation, one win at a very average Catalan brought and who have not wintered and summered the almost unique experience of being an FC fan ‘till I die’. The team isn’t good enough is it? WE have signed as well as an ailing club could have, but it remains to be seen how signing older players for their experience will impact on out injury situation going forward. That was always a worry for me, but by and large we have recruited pretty well. I also think the coach is good enough (his post-match interview was succinct honest and realistic) and I’m of the school of thought that if he can’t do it no one can!!! I rate our football manager thus far too. In addition, anyone who has had a chat with the new owner will know that he is in it for the long haul really passionate about the club and very realistic about the task ahead. Some players we fielded last night wouldn’t have got anywhere near the 2016/17 squad 1 to 30, but we are building and we have to rely on those less gifted both in ability and size to do their best and let’s face it last night they all did. Brad Fash is a point of question on this front. He’ll never be a second row forward, he’s not tall enough, he doesn’t have the hands and he's short on speed. Nor is he big enough for a prop, but he put his hand up, he’s FC through and through he gave his absolute all and ran himself to a standstill. He’ll probably knows that he’ll be replaced in the fullness of time, but in the mean-time we can really ask for nothing more. I think that can be said for most of the others too, well beaten but certainly not unbowed. How a few more disappointments will impact on that resolve remains to be seen. But last night Wigan were just too good. When power was needed they had, it they showed patience, discipline, had pace to burn and so much skill through their spine. We chased the game throughout and weren’t at the races, but we tried and never gave in and that for me is a massive plus on last season. All we can now do is stick with the team as we always do, but let’s take heart in the fact that a lot looks different now and we have to take that build on it and move forward. It’s going to be a long hard season but the fact the players are hurting because they felt they let us down is proof enough that things have changed. Let’s just hope for a bit more luck than we usually get on the injury front!!