There was no way Wigan wew going to allow Monas to run the game like Saints did. Their gameplan is focussed on slowing the ptb down and generating a scrappy, niggly ruck area and pushing the marker defence rules to the limit. They did it, they got away with it and they nullified Monas as a result.

Agreed morrisseyisawire

I never want to see Wood and England on the pitch at the same time ever again. they were a liability against Widnes and have done nothing to make me change my mind since then.

Exactly. We had Hill and the massive Harrison off and the defence unravelled.

England showed last night we he isn't SL standard.

PS can't believe certain people are questioning Russell he pulled his tripe out last night for the team and was faultless.

we desperately need some more attacking flair and another strong forward. We should have unlocked that Wigan defence. We were 4 points behind with a little over fifteen minutes to go and couldn't snatch it.

with Briers Hodgson and a stronger pack we would have. I'm a big fan of Obrien but the late shots did what they were intended to do put him off his game he really went missing.

But it had me thinking do we win that game with Clarke in for Monaghan and Simms in for Waterhouse.... and I say no we still don't.....

its a worry......

Indeed we still need that halfback signing. No doubt after last night.

2 reasons , you didn't score as many points as Wigan , and Wigan scored more points than you Simple .Charlie knows .

I can see why people like Matty Russell's returns, but his positional sense in defence is absolutely woeful and takes an eternity to get to kicks because he's out of position

If you look at the incident where he got caught in goal when were under the cosh in the second half. Joel was back covering his side and Rhys was rightly up in the line as that how the play developed, yet Russell was on Joel's side of the posts

It's numerous times it happens, watch it next time we play

How many times do you actually seem him catch on the fly when not down his throat

Exciting going forward, lot to learn in other areas

We must consider Matty on the wing and get somebody solid in defence and can read where to be positionally from kicks. Bowen knew every time the ball was kicked where to be to catch it. Some of that is down to Mylers lack of vision before he kicks it!

I don't knock Matty's speed and agility but he can't stop attackers from scoring when they run at him. Mathers for example would wrap up the ball and allow the attacker to use his own weight coming down to trap the ball between them with Mathers underneath.
Matty seldom breaks a tackle. He runs like Jason Robinson so why don't we use him like Jason Robinson!

You are comparing Russell to Hodgson who had no equal in terms of positional sense. Shame Smith and him fell out as he could be here now teaching Russell how to be a more complete player.

PS Russell is on of the leading players in SL for metres gained and tackle busts. But don't let that bother you Duckie they are only facts.

I'm not letting anything bother me. I haven't dished him? Did I not just compare him to the great Jason Robinson??
I just said we need to play him to his strengths and positional defence at FB is not one of them!
Running the ball at acting hb and being up with the play against tired defences is very likely where the chunk of your stat comes from.

Russell needs minor tweeks to his game that is all, nothing major.

1. Our kicking game was poor all night and has been all season

2. MMonaghans hopeful looping pass to hair Charnley

so you'd put a player, who's the same size if not smaller than riley on the wing, after we ditched riley and replaced him with someone 3-4 inches bigger

I actually think he'd do well on the wing, in a Justin Carney mould.

I had no problem with Riles. He made a comedy out of us last month. I've said it before that Atkins form has played a pretty hefty price on Riley and Penny.

Besides that yes I would. If we have to rely on a 6ft 4" winger coz all we have in attack is a kick to the corner were in trouble.

If you find a fews minutes to watch Russell on Utube you'll see a video of him as he played res grade in Oz, he played wing in almost every scene of him, mainly left but occasionally right. It shows him at his devastating best running from dummy half.

He is wasted at FB. We need him up with the play, whilst his defence and positioning is ropy.

An easy fix for this season would be a straight swap Matty for Rhys.
Not perfect but it'll get Matty up with the play to utilise his quick play and solid up our last line in defence with Rhys. With Rhys if he gets space from deep he has a great stride, pace, upper body strength and the occasional hand off too, to put us back on the front foot.

Indeed. We need to stop trying to fit players into the tactics and make the tactics fit the players.

Was a bit unsure about him earlier this season but his performance last night was on the whole, excellent.

i was somewhat livid that bentham didn't give a penalty to russell, i think it was 10 15 minutes from the end when he broke into their twenty riding some tackles, and 3 count them three wigan players tackled him all around the head, two slaps in the face seperately, third fella coming in to unscrew his lid.

add it to the 'Bentham missed that' list....its quite a long list.

Certain players (yes Sideshow Bob O'Loughlin looking at you) seem immune to being penalised.

Indeed, as well as that i thought the attacking the standing leg of a tackled opponant had been completely outlawed following the grand final last year? Yet it was apparent in almost every other tackle last night.

that belongs on another list: $h!thouse tactics Wigan RL 2013/14

He needs a lot of minor tweaks, that's why Wigan got rid. Not up to standard.

give over, the famous 'famed' Wigan juniors, each one more fantastic than the last?


I remember when Logan was going to be the best of the three tomkins brothers.