I know he's not 23 and over a career he's been given a go, but, he was re signed and my comments are based on the baffling notion that you sign a winger who you know so well including a few faults, but, with pace and then play......erm a Centre on one wing and a Full Back on the other seems a bit daft to me

It is daft, we looked better balanced with Penny playing on the wing, Russell has faults as well (especially on the wing) but his go forward is very useful. It will be interesting to see where Smith strengthens over the off season.

I've heard people talk about his faults etc. but ... every time he is picked I think that's good. He's got something others don't have and I do like a bit of pace. I have been a bit flummoxed with Tony Smith and his wing selection this year. I've never been one to knock Tony Smith but I think he got it wrong and I doubt if he'll ever do the same again. Smithy is always one for saying how we learn by various experiences ... and I'm hoping he will learn as well.

Penny would have took every chance Russell had at the GF and scored. Towards the end when Russell stopped and tried to cut inside but was bundled into touch and all out Winger like Penny would have leapt to the corner flag for an acrobatic try. He may not have scored but you've got better chance of winning the game doing that rather than what Russell did. FWIW I thought Russell had one of his best games for us in the final but that still doesn't make me think he's a better winger.

I'm not sure why people are having a pop at Penny so much.

Haven't we already established that, although Penny doesn't nail every single tackle, that he has been left floundering in no mans land umpteen times in the past by his centre and sometimes his second row???

Question for you Penny knockers, if Evans wasnt the tackle machine that he is (i.e. nailing most one on one tackles ball n all), would we be slating whoever was playing outside of him for their defensive frailties as much as we do Penny?

For me Penny is enthusiastic, takes numerous knock ups, has speed, is usually safe under the high ball and is acrobatic when needed to be. Lets get him playing next year rather than persisting in doing what Smith has done in recent weeks!!!

You had me until you called Evans a tackle machine. He isn't. He makes some good reads and has saved a few tries over the season but he has cost us a few as well. Why doesn't anybody see that or his total lack of creativity?

Look don't get me wrong I don't dislike penny or Evans and feel they have tried their best for us and done some good things BUT if we want to improve the side then these are areas which we can improve on. They will still get game time with injuries to others and won't let us down but they shouldn't be first choice in a team with ambition of winning the treble which I hope we now are. Don't forget that Charnley was out of favour at Wigan at one point in 2015 and he would have been our best winger at the time (still would). The sides that are most successful are ruthless in their aim to improve.

Ok, so tackle machine maybe a bit excessive but I honestly believe his one on one tackling is probably the best in the league. Not only does he drop the attacker but typically wraps the ball up as well. Dont get me wrong, I am complimenting him as a defensive centre because, as you, I feel his attacking is awful. But the reason I brought Evans up was because of Penny being labelled as a liability.....which I honestly don't think he is........ Evans has prevented numerous opportunities down his side which has papered over any defensive frailties of his winger. Penny has be made to look useles as he's been left in two minds which of the 2 or even 3 attackers running at him to tackle because his centre and second row have missed tackles or shot out of the line looking for the big hit only to be sidestepped or passed around.

I'm not saying Penny is amazing defensively and that non of it is his fault, but equally he isn't as bad as people are making out!

Let's be more specific, Charnley was out of favour with Sean Wane not Wigan. Charnley wasn't out of form, just out of the team sheet.

Fair point, but Charnley certainly came back a better player for it. Besides however much I like Penny as a local talent and believe he should have been in the team for the latter part of the season I don't put him in the same talent bracket as Charnley.

2016 SL appearances = 18, trys = 13, games lost when played = 3.

Quote ="10_15_Merchant"2016 SL appearances = 18, trys = 13, games lost when played = 3.'" Matt Russell stats:- https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... 1p3zWcgQag

Quote ="10_15_Merchant"2016 SL appearances = 18, trys = 13, games lost when played = 3.'" Matt Russell stats:- https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j ... 1p3zWcgQag

Any winger in sl would score tries in the warrington team, as shown by all the regular wingers records over last ten years.

apart from Russell then... 9 tries to his name.

How many appearances has he made on the wing this season?

13 games on the wing and quickly glancing back on the reports (I'm at work so if the numbers are wrong I apologise) I made it 5 of those tries came from fullback. So he has a strike rate of 4 tries in 13 games on the wing.

Is that Russell's fault? or are we not using our wingers correctly?

Too small a sample size of games to make much of a conclusion, his game is based around quick PTB and metres rather than finishing though, and I think when Sandow got injured we started lacking creativity.

a wingers job is to dive in at the corner and score tries. Fair enough help the forwards out every now and again but that's it.

You can defend his game all you want and explain why he's used in such a manner but the fact remains... He's not a winger. He's a bloke with a good scoot and incredibly poor positioning.

Got to agree, Russell isn't a winger for me either. I think he is pigeon holed there to fit him in to the team. His go forward is really good but it seems to me that he is always a yard off the pace in both defence and attack on the wing because he doesn't read the plays quickly enough.

I like Russell but I am not sure exactly where he best fits in to the team.

Russell isn't good enough to have a starting position in our team either at winger or fullback. He does have great go-forward but it isn't enough compared to those who play FB and wing at other top 4 teams.

If anything I see Russell as a Rob Burrow type supersub, causing havoc from the play the ball against tiring defences.

Oh yes, and Ratchford to centre, Penny on the wing, Gidley to fullback and Sandow & Patton in the halves.

And Penny is also poor compared to those wingers, unless we sign a new winger we are very limited in choice.

I was talking about Russell, not Penny.

Many years ago Cull put Bridge in the team - when he wasn't established - on the wing because he was playing too well to be left out. Sometimes you don't play the strongest players in their best position.

I know, but Russell plays because we have no left wingers who are top 4 quality, so unless we sign a new winger he will continue to play.

Yeah. And look what happened to Cullen, season tickets on the pitch and a sit down protest.