Hastings is a world class half back - we look so much better with him directing the team around the park. I remember thinking at the Hull game how good it was going to be to watch him grow into this team throughout the season and really hit top form in the summer. Sadly we've ended up with a disrupted and curtailed season in which we cant attend games and it's unlikely that we'll ever see Hastings or the team as a whole play to its full potential as a result.

I'm not convinced that Leuluai or Smith are ideal partners for him - ideally he would be playing with a more explosive line-breaker. Him and Williams together would have been awesome.

It started before he even got here with Hastings. The pitchforks came out for him supposedly reneging on his contract during the off season, then when it proved to be false rumours people held it against him anyway.

No one will ever beat Gelling as the undisputed king of Wigan scapegoats. I swear I heard someone shout "Pull your bloody finger out Gelling!" upon the opening kick off of a game, which went to the opposite side to which he was stood.

Where have I said he's a scapegoat??
French or Hastings?
If he is so good so far why isn't he higher in the mos ?

He's in the top 10 along with three other Wigan players, so the points have been spread about. We're the only team with four in the top 10.

My criticism of him this year is that he has been caught in possession a few times on the 4th tackle which limits the kicking option on the 5th leaving Harry Smith as our only kicker.

So he can improve then?
That’s all I’m saying.

Not sure why making a point of suggesting a player could do with improvement raises such angst.

If I had to pick any halfback in SL I’d pick Hastings so I’m not criticising the guy just stating that we haven’t seen the best of him yet and I’d like to see it.

It’s probably really encouraging that he’s not hit top form because even at what I’d say has been 60/70% of his best, he’s probably been one of the best players in the league. He’s going to be so important to our chances of winning anything this season. If he hits his top form we can compete for everything. I’ve said on here before I think he’s a strange bloke and he’s clearly not as settled here as he was at Salford but he’s a competitor and I have no problems over the effort he’s throwing in to games.

I just came here to say, Itchy has a point there, and then read NK's post, and he's also right. Hastings is certainly busy, and takes the ball into contact, but has still offered us a decent haul in attack, and he defends well. I do think he's a good enough player to show us a little more; let's hope it comes.

I think Hastings has been excellent this year but maybe not as good as last season. Every player seems to play better at Salford!

J.Burgess in. Is Manfredi dropped or injured?

Out on compassionate grounds club said on Twitter.

Being completely dominated

Ben Flower been using his enforced offseason well.

Looks to have added some significant gains on the scales and so far that has enhanced his performance.

George Burgess gone off just six minutes into the second half. Was stopped dead in his tracks with his first carry in the second half. Weak in the tackle, slow to get back into the line and doesn’t seem right. I really hope he comes good but, at the moment, he is a downright liability.

Sadly I agree.

Thought all our middles were hit and miss.

Bullock made some big contributions but also was anonymous at times. Flower put himself about, we just lacked a bit of consistency in that department.

How Faz didn’t get MOTM is beyond me.

If I’ve seen a world class player who sadly seems to get billed as a ten a penny second rower like Faz does, I cannot think of them. The guys a freak, an absolute gem of a player and we should be shouting his name from the rooftops.

What a player. I won’t rest easy watching rugby league until he gets the bulling up he warrants. I love James Roby, he’s been a sensational player and he rightfully gets talked of as one of the best. Faz is the second row version and he deserves that reputation but it seems to allude him and I don’t get it.

He is all class is Faz. Works so hard, and always a threat in attack.

Havard is the best prop we’ve produced in a long long time. Can knock out 80 mins no problem and makes at least 100 metres/40 tackles a game. Need to get him tied down for as long as possible

If I was IL then I'd have no issues offering the lad a long term deal. If he's this good now, imagine how good he's gonna be.

If we can keep him until he's 24 then I'd be over the moon.

Always great to beat Cas and stick it to Powell.

The team spirit is the most pleasing thing for me - the players look really close and determined to work for each other. Great resilience to get back into it when their forward pack were on top. Our pack is still quite lightweight due to its youth - we'll probably get found out on that at some stage.

Farrell was incredible.

In a conundrum. And it’s bloody annoying.

I’m glad we got the win, genuinely pleased. Hard fought victory and our pack should pat itself on the back. But on the other there were such simple errors that gave Cas the upper hand. We’re so inconsistent it’s hard to comprehend.

I want to feel happy we are where we are, I really do. But equally part of me can’t help but feel that if we lost these close games Lam would be gone.

I maintain he isn’t the coach for us. That performance versus Saints sees us lose by 30pts IMO. I’m glad for the win but it’s a half filled cup situation for me.

Thought we overcame quite a lot of adversity tonight. Manfredi dropping out this morning, 12-0, Marshall injury, Smithies Sin bin. Glad to get the 2 points.

Farrell again outstanding. Flower went well ( might see some really determined form as he tries to earn a contract for next year)

Harry Smith 40/20 was a great play.

Ethan Havard looks like the Marquee player and George Burgess sadly looks like the rookie struggling to get to grips with Super league.

Still don’t think we’ll compete with Saints when we meet but piling up the wins.

All bob on. Jeez the money men must be mortified they’ve thrown a wad at George Burgess when all along they had a 19 year old kid in the ranks who is without doubt the best prop prospect I’ve seen coming through at Wigan in my 30+ years watching the club. I’m not blaming anyone because I was desperate for Burgess and he could still come good but he looks gone. I’ve not seen a player as off the pace as big George in a very long time.

It's a bit depressing watching Burgess at the moment. Initially I was hoping he was just struggling for match fitness but he's played enough games for us now to expect some kind of improvement but we haven't seen it. Maybe he's carrying an injury, but if so, why are we playing him? There seems to be no benefit in doing so as he's barely able to put in more than 5 carries or 14 tackles in a game which is poor for any prop. When you look at how Tom is doing in the NRL you wonder whether he could get to that sort of level but it's hard to imagine based on what we're seeing so far. Game after game Burgess is our worst prop. I think there was one game, against Huddersfield, where he looked half decent but that's pretty much it. Hopefully this isn't the same sort of thing as with Greenwood, who was a real handful and then within the space of a few injuries just seemed to lose everything that made him effective.

Fans have always been calling for us to sign a big, tough prop forward who can dominate, but our record when making big signings in that department isn't great. In fact our prop recruitment in general is so hit and miss. Not sure how that compares to other clubs and whether signing front rowers in general is a bit of a lottery, but right now I'm glad we're producing some good home grown props because we seem to be getting some really good stuff from them. Havard in particular is something really special with the potential to reach the level that James Graham and Sam Burgess did.

With the money he's on he'll be given plenty of opportunity & support to turn it around, but sadly it's not looking good.

I hate to say it, but he seems shot (and I don't say that lightly). The really worrying bit is he doesn't look unfit or lacking in willing, so it points to something else. If he was playing 60+ mins I wouldn't be as worried as he'd be in a position to turn it around - that seems beyond him tho.

If this carries on I wouldn't be surprised if he retires. He can't be enjoying it (there must be pain) and the club can't be happy either. As a side note I remember when the England RU player Steve Thompson came out of retirement he had to pay £500k back to his insurance firm, who'd paid out on his earlier early retirement. Maybe that could be an option if he has cover?

At least one fan is beginning to see the light on George!