If he’s one of your best players you find a place for him.

Same as Origin where they play full backs on the wing, stand-offs in the centres, etc.

You just throw them in and more often than not they come up with plays.

Greenwood with half a heart is better than Isa & Faz put together tonight, so far. Our forwards are really quite pants, aren’t they.

I thought Faz tried hard and made some good carries but it was clear he was trying too hard at times and made a few mistakes.

There is no doubt in my mind though that Greenwood should of been involved if only on the bench. As i said in my first post, a baffling decision to leave him out when we need forward power. His wide power running could of got us back in the game in the first half when we had the ball near Salfords line.

I'm as dubious as plenty here about Greenwood, but nevertheless, in the current situation, I'm amazed that there wasn't even a place on the bench for him.

But then typically, nothing we did would have surprised Salford. We did exactly what they expected, except, a little worse.

Our bench is the week point.

As said above Faz gets picked at LSR as it is his best position and he overall offers more than Greenwood. Greenwood is crap on the right so Isa starts as RSR as although he has no go forward he is a tackling machine.

Of the other forwards only Partington and Smithies seem capable of playing big minutes, both are tackling machines but neither have a lot of go forward because they are relatively small. Subsequently both should start if they are in the squad though Lam may go Lockers over Smithies.

Powell will get selected at hooker leaving 1 prop position free for Clubb/Flower

Lam will always want Lockers in the squad so he takes one bench spot and can cover half back at a push as last night. Clubb/Flower takes another. You are then left with Byrne, Navarette, Havard, Greenwood, Sammutt or French as an option. I feel Lam wants to involve French having brought him over early so the other bench spots goes to a prop.

Sad state of affairs really as I would prefer two props, a back row and a hooker/half on the bench and Lockers is taking up the slot that should be Greenwoods whereas Greenwood was used from the bench to rest Lockers earlier in the season.

Its Lockers inability to do the full 80 mins and the fact that Smithies is a better defender that is keeping Greenwood out.

The young forwards have done well this season and with the loss of Bullock to injury and Tautai and Hamlin to off-field problems have had to do way more minutes than what would have been expected.

I have it on good authority that Lam really doesn’t rate Greenwood , so Greenwood is looking to leave asap

Always trust the Enforcer. Who told you Edwards wasnt coming months before anybody even thought there was a problem? Who brought up the idea that Greenwood could be on his way out before anybody thought of the idea?

I give up. Was it RichieS?

I'd be disappointed to see Joe leave. When confident he's one of the best back rowers in the league. Short memories forget how devastating he was in the 2018 playoff run and GF.

I see a player low on confidence due to a number of nasty head knocks, understandably Joe is firing on all cylinders which shows in his recent performances. This is where man-management comes in; Joe will need positively, support and the right development over preseason to get his head right-literally.

I say persevere with him. The barnstorming back rower is in there somewhere.

The only way I’d consider letting him leave is in a swap deal for a natural right sided second row but they’d have to be a good one to make it worthwhile. He’s frustrating is Greenwood but there’s a top player in there. I’ve said since he came that sometimes with him you have to accept the odd lazy tackle or him going off for a minor knock (not his head problems) because if the guy was pumped full of aggression and work rate he wouldn’t be at Wigan. He’s got the natural size and athletic ability of a backrower who could be the best in the world ‘if’ he had a bit more about him in the heart and aggression stakes.

If Lam wants rid of Greenwood then he has to bring in a top class right sided 2nd row to replace him.
OK he's had a poor year but he didn't when he arrived in 2018 he was superb.
A good off season and we could well see the best of Joe again and when at his his best he is excellent.
Lam needs to be careful who he gets rid of unless he's got a better replacement lined up.

Swap deal with McMeeken please

Think i must be the only one who rates him. I think he is top class. Never going to perform when not getting a run of games in an un-familiar position. I say persevere with him. Spend the off season transitioning him from the left to the right and we would reap the rewards i am sure. We would massively regret letting him go i reckon, but..... we don't know what is going on behind the scenes i suppose.

One of only two



I agree completely with you but if there is issues behind the scenes and this McMeeken rumour has legs, FWIW I don’t think it does, it would be a fantastic swap.

One of 3 then! Greenwood’s performance against Saints in the Super 8s was simply brilliant and if we can get him to perform like that consistently he’d be exceptional. I’m not sure the McMeeken thing is even a rumour. I think it’s just wishful thinking from a few people.

Yeah the McMeekan thing was originally mentioned as a rumour in a swap for Hardaker, then I mentioned on the rumours page how I wouldn’t mind him in a swap for McMeekan but it was more of wishful thinking then any sort of rumour.

Completely agree BRW. I think he’s been very unlucky with injuries and hasn’t been able to get going, hopefully all that is behind him and he can find that form that you quite rightly said was brilliant.

Greenwood needs a run of games clear of injury to get his spark back. You do not become a poor player over night and Greenwood is not a bad player but he has been very unlucky. What really is a shame is that we have two excellent left sided second rows but no senior right sided player as neither perform as well on that side. I could imagine one of them being left on the side-lines whilst one of the young lads fills the position on the right.

Make that four. Lam's not selecting him in the semi's was baffling given the forweards looked knackered. Isa in particular had completely run out of steam. Mind you both Bullock and Sammut were fit and he picked the same team that lost v Saints so maybe he's not got a downer on Greenwood as such but just made a mess of the selections.

Is it really such a big deal playing on one side or the other at SR? I can't remember any other player mentioning this as an issue. I'd understand it more at centre where you're passing more.

No problems for our centres:- they don't pass!!!!

I watched Greenwood closely on Saturday for England Knights, he was average at best.

My thoughts too.

Not 100% sure what your point is?

Has Isa for example been anything but average in a Wigan shirt? I'm sure you'll point out to a handful of games when he's done well, but you can easily do the same with Greenwood.

Greenwood, imo, has fallen into that category where everything he does is criticised by the fans. Sadly it's a common thing too - look at Marshall Vs Burgess, Marshall drops a ball and no one bats an eye, but if JB does the same then everyone is all over him. Tomkins had it when he was here, he'd pass the ball for a winger to run it back and get shot down, but yet he'd set 2 or 3 opportunities up in the same game. Compare that to everyone's darling in ZH who is all heart, but no brain.

Yes its a massive difference, your used to tackling in the main with the outside shoulder, so everything is opposite way around. Farrell started the season there and by his own admissions struggled there. Personally Greenwood would have to play there and not Farrell if Greenwood is still here. I hope Greenwood finds that spark to his game again but i have some doubts about him. Hope he proves me wrong next year.