I thought he had a really solid game. Looked a lot better than huddersfield and Wcc. He just needs some time on the pitch to get used to how we play as well as the super league. It was a dodgy bounce for the try he gave away, didn't see the impedance that some have talked about, and his try was really well taken.

Our biggest problem at the moment is a kicker, we will struggle a hell of a lot this season without those 2s going in every time and it cost us big yesterday

The misses didn't affect him enough to convert from the touchline and drop a goal with two players on top of him, all in the last couple of minutes.

Who knows he may take a lot of confidence from that and (quite literally) kick on?

Hope you're right, Matty Smith imo has been a great player for us

Maybe I don't understand the rules properly but wasn't Bowen taken out by a Cas player when defending the kick that led to a try?

"Solid game", "did alright", "slight improvement".

Yes, just the comments you want to hear about your big money signing

Regards

King James

We didn't pay any money for him. Neither is he reported to be on a 'Big Money' contract. HTH

His Royal Highness Jeff

Hardly a Josh Perry, Lance Hohaia is he?

Now that was brilliant business.

To be fair it's only right to compare new signings at this stage of the season from the NRL.

Bowen started off poorly but is slowly seeming to find his feet, Hull KR will be a clearer indication of what we can expect from him this season.

On the other hand another high profile signing like Mose Masoe is absolutley killing it!!......sorry what?...fat out of condition liability you say? Targeted in defense....water through a sieve?

Ridiculous to write off any new signing at this stage but of the 2 I know who I have more faith in coming good at this stage.

Having seen Bowen perform in the NRL I have no doubt he will come good. just needs time to settle in, learn the pattern of play and get used to the game over here.

Fat out of condition liability at present perhaps, but interesting comments from Walmsley this week:

"He’s very committed, he’s absolutely flogged himself the last few weeks."

Masoe had a slow start but then I think everyone expected him to take a while to get up to speed fitness wise after an injury given his physique. He'll improve week on week I'm sure - as will Bowen I imagine.

Difference being our team isn't relying on Masoe to be a key pivot, unlike Bowen.

Yes, interesting comments from a team mate about a new signing, you would expect him to be slagging him off, calling him a waste of money, that's what usually happens at clubs.

Perhaps you wouldn't expect him to slate him, but at the same time if he wasn't putting in I doubt his team mates would be in print praising his commitment and saying he has "absolutely flogged himself".

Then again all you hear every week from Wigan is what a magician Bowen is in training - maybe you should play your games behind closed doors

The difference is we have seen the improvement in Bowen. As yet we have not from Mose.

I have no doubt both will come good. Bowen is a World Class player without a shadow of a doubt.

Hence my point at the bottom that anyone writing of signings from the NRL at this stage of the season is clueless.

Players are 'coached' by clubs these days to say the right things to the press, whatever he's doing in training his team mates will 'big him up' in interviews ,and yes, the same will apply at Wigan.

Yes he was. Debateable whether he would have got there in time but I think it would have been penalised if it had been seen

as soon as he lays a hand on the ball though defenders are legally allowed to tackle him. If you look at it again with that in mind you'll see why it wasn't penalised - the tackler came in a split second after he threw the ball away (and forward, may I add).

Hence when Milner pounced on it it appeared as if he was "taken out" but he did have hand/s on the ball so the tackle attempt was legal.

I don't think Stokes would've needed to think twice about not giving it - the Channing "try" he disallowed for obstruction was a hilarious call.

But without splitting hairs, I thought he was fairly garbage all day.

McIllorum should've walked for ten at least, but Flower's "cannonball" tackle, upon seeing the replay, was above the knees (and therefore legal) and I think he just caved to the pressure/intimidation us at the back of the sticks put him under

Perhaps it is this 'learning the pattern of play' that is part of the problem with Bowen, maybe the famous or infamous Wigan 'structure' is putting him in a straight jacket and curbing his natural off the cuff style that made him so outstanding. Four drives up the middle and then swing it wide with no real impact from the halfbacks to vary the plays.

You could also say that the very same 'structure' is contributing to the goal kicking problem, Wigan probably score more try's on the wings and less try's under the sticks than most teams, which wasn't as noticeable when Pat was kicking.

So it is simple isn't it. score more try's under the sticks, Bowen could come good and the kicking would improve.

Bowen didn't have his hands on the ball when he was pulled back. He'd already been obstructed by a Cas player which made him juggle the ball. The ball was in the air when he was pulled to the ground and prevented from regaining possession.
If there had been a video ref at the game there's no chance that try would have been awarded.

^ oh I'm well aware of that Father Ted - there'd have been reasons dug up to rule out most of our tries if there was.

One of your tries was an ourgageous obstruction when compared to Channing's.

Swings and roundabouts.

That being said, Hudds had 4 disallowed against Leeds on Friday - 3 would've been given if it were on a Sunday

And that's why there should be a video ref at every game (or none at all) The game is played under a different set of rules when games are televised.

I've said that for 5 years every friday night mate - rugby onion do it

It's not really a different set of rules though is it? We are just better at picking things up on televised games. Surely that's only the same as having the best officials on the big games, which I've never heard anyone argue against. If we can afford to have a video ref on every game then great but I'd have thought there would be more pressing things to spend money on currently

There are tries scored every week in 5 non-televised games that would be subjected to slow-motion scrutiny from 3 or 4 different camera angles, it needs to be the same across the board. It doesn't even need to be the full big-screen effort that we get at Sky games, there was a stripped back version that was trialled a few years ago (it was a Hull derby IIRC), where the video ref just relays the decision to the on-field ref through an earpiece.

I was at the game in question and they had 4 cameras set up 1 at each corner, some decisions were referred and all seemed happy with the system, the trouble was at the time the rfl's take on it was it was going to cost 200 grand to put the system in place and the clubs would have to pay for it which they wouldn't do

Exactly! They could probably run a proper reserve league for that