Honestly I’d have given it to Dom on the night watching it back though yes Ratchfors was head and shoulders their best player so it was rightly awarded

They aren't, but Brown and Roberts is a different matter.

He's certainly proved me wrong and long may it continue

After watching again. Ratchford did some good things but also a few dumb things. I dont think he deserved the MOM any more than George Williams who didnt deserve it as much as Manfredi.

He's still the second best winger after Tom Johnstone - sorry but it's true.

No boasts or claims from me but I’ll look forward to the battle next year. They’ve both come back unbelievably well from terrible injuries and it’s good for England to have such fantastic options going forward in the wing positions. Even as good as they both are they’d have to go some to get close to McGillvarys form in the World Cup last year. He’d be a superstar in a side challenging for trophies.

So do I, Johnstone is the form winger but he'll have to work damned hard to stay there because the competition is fierce - possibly the only position where it is for British players.

As an ‘outside’ what’s going to be the score with your wingers next season?

Manfredi/Burgess/Davies/Marshall

All 4 good enough to get in any other SL team so how/do/can you keep all four?

If all four remain injury free I think it could be hard to keep all happy as surely they will all want 1st team SL action

Do you guys think one of them could go out on a season long loan to another SL club for example?

For me on their best form it’s Manfredi and Burgess but I’m not sure Burgess has been close to his best since returning from Oz (was starting to hit form before injury) and I guess he’s on the biggest wage of the four so if an offer came in I’m not sure the club would stand in his way. Davies will never let anyone down and and rarely has a bad game, for me he is the 3rd best, Marshall could well be the most exciting of the 4 and is probably the fastest but his defence is the weakest of all 4 and he isn’t the best under the high ball.
I think we will keep all 4 for the start of next year as with injuries and also covering full back and centre they will all probably see game time although I wouldn’t be too suprised to see Marshall maybe going on loan at some point if everyone is fit.

Manfredi is absolutely top drawer IMO and is miles in front of the other 3 Wigan wingers (although all of those 3 are very good too and would all get into most SL sides )
Tom Johnstone is another outstanding winger,but more offensively than defensively atm

It will be interesting seeing how these 2 go when they step up to games v Australia and N Zealand

Ryan Hall and McGillvary are both tried and trusted wingers at that level and always deliver the goods irrespective of their club form and IF both were fit would be in the England side on merit

Manfredi will get his chance Internationally and he will be there for years IMO

No idea where this myth about Johnstone's defence comes from, he's on a par with every other winger in SL including Manfredi - his defence is sound - though like EVERY other winger he gets caught out occasionally.

For me you have to go with Jerry McG and Johnstone on the wings for England.

If we had Hall fit and available I’d still go with Jerry and Hall.

Johnstone and Manfredi and the natural successors and that process has obviously begun and players like Davies are snapping st their heels.

Having watched both Manfredi and Johnstone regularly I personally with my Wigan hat on am more than happy with Manfredi over Johnstone. Despite what Vasty says with his all things Wakey specs on, TJ does have some areas he needs to work on that Manfredi already has particularly defence and positional play.

Both are however obviously very talented players and offer fantastic competition and quality on the flanks for their respective clubs and country for many years to come.

I’d agree with all of that.

Personally I’d be trying to make Burgess into a centre over pre season, has shown glimpses of potential in that position and has a decent passing game although the main worry is his defence in that position. A backline of Hardaker (presuming he stays) Manfredi Gildart Burgess and Davies is a very good one

It’s probably not the first thing people look for but it’s been Manfredi’s defensive ability since he came back which has impressed me most. His reading of a situation is incredible, with him making sure he leaves himself enough time and room to cover his winger by ensuring he doesn’t get dragged in too far. It’s something Tom Davies can learn from on the other side because at times he’s been guilty of drifting in and leaving too much space on the outside for both players to run in to and for kicks in behind.

I like Tom Johnstone and I have no problem with Wakey fans fighting his corner. Dom Manfredi is the best winger in Superleague though, period. There isn't a weakness in his game and he does everything to the highest level. He is Hall-like in his consistency. TJ can blow hot and cold, even to the point of being dropped. That said, if he continues with his recent record of consistency, I can see many more discussions of this nature over the coming years. Fingers crossed they both have their fitness nightmares behind them.

No he isn't, get a grip, is there no end to some Wigan fans arrogance? Since when has TJ blown hot and cold, sop making up rubbish. He was dropped once early in the season big wow. Blowing hot and old with 25 tries, seriously don't think I've ever read a more stupid comment.

So he was dropped for his consistency then?

To be fair, I don't think we'd say that any of our other players (bar SO'L) are the best in their position. Gildart in the future perhaps, but we're very well off for wingers and a fully fit Manfredi is clearly the best of a very good bunch.

As others have said, he's just frighteningly well rounded, can score any kind of try but also defends & runs his weight as well as any outside-back in the comp. Pound-for-pound as hard as any player in the league, brilliant in the air with excellent footwork, phenomenal awareness. Wigan's attack hasn't been all that great going to our right hand side for a few years now, but he's the sort of player who can create tries for himself out of nothing.

Johnstone is a very, very good winger who deserves his place in the England set up in front of Dom seeing as he's only been fit for a couple of months. I don't accept that he's a better player though, or that any winger in SL is for that matter (on-form Ryan Hall probably was with his all-round game, but that's another debate).

I also think Manfredi is the best winger in SL and after a full preseason with us, should be in contention this time next year.

I’ve seen enough to be happy in my conviction that Manfredi and Davies are right wingers, whilst Burgess and Marshall are left wingers.

When any of them swap to the other wing they aren’t as good.

For me, on the left it’s Marshall over Davies, but on the right it’s Davies over Marshall.

Same thing applies with Manfredi and Burgess.

Personally I’d go with, all things being equal, Jerry M as the top winger in the comp, however I think both Manfredi and TJ have the potential to surpass him.

Rightly so in my opinion he was Jerry was regarded as the best winger in the World after the World Cup and whilst Giants have struggled and he hasn’t notched up the tries his ability to make yards after contact and his core skills are still outstanding. I wouldn’t however swap him for Manfredi due to where both are in their respective development and careers.

Interesting comment from Vasty regarding arrogant Wigan fans. This comment may carry some credibility from some posters however a man that consistentenly called 7 time Dream Team player, England Academy, Knights, England, Wigan Captain with numerous trophies throughout his almost unrivalled career at every level of the game as poor, sadly doesn’t carry much weight with most realistic and non blinkered posters.

Arrogant for saying exactly the same thing as he'd said too. How does that work?

Apparently you can't score 25 tries and blow hot and cold either. Better tell that to Ben Barba as it seems he is unaware of this fact!



Good shout on McGillvary. I definitely think he is first choice for England and his skill set is definitely suited to that environment. 2015 aside though, I don't think he has ever really set Superleague' alight so I'd be reluctant to proclaim him the best in Superleague'. However, I certainly wouldn't object to anyone else holding that view.

Greg Eden scored 40 try’s last season and he’s bog average!

I’ve said previously in this thread I won’t compare Manfredi to anyone or make any claims about him. He’ll write his own stories next season I’m sure. I’m a big Tom Johnstone fan but there is an element of Wakey fans who genuinely would have him a nudge ahead in a debate about who’s better between him and Billy Boston, Brian Bevan or Martin Offiah. I get they’re excited about the kid and rightfully so but give him a chance.

You could look at it this way: who would thrive in the NRL? I'd say JM, definitely,and Manfredi if he keeps current form up, too. Johnstone a maybe, Eden a definite nope! Hall: past his best.