Labrokes judt releases their odds and he’s 33/1!

I’m definitely sticking a tenner on at that price.

Great to see a positive thread. I was beginning to think Wigan would be the suicide capital of the world this coming season! Haha.

Great options within that squad. Lots of 'ifs' but the possibilities are immense. We just need a good run with injuries and a willingness to experiment and adapt from the coaching staff.

Those odds on Sam are very tempting!

I cant access my Paddy Power account at work but will definitely be placing a few quid on Farrell and ST.

Lots of things to look forward to:

Almost fully fit squad.
Full pre season for ST, Farrell, Budgie, Gildart.

Really looking forward to seeing Sam Powell at 7 with Williams. I like Powell, think he received a lot of needless flack. Tommy at 9 should be an improvement too.

Love the fact that we’ve been completely written off on the VT forum (bottom 4 from quite a few). Yet Saints tipped for the top.

Despite our poor form last season I thought we were a better team than Saints over the course of the full season, even though we had the injury situation.

Are they really THAT much better than us? I don’t think so.

It's not even that they're THAT much better than us. I just don't think they are better than us.

Are we expecting Tommy to do 80 minutes? He did it last year albeit at 7. It could be a smart move allowing us to go bigger on the bench and when we went with Powell at 9 in 2016 we won the GF

Not sure what the plan is.

I was under the impression that an option was to have Escaré on the bench.

Then we can bring off Tommy, Powell goes to hooker and then Sam/Escaré at fullback/half back.

I think this will be the play. Having Escare on the bench allows for different options. Plus he'll be good cover for any injuries to the backs. Can easily play wing/FB, even if a centre is injured we can move Burgess to the centres and Escape to the wing. If we lose a halfback, Sam to 6/7 Escare to 1.

I thought I was on the wrong forum for a minute. Good to see some positivity on here and quite right too! A bit more luck on the injury front and we’ll make top 4 for sure then it’s anybody’s!

NO! Completely change your half backs just to sub a hooker? And presumably do it twice per game at least. Madness! (I am sure someone somewhere has said the same already).

We’ve been written of everywhere with a season preview by Gary Schofield, Phil Caplin and Richard Shaw-Wright on Talk sport being particularly disrespectful.

St Helens will go well this year with their new coach but I’d agree that they aren’t better then us at all ‘if’ we can get some energy and confidence about the place. There is a huge realiance on Ben Barba to produce some magic in what looks an otherwise ‘reasonable’ back line and they’re still lacking in the back row. I think Holbrook looks a good coach and will probably manage to paper over some cracks in what’s not a hugely strong comp.

ST, GW, Powell & TL will all do the full 80 for at least 70% of the season, or at least that seems the general consensus...Morgan when he features will provide complete rest for one of 1, 6 or 7. I don't see him featuring on the bench much.

I would also add that the mood around the club is great and we certainly have zero need to feel inferior to any other squad in Super League

Don't be surprised if Escare drops in at 9.

madness to change all that for 1 sub

What about the coach? Sorry but I just don't rate him. He will have to have some sort sort of epiphany to improve his tactics (and if he does, he could have done it last season....). Please don't quote what trophies he's won, he was floundering last season and it's that he's got to deal with.

Not like you DaveO, you are normally so positive..

I know, I mean I'm not sure now if it's the coach who's no good, the chairman who's rubbish, the backroom staff or the players or all of them.

I mean it's obviously so very easy to do all of these things I'm not sure why Every team isn't winning every trophy every year?

DaveO

If we don't quote trophies won over a coaches tenure to use as some sort of measure, how do you judge them? Or do you just take a sample of the games from ONE season which were poor and use those to say he is crap to suit your obvious dislike of him?

Never have and never will quote trophies won in support of Wane.

I don't think you need to "rate" Shaun, he is a rugby league coach, he's not a politician looking for your vote. He is judged only by the chairman and as it happens our chairman does "rate" him.

Last season was trivial, results & performances were not good enough, injuries & illness caused a massive drop in morale among players, coaches and certainly the fans for a huge percentage of the season. There is no epiphany regards tactics, but the off season has allowed for constructive input from the players and the club has done all it can to address any tactical, performance, training and preparation issues that were raised. One thing we do have is an intelligent squad, and our chairman has ensured that our head coach has listened to them.

Of course we will be handed some curve-balls again this year, injuries will no doubt happen and missing key players in key games will be the difference between top-4 and mid-table but that is sport. What I will say is that rest assured, the club is not afraid to make changes in order to attain the success they desire.

That's a pretty ridiculous comment.

Last season was a complete shambles, and it's fine to quote that as an example of a coach who'd lost his way. But to pretend that he's never been any good, and in support of that position simply dismiss all the trophies he's won as irrelevant will not persuade anyone that you're right - in fact, quite the opposite.

Just put tenner on Farrell at 66/1 at William Hills and a tenner on Sam Tomkins at 20/1. Just got a feeling that Farrell will have a great season

I'm not defending Dave O as he I'm sure big and ugly enough to do that himself but performances have been declining since 2013 on and off the pitch.
I am not anti SW in anyway and I'm in the camp of thinking he needed help to freshen ideas up. I am firmly entrenched that it is the players that win or lose games not coaches. Coaches can and do assist in improving teams and players but ultimately it is the players that deliver results and trophies.
Having the highest payroll and allegedly the "deepest" squad must also be considered when evaluating measurement of success but I also accept that money doesn't guarantee success.
This season for me could be anything. No new coaches and very little change to the squad could mean a repeat of last season or hopefully the club as a whole has taken on board how bad it performed last season and it is determined to turn it around. I'm hoping for a much better attitude and hopefully some rugby instead of the dross that has been churned in recent seasons. I for one would be ecstatic if SW can help turn things around this season

If we can’t judge Wane on trophies won then I’d like to judge him on how he’s kept us in the mix for them whilst losing Sam Tomkins, Joel Tomkins, George Carmont, Pat Richards, Josh Charnley, Brett Finch, Blake Green, Lee Mossop, Dan Sarginson, Dom Manfredi (to a two year injury)and so on whilst mainly replacing them from the academy with kids like Burgess, Davies, Marshall, Gildart, Williams, Sutton, Powell, Wells etc.

I’m not one for sitting here saying he’s perfect or denying some things he does frustrates me but he’ll leave a legacy at this club whenever his time is up.

Wigan v Leigh have lined up as I expected. Started with ST at full back with Williams and Powell at 6 & 7 and Leuluai at 9.
Leuluai went off and Powell moved to 9 with ST going into the halves and Escare on from the bench.

I was seriously shot down for suggesting this last week but it’s gone well so far. Sam looks very sharp!

Yes, but it's one thing to change full-backs in a pre-season friendly; it's quite another to suggest that would be a feasible tactic week in week out in SL.