Thornley isn't a winger so why play him there? Sarginson looked good with ball in hand, he can tackle but can't defend. When Josh returns, Burgess to left wing and Thornley his centre. Hudds looked like they'd score everytime they went down their right, our left. That has to be sorted.
If SW plays Sarginson and Burgess play left side the NZW and Roosters will tear us apart.
I would also be surprised if SW played Powell at 9 again. Tackled himself to death but nothing creative at all. Just wonder what the instructions to him were before he went out there tonight.

I'd have thrown him in there as well, think he might have been able to open them up better. Certainly a better bench option than an injured McIlorum!

Huddersfield played really well and used the full width of the pitch, their kicking game was excellent. They deserved their win no doubt. I haven't watched the game back yet, but it seemed to lack intensity.

The Bowen incident was straight in front of me. He appeared to take Grix out, after he'd kicked ( I thought that was now a yellow card?) It was also high but with the flat of the hand. If he submits an early guilty plea he will probably get a one game ban. However here is the question. If that is the case should that ban be served v New Zealand Warriors or the next Superleague game?

I should add that Huddersfield also defended superbly.

Tonight our pack was crying out for mossop hansen and lockers( i know lockers was injured btw)

Maybe this is the season where replacing quality with projects finally catches up with us?

Micky Mac was waste of a bench spot. What Wane could possibly learn from that he could not on the training ground I don't know.

Conceding three tries on the last tackle was a woeful defensive effort. Their fourth try was a try four passes from touchdown as well.

The goal kicking [iand also[/i the drop outs are a big issue I don't know how we are going to address.

Bowen looked good, Taylor looked good the rest were outplayed man for man.

Yes it's a new team but that is the clubs fault for selling half of last seasons winning side.

Huddersfield did a job on us tonight - tackled well, kicked well, won the forward battle, then targeted Thornley.

Simple and effective, especially as the team as a whole looked they were somewhere else at times - the plane tomorrow.

I thought Taylor was the clear stand-out for Wigan, he looked in a different class to the rest of the Wigan pack and apart from the high tackle Bowen looked solid and will only get better as the conditions improve.

I disagree with what was said on Sky tonight about that being a tough effort for Huddersfield - I thought they beat us with ease and if anything the game should of been over at half-time.

Yes I was impressed with Taylor. He is so strong with his legs and carries players with him. He needed someone along side him as effective tonight and none of them were. It wasn't helped with Lockers late withdrawal and the changes that brought but that is no excuse.

Bowen looked good, rush of blood to the head aside.

Other than that I don't think anyone did their selection chances much good for the games down under. Apparently Wane thinks Powell was the only player who came out with any credit. I can't say I agree. He tried hard but was not strong enough in defence and added little spark to the attack.

There was a huge hole in the first half on the right of Wigan's defence that I was amazed Hudds didn't just walk through.

If Brough had have had his 'kicking boots' on, it would have been.

True.

We turn up like that in Sydney and we will be slaughtered.

Another huge test for Wane to get this right quickly.

You can perhaps see now why he wanted to bring in another forward with the Patrick rumours.

I don't know whether it was Hudds defence being impressive or our attack being slow and predictable (likely both) but we looked like were were playing against 14 men all night. They had us at least man-to-man on every play.

We didn't help ourselves by reverting to a drop-off every other play of every set. What's all that about? We've just spun it wide, tried to stretch them (and failed) so we play the drop off and let them get set for our next play. No wonder we looked outnumbered!

Our defence also left a lot to be desired. A couple of very soft tries were we either didn't have the numbers (no excuse as they hadn't really ran any plays that should have stretched us that much, probably more a communication issue) or we simply grabbed at shirts instead of putting the shoulder in.

On Bowen: I wasn't impressed. Looked out of position all night. Favored he was new to full back! He also seemed to be fixing for a fight after he got hit late and it nearly cost him a card (and will very likely cost him a game, albeit against NZW). Cut it out!

Not sure I agree with Wane in relation to Sam Powell, I thought he was poor. He gave his all worked his socks off but gave us no direction and his delivery was very average.

Taylor when he got involved looked top notch, he is going to be a great player as he matures, but for me he did not get involved enough.

Our halves did not look interested apart from 10 minutes at the start of the second half, and Wane picking McIllorum was pointless, Hampshire, Tomkins, Williams should all have been considered if he had no intention of using McIllorum, wast of a bench spot.

Only real positives for me were Sarginson who looks a very good pick up, I was not sure about him, he showed early promise but stagnated in London, but early signs are good, and Joe Burgess who looks every bit a top notch prospect.

Thornely did himself no favours at all.

Still it is early days, I think this trip to Australia is a major distraction and we will see the real Wigan when they return.

I think Wane got the backs wrong, I would've liked to have seen Burgess outside Sarginson and Thornley on Gouldings wing. Either wing-centre partnership just didnt compliment each other well IMO and that was our biggest failure near the try line. Pettybourne should have been coming on from the bench and we also missed O'Loughlin ridiculously, he is the key to our success without doubt.

At the WCC id like to see (if charnleys fit)

Bowen/Hampshire (depending on a ban)
Charnley Goulding Sarginson Burgess
Green Smith
Taylor McIlorum Flower
Farrell Clubb
O'Loughlin

Pettybourne
Powell
Crosby
Bateman

Agree with this only thing I would add is thought Green was terrible someone commented behind me on the way out of the ground " looked like he was playing for early return to Aus" and i don't think he mean't for the WCC

Being honest i think you missed Hansen on the right defending. Brough went through a huge hole were he used to tackle everything that moved.

Bowen Looks pretty good going forward, reminds me of Stanley Gene!

I don't think many realised just how strong that wind was. When we came out of the West Stand after the game it was blowing a gale.

well that was much easier than expected, game should of been over by half time

how was the bowen high tackle not at least a sin bin???



taylor was your best player, only one who stood up to our forwards.

big blow you losing oloughlin

we continue our great record at your place

Does anyone know the penalty count? We really didn't seem to do ourselves any favours in that regard

I think the penalty count was in our favour.

you enjoy that record



we'll enjoy winning trophies

I'm surprised at those slagging Powell off, I thought he put himself ahead of Logan as backup to MM. Agree that Thornley's not a winger, especially in defence, although to be fair he did take his try well. Sargenson lookd dangerous at times, bit IMO was perhaps guilty of being greedy to often. The forwards struggled, apart from Taylor who was my Wigan MoM.

Not too worried though, we're used to losing our opening game and bouncing back, and I think we'll do it again.

Thornley seems to be copping a lot of flak, but it seems Sarginson can do no wrong. Sarginson has got quick feet and looked lively but he constantly stepped in off his left foot and left Thornley isolated. IT only received a couple of passes in decent attacking positions off DS all night, he finished one brilliantly and ran himself in to touch with the other. I agree that Thornley is not a winger, but I'm also not convinced Sarginson has done enough to make the 4 shirt his own just yet. We knew he was suspect in defence when we signed him and there was no evidence last night that he has improved massively. I'd be tempted to look at Charnley/Goulding/Thornley/Burgess for the WCC.

What was pretty obvious from last night is it has to be Sarginson OR Thornley, not both on the same side.

Having rewatched the game, I think it came down to three things:

1. We lost it in the forwards. Only Taylor looked dominant, but we played him too long IMO, he looked completely goosed towards the end of his stint and couldn't get back into the defensive line in time which allowed Brough to break, leading to a try. This game would have been a perfect one for Pettybourne to put himself about but he was fairly anonymous.

2. Our defence on the flanks. It was far too easy for them to create an overlap and exploit it. I don't even think it was mainly due to forwards getting sucked in either. Thornley made some pretty bad reads, not suprising given he's a centre though, Manfredi should have been out there instead IMO

3. We were too predictable. Four average drives then passing it out to the centre isn't going to trouble decent sides. I think Hampshire and Bateman might have offerred us something different off the bench and maybe found us a way to break the line. It's not like McIlorum and Hughes were much use.

Hopefully Wane will learn lessons from tonight because he picked the wrong side IMO and the side that did play didn't look up for it at all

Thornley didn't have a good game but was left exposed in defence by Sarginson.
Sargie can tackle but can't defend, he's all over the place. Hudds looked like they'd score everytime they went down our left defence.
When we've so few experined men and then we lose two, last night proved that the younger players have to play in their own positions. Play them out of position and they are in real trouble defence wise.
We can't keep Sargie at left centre, Thornley has to go back there.
Thornley and Burgess have a hope, Sargie and Burgess will be hopeless.
First though the forwards have to put in stints like they did at Saints last week.
If they can at least break even with NZW or Roosters packs then our pace with Charnley, Bowen and Burgess could do some damage.

Sarginson had a poor night I thought. He's got loads of talent and he'll be a top player for us but he looked like he was trying too hard if anything. Everytime the ball went near him he'd only have one thing in mind and that was taking on the line. In defence I think again he was over eager if anything and needs to settle down.

He'll take a few games to bed in IMO but once he does he'll be a real weapon.