Superb Chops

Ben Flower didn't feature today in Wigan's reserve match with Hull KR. If I was after a prop, I'd enquire about a loan signing of young Ben Kilner, who is impressing in the reserves currently.

Just enjoyed listening to this near-hour long interview with Ellery Hanley. Here is the link (as I'm clearly hopeless at embedding a tweet). https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07zycbz <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">1985 1987 1989 <br><br>Ellery Hanley remains the only rugby league player to ever win Man of Steel THREE times<br><br>In his latest &#39;At Home with...&#39; podcast, <a href="https://twitter.com/ColinMurray?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ColinMurray</a> interviews the rugby league icon <br><br>Listen now on <a href="https://twitter.com/BBCSounds?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BBCSounds</a> <a href="https://t.co/dzYRFJySjx">https://t.co/dzYRFJySjx</a> <a href="https://t.co/jfQVHT0aA7">pic.twitter.com/jfQVHT0aA7</a></p>&mdash; BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/5liveSport/status/1215599300899745792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Add John Pendlebury to the list please. Like Pinner a loose forward who could lay a ball off. Coupled with the stand-off likes of John Woods and Tony Myler, we had elegant options back in the eighties.

https://www.wigantoday.net/sport/tony-adams-i-may-not-be-from-wigan-but-i-identify-with-most-rugby-league-players-1-10195694 Found this Tony Adams-penned piece, in the Wigan Evening Post, a good read in terms of an 'outsider's' experience of RL. As he stands down, Adams seems likely to continue being an RL ambassador. Apologies if this has already appeared.

I'd echo everyone's comments. Television at its best: tremendous storytelling that's both informative and uplifting. Also, a word of thanks to the community teams at Warrington, Wakefield, Leeds and others for doing the work they do. My youngest happens to have Down's syndrome and when she finishes school I dread what the future holds if people such as these aren't around.

I agree, a fine signing for Catalans who was mostly good and routinely got through a lot of work. Compare this to Burgess' inconsistency of the last two years and this is the winger whose contract I wouldn't have renewed. Without having seen him enough, I wonder if Hanley is the next to breakthrough?

Absolutely, fantastic try. It is brilliant watching Tonga's pace, power and skill this morning. Britain, meanwhile, aren't playing that badly but must hope the hosts need a breather.

72 Tackles! Get Smithies on the GB tour. He merits it now.

Toronto?

On the handful of times I have seen TO, I really enjoy watching them.

I feel somewhat sad London will not be in the top division next year. This outfit may be smaller than previously, but it's a smarter operation. If the sport, as a whole, was innovative it would retain the Broncos and offer both Championship play-off finalists a Super League place - with the winners getting a better cash settlement to maintain competitiveness to the season's end. It can't be that hard to organise a 14-team division, playing a 26-match regular season, made up of teams spreading the RL word, can it?

Agreed. Saints are losing respect rapidly. Beyond that, the club's approach - post-match interviews, complaint to authorities, programme notes - is surprisingly daft. Saints may now want a siege mentality, but are just as likely to get stuck in a rut taking this approach.

Wigan and Warrington have, so far this season, faced each other four times: home and away in league, Magic weekend and Challenge Cup. A fifth (maybe sixth) clash through the play-offs is possible.

Congratulations Wire. Really smart, disciplined performance. Agree about Clark+Philbin, while I admired Ratchford for a performance covering both full- and half-back positions. He orchestrated Warrington's pattern of play in the late sets. In comparison I felt Saints lacked direction.

Agree entirely with the first para. With a gem like Holbrook, I guess it may be best to be thankful for what you've enjoyed rather than what you're losing. As a Wigan fan I, however, disagree with the majority of Saint 1's final sentence. ;