WN83

Did I read right that Swift is out? Big blow for Huddersfield if so. i fancy it to be a tight one. Huddersfield haven’t been good at home but we’ve not really played well away from home yet and aren’t firing on all cylinders. Hoping the dry track and sunny weather will see the backline really click. Looking forward to a good day out. Wigan by 8

Feels such an underwhelming start to what you would hope would be a real overhaul of the whole club. Asiata feels like a bit of a gamble with his injuries, age and a chance he’s just going for the cash (although he doesn’t seem that type to be fair). Hardaker is pretty mind boggling as a signing for various reasons and then Holmes, Briscoe, Reynolds etc are pretty average. I suppose they’ve been behind the curve if plans are only being formulated via Myler but I compare it to Wakey and the signings and rumours knocking about there and it’s chalk and cheese. The biggest challenge for Myler could end up being the likelihood of him being able to bin off duds like Okunbur and Pele, who are presumably on big contracts. Until the time they can do that, his hands will be tied a bit.

Surprised they’d only feel Asiata was worth an initial offer of one year. Something feels off about that. It just doesn’t make any sense to me but in his interview, Beaumont seemed to hint they’re worried about a potential injury issue. If that is true, they may well have been done a favour by Hull. Presuming Beaumont is telling the truth regards future plans, him saying they’re planning on spending the full cap, filling the 3 marquee spots and having a top level coach should put fans minds at rest. As good as Asiata has been, I think you can probably replace him pretty well and less money if you know your stuff. The worry on that would be Lam going. His record of bringing fringe players over from the NRL is his biggest success.

I’d be staggered if Leigh didn’t retain a Superleague spot or were even contemplating that being a possibility. I think they’re simply paying for their success last season and they might not think a 31 year old is quite worth marquee money. It’s a huge blow to lose him as I mentioned above but if they simply feel they can get better value and longevity elsewhere, it might not be the worst move. The issues for Leigh will come if Amone follows and Lam x2 as suggested above.

Massive blow for Leigh that, especially if the rumours around Amone going back to the NRL come off. I'd say Asiata is well in the conversation for the best loose forward in the comp and I think Amone is probably the best prop knocking about at the minute. They'll need to be some replacements to not see a drop off.

I was nervous about tonight, especially after the HKR defeat last week because I know they’ve got a great attitude and they won’t have two off nights on the spin in regards to desire, effort, workrate etc. Add in how much we seem to melt at Craven Park in recent times and I can’t say I was overly shocked with how it went. On the plus side, it feels like a great wake up call for us before the cup semi. We won’t be as off the mark as we were tonight and the players will know they have a massive challenge on.

Good news if true. I'd love to see us take a game to London but I'm expecting one this side of the Pennines (probably Warrington or St Helens) and one in Yorkshire (Headingley). I have no issue with Headingley after the crowd for the Tonga game last year but we need to be more ambitious with the other. Sadly the timescales will make that unlikely.

Given Saints wing issues since Grace left, I'm surprised Swift hasn't made the move back to Saints. He just gets better and better in his career and is well in the conversation for being one of, if not the best winger in the league at the minute. As for the game, I think Saints defence will take it. Huddersfield have had some big games recently, some big wins and really impressive displays but it's a tough ask to keep backing up week after week in big away games. Saints by 8

Should be a terrific game. I expect HKR to come out really determined after last week. We have not played that well at HKR in recent times, so we'll need to try and turn that around if we want to get the win. Great to see Ethan Havard back in the squad for us. I'll be optimistic and say Wigan by 7 (late drop goal to seal it).

Fingers crossed it works out. The game needs a strong Leeds. If a strategy of going with youth is followed through on, they'll need leaders and experience to help them along and that is something Hall can certainly bring. The issue is that it will probably be for just 12 months. In the longer term, they could do with a Sinfield figure emerging, who will be there for multiple years alongside them and who will lead them. I've not seen a lad of his lad but he doesn't quite look in that mould from what I have seen.

One issue I'd have around Leeds recruitment is what seems to be a lack of long term planning in it. They got Ackers and Croft and on the face of it, they looked good signings but they were opportunities that unexpectedly opened up because of Salfords financial problems. Who were the alternative options? Did they want a hooker? They had O'Connor and Johnson. Who was going to be Austins replacement if Croft hadn't become available? Last year they had Austin in the halves alongside Sezer and they signed Frawley and eventually they got in Croft but I'd have expected moves to replace both would've been done well in advance of the end of the season, yet Croft was done post season. They signed Fusitua up for another year and that has gone as everyone would've expected I guess. The moves to hoover up a number of players from the Championship/League One before 2023 like Hooley, Roberts, Ruan etc also confused me. It just felt like they were throwing a few darts and hoping one hit the bull. It all just feels a bit scatter gun to me and a bit like they're just keeping their fingers crossed at times that something will crop up. To me Leeds are that big a club, that if they spend the same on players as clubs like HKR, Huddersfield, Wakefield etc, they should still have the better squad because if they offer a certain player a similar wage to that offered by one of those other clubs, I'd expect they'd choose Leeds because of their standing in the game but they just don't seem to be in for anyone where there may be competition.

He's better than a permanently injured winger or young Roberts but that shouldn't really be the aim for a club like Leeds, to just make do for a season. If HKR are replacing Hall with Davies, they're setting themselves up for the next 5 plus years, while Leeds paper over a crack for 12 months. Leeds should be signing players like Tom Davies but it seems rare that they compete now in that sort of market. Leeds are obviously the biggest club in Yorkshire and possibly in the game in the UK but you see clubs like HKR signing Davies, Huddersfield signing Tom Burgess and Wakey seemingly signing Tom Johnstone and Mike McMeekan and it's confusing. When was the last time Leeds beat a rival club to a signing? I can't think of many in recent times, certainly not in terms of English players.

He was a talent in the academy but the name always felt like a weight on his shoulders he didn’t need because how do you live up to that?! I don’t quite get why he’s kept it, given he’s open about not having a relationship with Ellery or his family. On one hand it may open a door or two but the over riding thought is that it just brings pressure. I can’t lie, I was a bit disappointed in Hanleys interview with the Mirror in the build up to Leigh v Wigan a couple of weeks back. He called Peet out for not gong him a chance but Lam didn’t give him many either (at Wigan) and unlike Peet in 2022, Lam had injury problems in 2021, with Field and French injured for the whole of the year. Peet had French and Marshall on his wings for a full season in 2022. I’m not sure whose place he thought he should’ve been given but either way, I’m glad it’s now working out.

Hanley looks to be really benefitting from putting some weight on. He was a bit lightweight at Wigan but was always really talented. I’m not convinced with McNamara but we’ll see. I think O’Brien could handle back in the halves and even though he’d have more defending to do, I can’t see him taking much more stick physically than he does at fullback. I’m not sure I’ve seen a fullback get smashed as he takes possession of a ball as often as O’Brien does.

It’s tough at the minute but I’ve seen enough in the last two weeks to suggest Leigh could put a serious run together when Asiata and Ipape come back in to the side and guys like Amone and Mulhern get back up to full fitness. The injury problems have at least given Leigh a look at Hanley on the wing and Moylan at fullback and they should stick with the pair of them in those spots IMO.

Wondered if it was just me. I could be wrong but Ashton seemed to lose it, pick it up and play the ball. As Dufty got the ball, I was thinking it would be controversial if Wire scored but the Sky team didn’t seem to notice it.

I’m so glad I’ve never seen Dwyer in a Wigan shirt. He must be the most frustrating player to have in your side. Winning score from him incoming.

Fair play to the Cas players, their effort and commitment from minute one was worlds away from last week. Wigan seemed to get a bit of a rocket at half time and put some points on at the start of that second half but it was a decent watch (unlike last week).

I can't remember the last time I went to a Wigan game just hoping the opposition do well. Last week isn't something I want to watch again when playing against a team in the same division. Getting beat well is one thing but there was just no desire to bend their backs and at least show some guts. If that is happening in a knock out cup tie, you have to worry.

Very true I’m almost certain we’d be 100% against them as well, had we played, so morally we’re World Champions.

The stadium felt flat for that semi and we just didn’t get going. It felt like the fans and even the players just thought it was a case of turning up after that opening win and we had one eye on the Aussies. I think Wane is tailor made for games against the Aussies and Kiwis, when we’d be the underdog but we were anything but going in to that game and we got burned. Sadly for Wane, there’s no guarantees he’ll ever coach England against the Aussies/Kiwis.

What would make you say they played outstanding/extremely well in the opener? Or the PNG game? Maybe 80 points against Samoa and 100 against PNG? Forget the level of performance for a second, if you don’t think it’s a meaningful discussion and go back to your original point and answer the question-which players didn’t get chance to play themselves in to the tournament and who did you feel underperformed in a 60 point win on opening day to warrant being left out? Or then against France? Greece? PNG? You said it, so you must know.

We’re at the stage with international rugby league that anything will do. I’m not holding my breath that it happens but I’ll be delighted if it does. Anything on top of 3 Ashes tests would be great but just those games happening will be a start. Sadly I doubt they’ll announce anything for a good while yet. They’ve not announced anything for the end of 2024 yet have they? Doubt 2025 has even been given a thought.

A couple of years ago I fancied it but that was on the basis that it wasn't to replace internationals but to feed in to them and get lads on both sides fighting out for a spot in the England side, much like the academy set up but without knowing a set international calendar, I don't see what the point is. I look at the current picture and if we knew England had a proper series to play in at the end of 2024, then a battle between Micky Lewis and Harry Smith or Matty Ashton and Tom Johnstone would give those players (and others) something to play for and something to prove. If the players do not have that carrot, then it just becomes a friendly/exhibition. The only other way it works is if somebody sticks some money up for the winner and the players on both sides then have an incentive.

I wouldn't have an issue with that because of that reason and because of the semi final. I can't deny we made an absolute mess of that semi final and it's his biggest game so far but I can't have it that much could be questioned about all of our other competitive fixtures. We were told Samoa would beat us in the opener, PNG would push us (and some said they'd beat us) and we were told Tonga were better than us going in to the test series last year. All were dispatched pretty comfortably (and against Tonga we had some of our best players missing). Wane and the side need some big fixtures, no doubts about that.