WN83

Matty Nicholson rumoured to be one over on one of the Wigan forums but maybe that’s just wishful thinking on a few of our fans part. I think he’ll outlast Powell at Wire anyway and he’ll become a fully fledged international (taking the France game aside). I still sit there sometimes and sigh thinking about him leaving Wigan.

Great to see the resurgence he’s having. He has had an iffy time if it these last few seasons but looks back to his best and I’d certainly have him in conversations for the Tonga series.

I thought your front row was dominant in that first half, with Byrne really struggling for us but our bench tipped things our way. Mago had one of his best games for us and KPP was excellent. Morgan Smithies is really underrated for us IMO. It’s flying under the radar a bit that his game is developing very nicely. He’s playing with the ball more and is running with a lot more punch. He needs a mate in the media to start building his case as being the best in the league, as that seems to work.

I thought Dufty was good last night. He caused us problems and took some really tough high balls. I thought Wire on the whole were better than recent months but you’re right in that missing Wrench, Thewlis and Ashton hurt you. Guys like Minikin shouldn’t be playing for a first team at Warrington and as good as his career has been, Ratchford offers very little threat nowadays and nor does Matautia. I’m not at all surprised you’re getting King back.

Nsemba is a second rower currently but might well end up at prop. He’s not as eye catching but Harvie Hill will be a cracking player for us in time. KPP had possibly his best game in a Wigan shirt tonight. He’s clearly started his NRL bulk up during his injury absence and he could be very handy for us over the latter part of the season.

Horror start defensively by us but we managed to pull it around. We’re well off our best and have been for 90% of the season but there’s time to turn it on yet.

I’ve never been able to get away from the thought that Liam Moore is a Wiganer and feels pressure reffing Saints games because he doesn’t want to come across as biased ‘against’ them. It can be the only thing that explains that first half, along with ‘insert any Saints game he’s taken charge of’ in the past.

Williams in the squad looked like it could help but he then let it slip at Wimbledon today that he won’t be playing! He could’ve galvanised them a bit but without him, I just can’t see it. On that score I’ll go Saints by 16.

We’re still nowhere near our best. I felt we were pretty fortunate Salford had their main pivots missing 2 weeks back and it was pretty clunky again on Friday against Huddersfield (although the weather didn’t help). Even with the Gale news it’ll be far from easy. We never seem to deal well with Fafita and I can see it being the same on Friday. As a team though we are back to defending pretty well and that should hopefully see us home. Wigan by 8

In fairness to them with Napa and one or two others over the last 4 or 5 seasons, which clubs don't get the odd one wrong? Be that their attitude, injury record, quality etc. I would say Napa is an exception in recent times and not the rule. I look at Wire at the minute and they seem to sign players a bit like Catalans once did, in that they think of the ability first and everything else is an afterthought. I think Catalans have flipped that around in the main and now make sure that players are not only of the required quality but they are also decent characters. Catalans will no doubt get some wrong going forward but it feels they're at least now getting the vast majority right, whereas at one point, you'd be lucky if it was 50/50.

I think they’ve worked really hard on that score and have signed better characters in recent years (in the main). Getting Sam Tomkins and Micky McIlorum on board felt as much to do with them wanting leaders will who set standards, as much as it was because they wanted a couple of good players.

As much as I really rate Davies and Marshall and clearly have a soft spot for them, with them having come through at Wigan, we’ve got 3 top class wingers realistically and not 5. Picking any 2 from Young, Makinson and Johnstone will leave you in a great position. I know Dom Young played plenty of centre as a junior and if he gets moved in at club level at any point, it would be interesting see how he goes. If you had Makinson, Young, Farnworth and Johnstone at 2-5, that could be pretty special.

Leigh have been unreal this season. It’s funny to think that they hate us but I think Wigan fans are generally happy to see them doing well. They have pushed the boundaries and are showing all the clubs that you don’t just need to survive and you are allowed to show ambition. The C4 game between Wigan and Leigh is shaping up to be some event in a few weeks time. If the clubs go in around their current places, I see no reason why we can’t push for 17/18k+.

I’m sure he did and in fairness to him it was the likes of Havard and Smithies, who are main stays now and have just moved in to the England picture. It was a poor time for the club around then and I’m glad Lam has bounced back. He was unreal as a player for us and extremely popular, so it was sad how sour it went towards the end.

He must have learned a lesson from his time with Wigan because he flogged our young forwards to death. We had packs starting games in his time here where 3 or 4 would be 19-21 years of age. That was partly due to a lack of options but not always. He would put people like Joe Shorrocks in at prop for spells.

Rumour has it Daryl Powell is going for David Blaine’s record in a glass box.

I actually like Goudemand in fairness but Walters looks some prospect at the moment.

And it will be lovely Don’t suppose Leeds fancy letting him come early do they? Absolutely fantastic tonight.

Big Sam is up there with Big Al for wanting to referee games (well not quite). Looks to have lost the plot.

That Wire run at the start of the season feels a long long time ago.

He's been well off his best this season in the main but what gives me confidence it's nothing major, is the fact his best performances have come in the must win cup games against Leeds and Wire and on Good Friday against Saints. The freakish thing about Farrell is that his 'off performances' still see him banging out good numbers in terms of metres and tackles. I think the captaincy may be weighing a bit heavy on him but it's tough to say if that's the reason with any great confidence. There seems to be a bit of a changing of the guard in terms of leaders, with Powell now out of the side, Leuluai retired and Isa insured and I think we'll need to see guys like Harry Smith and Morgan Smithies take on more responsibility. That could help take some weight off Faz going forward.

I actually fancy Leeds to win this one. Wire don’t look right at all and it feels like the pressure is building on the players and Powell. The halfback absences could really cost Wire in the short term. Leeds by 8

I don’t think we’ll be complacent because we’ve lost too many games now to think anything is a freebie. Huddersfield must turn up with more vigour this week, after that showing at Leeds. I don’t think it’ll be a scoreline like last week but I’d expect us to get the job done. Wigan by 18

Ideally we sign a new centre (or keep King), move Eckersley up a place and let Thornley go. If they struggle to find a suitable player though, I'd rather have Thornley in the squad than nobody. English centres of a decent quality are extremely thin on the ground, so it's going to be a case of using a quota spot. I think we will sign a centre anyway and in that case Thornley can go for me because Eckersley needs chances. Interesting to note that Peet has spoken about Keighran today and confirmed they have made him an offer.

The point on Eckersley is a good one and it's the reason why I wouldn't have an issue extending Thornley by a year and running with just him and Eckersley (alongside Wardle) if we cannot find a suitable King replacement (or keep King). We could spend any excess money solving the other issue you mention and that is now needing at least one more experienced head in the front row. I think in an ideal world we would sign an experienced prop and second rower now to add to these young forwards we've signed but you can't do everything I suppose. One thing I wouldn't mind us doing is having a look at Eckersley this season, to see how close he is to the required standard. He's got bags of potential and looked impressive in pre season and he has looked good at Widnes when I've seen him.