Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 12:03 am  

Pie_Eyter wrote:

On Leigh. I think they have some superb backs for the championship. If they gel quickly enough there is no doubt its the best back line in the league. Bit suspect in the prop department but the championship nonetheless should be a great league this season without a stand out side in there. As much as i would want Leigh back for the derbies i want to see York continue their progress and get in. Big city, lots of potential. new ground too i believe. Interesting times for them. It would be probably the best away day too.

Cheers Pie_Eyter, With regards to your Leigh comments, and I'm also pleased to see York experiencing the good times again, and they should be a force again next season in the championship. Also pleased that Dom Manfredi came through unscathed, I know his dad Tony, and as a kid he used to get the bus there and back just to train with Wigan Academy. Even though I'd rather see him in a Leigh shirt, hope he makes it back into your 1st team....and goes a few years without any bad injuries.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 2:24 am  

Good game, particularly for pre season. The young kids stood up well and I would echo other's opinions that the standouts were Bullock, Smith and Joe Shorrocks. There were several others not far behind too. Most had a solid game but I'd also agree that Budgie and Greenwood are still off the pace. Early days yet and hopefully they'll both find form but for now it's Manfredi and Marshall on the wings and Farrell and Isa in the 2nd row for mine.

Leigh looked good too and have a strong side at championship level. Several of their players are still SL standard and, if they're lucky with injuries, should be challenging at the top end of the table.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 6:15 am  

Pieman wrote:

I thought Clark was poor, couldnt burst out of a wet paper bag

Ben Kilner is looking better than Mitch Clark IMO

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 7:28 am  

Interestingly Joe Shorrocks looks a more natural SOL type 13 than does Smithies. Pierce-Paul looked gangly but continued to make yards after the contact and Rushton looked very strong running wide against a god defence.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 8:04 am  

MattyB wrote:

Anyone a bit concerned that we are going into Round 1 a bit undercooked again?

Most of the 17 next week will have played around forty minutes. Flower and G. Burgess nil minutes.

Every season we do seem to start off slow and struggle a bit, would be nice to jostle places with Saints at the top of the table till at least Good Friday. Last thing we want is them steaming ahead again.

I hoped for more friendlies this year because the squad has so much depth that we could’ve afforded to take a risk and play another first team game. The saving grace is that Warrington I guess are in a similar boat as I don’t think they’ve had much more.

Hopefully it all clicks.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 8:04 am  

The Eclipse wrote:

Ben Kilner is looking better than Mitch Clark IMO

Defo. Even thought Clarke put himself about a bit he still looks small, whereas the likes of Rushton, Havard and Kilmer for me are exactly the props we need.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 8:58 am  

ColD wrote:

It does have a rather large influence does it not - similar to your place to an extent I would think

LSV Management Ltd is a private company owned by Wigan Council with a board of Directors which include the present Leader and former Leader of the Council and has no input into the running of Leigh Centurions.

The Council have no involvement in the running of Wigan Warriors or indeed the running of the DW Stadium, apart from having had a 14% share (4.9 million) in the building of the Stadium which cost £35 million.

The complex at Leigh is exactly how it was envisaged for Wigan when it was first suggested that a joint stadium be built for Wigan Warriors and Wigan Athletic, but the Council in its wisdom at the time chose to support Dave Whelan instead of the then Wigan RL board of directors with the result that the DW Stadium is now own by a Chinese Company. This being as a result of him moving the management of the DW Stadium from his independant Whelco Holdings Management Company to his Wigan Athletic Company which then allowed him to sell the stadium as part of the sale of his Wigan Athletic Club.

It may interest people to know that only around 20% of the building cost of the DW Stadium came from the personal fortune of Dave Whelan with most coming from various grants and the share of the Council.

Did Wigan Council realised what a bad mistake they had made in Wigan, when if came to idea of building of the LSV complex and a new stadium for Leigh Centurions?

p.s. Some of the same Councillors who made the bad decision about the Stadium in Wigan are still getting free tickets and dining for Warriors and Latic's games at the DW Stadium. As the saying goes " There's now't like cheek"

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 9:34 am  

Every year, the club arrange three friendlies, but in not one of those games do you see the club turn a full strength team with most of the first team squad playing for most of the game.

Sorry, but that is in my opinion not the ideal preparation for the season.

Last Sunday, we lost 10-22 to Leeds because unlike us, they took the match more seriously by fielding a smaller squad with less substitutes.

If we are to have three pre-season games than surely, one should be a full first team selection, the second a team of non selected first team match players made up with academy players and the third a full academy team selection with all three game involving no more than twenty players in the squad.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 10:34 am  

Positives

Manfredi came through okay
Bullock was very good particularly second half
Joe Sharrocks looked very very good. Ball playing Loose.
Harry Smith and Hanley look exciting.
Harvard and Kilner (plus Bryne) means I’ll let Flower go at the end of the year. Big prospects (literally)

Negatives

Mitch Clark I thought struggled to make ground, did put a shift in though.

Greenwood and Burgess very quiet in a game where they should shine

Jake Sharrocks - just doesn’t impress me at all. Would rather Josh Woods still be in the squad.

Re: Wigan squad v Leigh : Fri Jan 24, 2020 10:41 am  

The Eclipse wrote:

Ben Kilner is looking better than Mitch Clark IMO

Agree, Havard is a classy young player, I also think that Rushton, McDonald and Joe Shorrocks showed up well. Wigan need to give Harry Smith some game time this coming season. Pearce -Paul will take time to "fill out" but he seems to have good ability.
It was a really enjoyable game last night, good luck to Leigh in the coming season I'd like to see them back in the top flight.