Ahhhh the old scapegoat tag.



Always makes me laugh that some fans can't take criticism of players. I mean the majority of the faults are pretty plain to see, but somehow they aren't to be spoken of.



King had a good game last night. Never in doubt that he'll take the ball up well. He does have question makes over his defence though - you can deny it as much as you like, but it's true.



I've been a big fan of Powell's for a long time. I like the guy and can see why the club like him too. That however doesn't mean there aren't deficiencies in his game. Having a hooker who can do what Powell does + is more mobile will benefit the team.



Singleton is like Powell, but with just more holes in his game. You can talk all day about how our props play, but they have to make some kind of yardage. The have to, it's non-negotiable if we're going to win the GF. Cooper does with Singo does, but better and makes 80+ more yards a game. You can't tell me that isn't better for the team.



Calling out the above, especially when they are all off contract isn't scapegoating. It's talking about ways we can improve the side, by swapping out off contract guys for new blood. That's sport, that's how the great teams become great.



Anyway back to the match - I thought Ellis was very good last night. I saw someone post in the week about playing him at 13 and that could be a great option. Or at least spelling him, with Smithies to 2nd row. He seems fit enough to do bigger minutes and was really quick up in defence (like Knowles does at Saints). His post contact meters were really strong too.

While i see your point about Singleton and Cooper, it does have to be said that the script fully flipped last night, Singleton had a great game and the stats show it.



Singleton - 9 carries for 89m, 9m av. gain

Cooper - 7 carries for 33m, 5m av. gain



I would also say your judgement of King is also currently unfair as it is also based on 1 performance in a Wigan shirt (albeit a pretty poor one at that) . In the other 3 games i have seen of him at Wigan i have been happy with his performance. I don't want to give a full judgement so early either way personally as i would like to see him in a decent number of games first and in some bigger games. I also don't want to take his previous clubs form into account as the point of him coming here was that we was going to work on his game and he had alot to do, as the coaches pointed out to him and i would assume have put alot of work into him in the off season. Will be keeping a close eye on him though as the season progresses as would love for him to work out and earn a new contract.

Nailed on ban for Marshall and we’ve just let Miski go to London

If you are slating players before they have even played a game in 2023 that is scapegoating.



I find some fans almost want players to fail because it gives them the “I told you so” glow.



You don’t understand what Singleton brings to the team, you don’t understand how he plays and what he does. You have admitted that…but still chose to criticise him at every opportunity without understanding his role.



King has missed 1 tackle against the best left edge attack in the league in 3 games. I get the feeling you are craving him missing more. He was very good defensively last night.



Powell plays to a structure he is coached to.



I think if players are not going full length and scoring tries or making breaks for fun their role in the team is not appreciated.



I can’t educate you on that as it’s been done to death on here particularly the job of the forwards but you can’t seem to grasp it as you admit.



In regards Ellis to 13. Mentioned it a few times over the last 2 years. I actually thought we had signed him to take on the role given we didn’t have a recognised 13 at the club to replace SOL.



He did it very effectively at St George and has a passing game that we have yet to really see at Wigan. He has the ability to carry the ball deep into the line and pick up runners in a similar way to how James Graham used to and I think would go well spelling at 13.



He was though our most effective prop in 2023 statistically so I can also understand why we want him to continue with that style.



I’d maybe like to see Mago at 13 for spells too. Again it is a position he has played at Queensland and Souths quite effectively.

The stats surprised me a little in regards to Cooper. It felt like he was full of running at the game. Singleton had a really good game. His stats in terms of metres per carry have been pretty good both last season and in the few games this season. He’s stepped that up since his first year and a bit at the club and even though I think we should be looking for an improvement on him as a starting prop, I’d have no issues with him staying on beyond this season and fighting for a place. I thought Havard and Ellis kicked it up a gear last night also.



Toby King showed good and bad sides to his game last night. He’s a workhorse coming away from our end. Defensively it’s working better with Isa around him and Cust as well. His passing is poor (or at least it was last night with him having 2 or 3 opportunities to get French in to space but the passes were off the mark, meaning French had to stoop to take them or stop his momentum. He’s a good offloader though.

Was thinking that myself after seeing the twitter vid

I despair if that somehow gets twisted into being Marshall's fault. The Referee is running whilst looking directly at Marshall the play that is unfolding, it was obvious that Marshall was going to be running straight ahead through the massive gap infront of him. The Ref had ample time to step to the side and out of Marshall's path, but for some mind blowing reason decided to stay on the same course and completely block Marshall's safest and quickest route causing him to be caught and tackled.



The match review panel seem to be taking common sense into account this season, so lets hope they do the same here.

It doesn’t even need common sense, it just needs them to not be total and utter gobsh*tes. Wigan should get an apology and if it ended up being even a ticking off for Marshall, I despair as to where we’re at.

Agreed. but seeing how the RFL is has been run for the last 10+ years its a certainty he will get a ban rather than the ref copping the blame...



fingers crossed im wrong

Marshall got 2 match ban. Absolutely ridiculous. WTF, is he suppose to just stop because that idiot ref got in the way? I have to sub Marshall in my fantasy team now.

Are you sure he’s got a 2 match ban?

I did see something earlier that he got a grade c and a 2 match ban. I can't seem to find it now, so I sincerely apologise if i got it wrong.

I think you looked at a spoof account.

I think you're right.

That account is quite funny. That's what I assumed Cokey was quoting.

In all honesty, I can see him being charged at the very least. O'Neill got 2 games last season for backing into the ref who was stood in the wrong place in the defensive line.



Hopefully common sense prevails in terms of a ban, but I will be surprised if he isn't charged.

I think he'll cop a ban. When I saw the video I presumed beforehand that Marshall had done nothing wrong. It was clear that the ref was at fault and in his way however Marshall could have simply either stopped and given himself up or just carried on running and collided into him. However pushing him and physically putting his hands on the ref means that I think he will get a ban.

Yes he could have stopped and got banjoed from behind or ran over the ref,I think to be honest he protected the ref as he could have easily ran into him but tried to push him out of the way as the ref was impeding play by being in the way.

Following Cas's defeat Radford has left the club as head coach.

His appointment was a bit of a surprise and his leaving the club isn't.

In some ways, I feel sorry for Radford. He always comes over as an honest fella, but he doesn't seem to have many coaching skills.



The Westerman scandal wasn't great. A key player getting so utterly ratted that he didn't know what he was doing only a few days before the season starts ...



I also thought that Saints were there for the taking in their first match, but Cas blew a significant number of 'sitter' chances.

He has fallen out with a number of players during the week before the Wigan game.



Told a number of them they could leave, then the directors disagreed and he had to back down.



The Westerman incident was somewhat handled poorly by him. Board not happy one of his key players who was on a 2 month drinking ban was out and the way he joked about it publicly didn’t go down well at all.



I love Radford as a bloke, he’s probably too honest to be a good man manager and that has now cost him 2 jobs where he lost the changing room and the support of the BOD.

Marshall should get a ban for not strangling the referee!

Unless Tom Grant puts his hands up and says sorry my fault I can't see how Marshall won't get a ban, sets a dangerous precedent re. contact with the ref

he did...he gave a 6 again, even though it was the zero tackle

He didn't give a six again he indicated like all the refs do for a 7 tackle set that it was a zero tackle