Are we just a bang average side with a couple of excellent players ? For me we have Field and French then the rest are bang average. Our props couldn't burst through a paper bag, our hooker is slow at the play of the ball, predictable and gets the minutes he does because he's a good Wigan lad, our 6 & 7 are underwhelming and average at best.

With regards Powell, I havent ever rated him, and found it very interesting that Micky Mac barely got 40 mins a game with powell replacing him, yet seems to have managed almost a full 80 minutes every week since he moved to Catalan.

I'd be interested to look back at stats on that. Wouldn't expect Wane to play someone ahead of MM like that without reason such as injury

muttywhitedog wrote:With regards Powell, I havent ever rated him, and found it very interesting that Micky Mac barely got 40 mins a game with powell replacing him, yet seems to have managed almost a full 80 minutes every week since he moved to Catalan. Powell played well as the stats show. https://www.superleague.co.uk/match-centre/report/3801

muttywhitedog wrote:With regards Powell, I havent ever rated him, and found it very interesting that Micky Mac barely got 40 mins a game with powell replacing him, yet seems to have managed almost a full 80 minutes every week since he moved to Catalan. Powell played well as the stats show. https://www.superleague.co.uk/match-centre/report/3801

Bizarre that you choose to post this after a match where 6 players posted 100+ metres and managed to "win ugly", something only a week ago people were claiming we couldn't do.

I've heard of kneejerk reactions but this takes it to a whole new level.

Depends what the yard stick is. We’re a very good side at Superleague level, albeit I don’t think we’re in the best form. Field and French are very good players but so are Farrell, Marshall, Smithies etc. I would actually say Field (last 2 games) and French (all season)have been off their best. Maybe that’s why we’ve not been at our best either but it can’t just be a 2 man show or else you don’t win a game.

Even though he got 2 try’s last night, I thought French continued a slow start to the season. I don’t know if the big contract and the carrot of an NRL move being removed, has seen a subconscious switch off but he’s not been involved in a lot of games and we can’t blame that on being on the wing, as he was dynamite last season. Maybe it’s simply proof that for him to get the space he needs to have the big impacts, the team needs to play better and that would then say we’re not just an average side, with 2 excellent players or he wouldn’t have been able to run riot last season either.

We’re a big, aggressive forward shy of having a sniff at all the trophies this season IMO. If we can do the shuffling around to bring in that type of player is another matter.

Good post

I'm not disagreeing with you on this, but it feels we've been saying the same thing for a long time. I can't help but feel that, on the recruitment front, the club just get it wrong more times than they get it right - especially when it comes to forwards.

Cooper was supposed to be the missing link & whilst he's improved us, its negated by the loss of Bateman. One step forward & then one step back.

I would add a top 6 and a second row forward. Sadly, we cannot solve all three problems this season but I agree we need to improve our go forward as a priority.

My recollection is that MM used to sart, get brought off around the 20 minute mark and return later in the game, either for the last 20 or after half time, only to be spelled again. I recall watching him in 2018 doing full games for Catalan and thinking that why on earth was he being spelled so often the year before. The answer to me became clear - he was let go so Powell could play more as he was never going to be a 7.

I've tried searching for minutes played for the 2017 season, but no site I can find drills down that far.