Disagree, we've struggled with lot's of players missing this season and the disruption that it causes, particularly in the pack. On Thursday we had two 18 year olds, one 19 year old and a 20 year old in there. From memory I think we have only finished one game this season with seventeen fit players i.e a full bench available in the last ten minutes. We haven't had the numbers available to bully anyone.
You fielded a young inexperienced side today ( I don't blame Saints for doing it) and look what happened.
What I will say is that IF we can get Flower, Bullock, O'Loughlin and Greenwood available then we may surprize a few.
Can't stop the spirits when they need you.
This life is more than just a read through.
I'd put the 2006 - 08 squad above this one, that isn't a pop at this team at all but that squad was in every final and topped the league each year, we could have easily done the treble treble, even though we won 7 out of the 9 trophies available, it still pains me that we only won 1 grand final
We’ll see the effect of days like today in the future 100%. Obviously we’ll hopefully get the benefits of being able to rest players in the short term but we’ve seen over the last couple of years with various teams how injuries can effect a season, and there does seem to be more of them now in Super League especially. Certainly this year there have been teams with six, seven, eight players missing at some stages. If/when that happens to us whether it be this season, next season or the year after, we need the players who are outside the 17 to be able to come in and games like today will really help with that.
I didn’t see the game today but it sounds like they did their best and went at it for as long as they could so fair play to them.
Last edited by Tez the Saint; 21st July 2019 at 21:53.
Steve Prescott MBE (1973-2013)
V
I agree with you Rogues, you have suffered on the injury front, that is a lottery, do you think with Williams gone next year will O `Loughlin play stand off? Will flower put in a full season whilst reaching his 30`s?, Will Greenwood (de you like that RU reference) blend in the back row seamless as he has in the past in the NRL, Will Bullock fulfill his potential this year? will .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ........ yiz just admit this year you are shi@@
I don't. Or at least not to the extent that most make out.
As for this team being stronger than 06, nah. There are some players from now I think would make a combined team, but that 06 team was bloody good.
This is the CCF side:
Paul Wellens
Ade Gardner
Jamie Lyon
Willie Talau
Francis Meli
Leon Pryce
Sean Long (c)
Paul Anderson
Keiron Cunningham
Jason Cayless
Paul Sculthorpe
Jon Wilkin
Jason Hooper
James Roby
James Graham
Lee Gilmour
Maurie Fa'asavalu
Don't forget also how unlucky we were in 2005. After strolling to the LLS, the wheels came off with a glut of injuries - not least the thug Newton going on his mission to assault as many Saints players as he could.
Your side against us on the opening day when we comfortably beat you up front:
Wigan: Hardaker; Davies, Sarginson, Gildart, Marshall; Williams, Leuluai; Flower, Powell, Navarrete, Greenwood, Farrell, O'Loughlin
Interchanges: Isa, Hamlin, Clubb, Bullock
Your team on Good Friday when beat you by 26 points:
Wigan: Hardaker; Davies, Hankinson, Gildart, Burgess; Williams, Shorrocks; Flower, Leuluai, Navarrete, Isa, Smithies, Partington.
Interchanges: O'Loughlin, Tautai, Bullock, Greenwood.
We are comfortably better than you this season, especially up front. Given the games you would face in the Play Offs before getting a chance against us, you would be massively up against it if you met us at any stage and if you were to be honest with yourself, you know it.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
The 2006 is comfortably ahead of the 2019 team in my opinion. CAPITALS equal the better player in the position. If both players are lower case then equals even match up.
Paul WELLENS - Lachlan Coote
Ade Gardner - Tommy MAKINSON
Jamie LYON - Kevin Naiqama
Willie TALAU - Mark Percival
Francis Meli - Regan Grace (Meli edges it but struggling to forgive his series of GF blunders).
Leon Pryce - Johnny Lomax
Sean LONG (c) - Theo Fages
Paul Anderson - Alex WALMSLEY
Keiron Cunningham - James Roby
Jason Cayless - Luke THOMPSON
Paul SCULTHORPE - Zeb Taia
Jon WILKIN - Dom Peyroux
Jason Hooper - Morgan KNOWLES
James ROBY - Kyle Amor
James GRAHAM- Lms
Lee GILMOUR - Joseph Paulo
Maurie FA'ASAVALU - Matty Lees
In the Good Friday game, Davies was effectively carted off because Wigan were so battered and bullied down the middle that they started to go lateral; it was another front row capitulation by the Wigan front row who were similarly dominated against the Roosters. I'm not sure why anyone in their right mind would be mentioning Flower as some sort of major upside; he's a bang average bully who disappears against teams with above average packs.
O Loughlin was a top player once but age seems to caught up with him. I'm glad Wigan have bandaged him up so many times of recent to play matches against us. You can see he's well and truly ••••ed. Greenwood is capable but little else and Bullock is ok. They hardly make you tremble though do they? The only thing missing from RG's usual bigotry was that there's some 16 year old whizz kid from Platt Waz ready to come through....
Wigan should be ok in the race for the play offs though, because there are so many average or poorly coached sides around them.
Last edited by eddiewaringsflatcap; 22nd July 2019 at 11:12.