Throughout their recent years of success Wigan have tended to struggle early in the season, too.
Throughout their recent years of success Wigan have tended to struggle early in the season, too.
Wigan lost 4 games after the WCC game last year and Leeds lost the game after in 2018 too. The British clubs always seem to struggle around the WCC games as we put so much effort into it and there's a hangover period afterwards.
Injuries also had a big impact on us early doors losing key players such as Coote and Percival in the backs and players like Makinson, Knowles and Roby having no pre season meant we were behind a little bit to other sides. Didn't we have 8 or 9 missing at Wire?
We were poor in the Huddersfield and Cas games no doubt about it, our lack of sharpness was evident to see and we looked like a very incohesive team. I've said before the lockdown came at a good time for us. It's allowed the players to have a rest and recover from injuries they had and they looked a completely different team on Sunday. We looked sharp, fit and played some great rugby.
It's still too early to judge whether Woolf will be a success here or not but his pedigree is good and having seen Tonga play under him there's no doubt they play some great rugby and defend well, so I'm confident with time and hopefully a full strength team we'll see the rewards this year.
Originally Posted by Despondent Dave
I suspect time will tell on Woolf - and that's what he still needs to make a proper impression and to be in a better place to judge. I don't believe he will have the widespread appeal of Holbrook - but given time I can see him getting decent results and success. We never know what's around the corner - if this year has taught us anything it's that... I'm willing to give the coach at least a full season before making any major assessment.
I've been critical of Woolf pre lockdown but watching the Catalan replay there have been a few significant differences in how we play not including how fit and mobile we are.
The major one is that we are finding our front 60+ percentage of the time and you can see the players twisting there bodies on hitting the ground, in defence we have 3 men in with two of them getting the player on his back 60% of the time.
Our improved support play is creating a lot of shape with options for the second phase at speed.
Theo was a lot more vocal than the games before lockdown and is taking pressure off Lomax because the opposition have to think more about both halves instead of just marking Lomax out of the game.
More of the same next week.....please.
Whichever way you spin it, we definitely look better for the 4 month lay off. I think it probably helps that McManus will have taken care of the lads. Im expecting some weird results over the next few weeks as a result of players of other clubs not being paid etc.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
If he does go, would like Watson to be given a chance.
I think the biggest benefit for us is the 6 again rule, before it seemed like we were focusing to much on the wrestle and the percentage side of the game, now because of the new rules, 'the grind' is out of the window, so Woolf had had to change his style. He may have changed it anyway with a full squad back but this new rule will certainly have played its part.
Good post mate, spot on.
I've mentioned before on here, a very good mate is on the coaching staff at Wigan. I know only too well the struggles that the WCC brings. He even said that we would struggle after it so it was no surprise. Woolf's key mandate this season was to win that and we threw everything at it and came up with a great performance, missing some key players. A centre pairing of Costello and Bentley was never going to win, up against the classy Manu.
What impressed me about us on Sunday was our conditioning. We looked really fit which is a great sign coming on the back of such a long lay off.