Anyone else worried about the fitness of the players this year? Wane wanted them bulked up but a couple looked unfit to me.

No some of them didn't, there wasn't much urgency for some of the players to get back in to position either. They needed another game pre-season!!!

It's a disappointing start, that's for sure. Aside from our poor kicking game, our handling was awful in the first half and we barely created any field position. Personally I was more worried by the way in which an under-strength Giants side closed us down around the edges and bullied us down the middle with ball in hand.



We shouldn't jump to conclusions after one game but some players' weaknesses have been clear for a couple of seasons now - we know McIIorum isn't a creative hooker (although him and Hansen worked overtime in defence today), Tommy's passing game isn't good enough for a half-back and Hock simply doesn't seem to learn, his wild offloads/loose carrying accounted for at least three uncompleted sets early on.



Of course we were not helped by the referee who allowed the Giants to slow down the ruck and did his usual trick of blowing the whistle selectively when we had good field position. But the truth is, the Giants played with more fire in attack and defence - and we should not have been in a position where we were starved of decent field position for long periods.



I also wondered why we had three very similar types of player on the bench in Tuson, Flower and Farrell - although the last one was one of our best today. Tuson and Flower are both grafters, but surely we have a young half-back who could add some spark from the bench? (I don't watch the under 20s so have no idea whether Mellor et al are ready for SL)

Margin meter says mid-table mediocracy

Bloody hell are them grapes sour or what.

did lauaki play and if so how did he go

Did all your new signings play?



If so, how did they play?

He was ok going forward but needs to work on his defence, he took one dummy in the first half like a schoolboy.

Have not read all the thread as I am getting an incredibly slow response at the moment.



Hudds came with a simple game plan that worked. A long kicking game and slowing down the PTB and it worked. Wigan could not deal with it and our own kicking game was appalling.



It was smart tactics from their coach to adopt a game plan like that with the players missing that they had and when it became apparent Silverwood had forgotten the offside rule and lying on rule O'Loughlin should have been bending his ear from early on. He never does that though unlike a Briers or a Brough.



Wanes half time talk had no effect and listening to him after the match I have got to say I agree with the caller on GMR who questions Wane's assertion we had a good pre-season in that playing most of those games with a lot of reserve players was a big factor in why it looked like it the team didn't know each other.



Huddersfield deserved to win the game because they came with the right game plan and executed it whereas Wigan had no idea how to deal with it. Wane has a lot of work to do to avoid a right drubbing next week.

thanks very much just wondered how he played thank you . as for st pete well say no more

Really a team slowing down the PTB. I think you are going to get loads of sympathy on that one!

Wigan slowed down the ruck just as much as the Giants. It's always a funny one that, when Hudds slow down the game it's "typical Hudds tactics" & when Pies/Saints/Leeds do it it's "great defense".



Saying Silverwood favoured us is ridiculous too. Watch the tape.



You were beaten by a better team on the day, just accept it.



I don't know why you're acting like it's the end of the world anyway, it's only round 1 & I'd be surprised if you weren't seriously in the running for both trophies this season.



P.S. Wasn't Patrick's 2nd try brilliant?!