Round 8, Thursday April 6th. At Wigan and on Sky.

Cas had 5 first teamers missing last night for various reasons and a hooker playing half back.

Not to mention the raft of talented youngsters who helped turn over quite a few teams last season when we were 11 first teamers down.



Tell me more about our lack of depth.......

You should tell Hemmings about this too. According to him Leeds had all their "star" players out last night.

Likely that both teams will be on 10+ points by then, so well on the way to making the top 8 cut off, I reckon Wane will include a hand full of first teamers but blood 7 or 8 new lads in that game

Which 5 players would have made way to accommodate those 5 missing first teamer's?

Fwiw we've got 11 first teamers out tonight.

Interesting that people say Wane will work out a strategy to beat Cas. He probably will, and ironically it is exactly because of the mindset of Wane, following on from the Maguire philosophy, that Powell is coaching as he does, because Wane will do his best to make it as dull a game as possible.



As Powell said during the winter, we are in the entertainment business. Play entertaining stuff, the crowds will come, can get better players and play better stuff, and the crowds grow further. Wane's philosophy is to make it as dull as possible because that's how he knows to win games, and Wigan's crowds will stay large because they have a large following. If other clubs follow Wane, their crowds dwindle, Wigan do better off the pitch, and Wigan stay on top of an increasingly boring pile.



Sport is cyclical though. Teams get dour because they learn how to suppress flair. Eventually flair works out how to defeat dour and it goes back to that. We might be entering a phase of good rugby. If Wigan fans wants to carry on watching their version, that's their choice. If they want to celebrate with silverware won by dour stuff, good on 'em. It's their summer. If it's worth sacrificing 29 dull weekends for one good day in October, that's their choice. For me, I hope other teams follows Cas's example and seek to entertain.

Its also quite possible both teams could still be unbeaten and I'm sure Wane would want to win at all costs under those circumstances.

Chase for Mcshane. Mcshane to hooker.

Roberts for Milner. Roberts to bench.

Holmes for Maher

Patrick for Cook.



not sure who the fifth first teamer is tbh. Hitchcox out injured still but is a squad player. Monaghan..who knows what he is.

Put at its simplest, Leeds have not been able to replace the game management of Sinfield or the grit of Peacock. They are a just an empty shell at the moment. McGuire is proving that being there the longest doesn't make you a good leader. He was flapping his arms and whining all game.

Great post - I think this is what DP was alluding to in his article a few weeks back about the national game. The Australians have cornered the market on percentage rugby, whereas we were always a bit more maverick. The 90's brought a real influx of Aussie players & coaches/coaching methods which resulted in us playing an inferior brand of Australian rugby. I can't stand watching England at the minute; too slow, too robotic, to predictable & not enough pace, flair & risk in our game. It's time we reverted back to what we are good at & I'd rather us go down in a blaze of glory than go meekly into the night.

I can't spake for all Cas fans, but I was brought up on 'classy cas' watching exciting, entertaining Cas sides that backed their ability & didn't play percentage rugby; ok we might not have won the things we could or should have, but I've had a great time & have been royally entertained. DP really has tapped into this inherent desire of Cas fans to entertain & I can honestly say I've never been so happy to be so wrong about an appointment!

Disagree with you there.

I think that the coaching of DP is absolutely the reason that you are doing so well.

He, along with your other coaching staff are bringing the best out of the players that you have.

Hardaker, who wanted away from Leeds and was in very poor form has clearly found his mojo again.

I would put that down to the people around him and not down to the player himself.

Of course, the player needs to want to improve and I believe that Powell is very, very good at challenging his players to do certain things.

Springer was an average forward down at London but, he is quickly becoming a very good prop forward and then you have a whole raft of "homegrown" players.

Were they top players when they arrived or, have they been moulded and shaped into what Powell wants them to be.



So, yes, you have some decent players but, maybe they wouldn't walk into another top 4 side.



I think that you need to keep hold of your coach.



After last night, it may not be too long before Leeds or England come knocking.

Why would Powell want to go back to Leeds wrencat?

Been there and got shat on.

Powell has Hardaker making the extra man at every possible opportunity, it's good old fashioned RL.

As much as Cas are not my favourite team, I'd take them being successful over Leeds any day of the week.

Long may the mediocrity of the Rhinos continue.