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Stu M 
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Pre-season chat : Mon Jan 09, 2023 9:25 am  
I'm sure that all of you like me are looking forward to the new season so I thought I would try and get some predictions for next year.

To avoid this becoming a Wigan/Saints thread on your own board I will keep it to Wigan only.

So who do you feel will be:-

Your player of the season
Breakthrough player (so either a relative unknown so far or someone not expected to do so well)
Fans scapegoat
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Re: Pre-season chat : Mon Jan 09, 2023 10:06 am  
Stu M wrote:
I'm sure that all of you like me are looking forward to the new season so I thought I would try and get some predictions for next year.

To avoid this becoming a Wigan/Saints thread on your own board I will keep it to Wigan only.

So who do you feel will be:-

Your player of the season
Breakthrough player (so either a relative unknown so far or someone not expected to do so well)
Fans scapegoat


Your player of the season - Smithies - hoping this is the season he really steps up. He is now seen as one of our senior players and needs to take on a leadership role in the pack if he is going to progress to meet the level that many think he can play to
Breakthrough player - Harry Smith - time that he really makes the 7 shirt his own and takes games by the scruff of the neck. We need to be talking about Harry Smith more than Jai or Bevan
Fans Scapegoat - Powell is likely to be a front runner (especially on Warriors fans forum), but could be closely followed by Ellis and Mago if they dont kick on. I'm not into scapegoating personally, as no-one goes out to play poorly. Yes, players have bad games like we have bad days at work. I'll rightly criticise if i think it is needed but equally praise the same player(s) when the deserve it
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Re: Pre-season chat : Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:00 am  
Player of the year - Liam Farrell
Breakthrough - Junior Nsemba
Scapegoat - Toby King / Sam Powell
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Re: Pre-season chat : Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:33 am  
Player of the year - Jake Wardle or Cade Cust
Breakthrough - Harvie Hill
Scapegoat - Willie Isa
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Re: Pre-season chat : Mon Jan 09, 2023 11:35 am  
Player of the Season-Bevan French

Breakthrough-Zak Eckersley (would go Hill but can see Eckersley getting more games due to us being thin in depth in the backs)

Scapegoat-Sam Powell
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Re: Pre-season chat : Mon Jan 09, 2023 1:18 pm  
Player of the Year H Smith
Breakthrough J Shorrocks
Scapegoat T King

Other teams looking forwards to Clifford and Hoy at Hull. Could have the same sort of effect as Field and French
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Re: Pre-season chat : Mon Jan 09, 2023 1:24 pm  
Player of the season - Smithies. Im hoping for the sake of the squad he can have a cracking 23 season at 13. The lad is a talent and I have no doubt under the guidance of lockers he’ll kick on from his good season last year

Breakthrough player- Nsembe only one I’ve really seen play in the Hull KR game last year. Looked ready for the step up. Hopefully will be great cover

Fans scapegoat- Always Powell. However another season under the belts of Ellis and Mago will put them in the firing line. Think fans will slowely turn on King if we start shipping point on his edge
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Re: Pre-season chat : Mon Jan 09, 2023 10:35 pm  
Player of the season - Bevan French, because that will mean he has scored a million more tries. (Hoping for big things from Smithies, Havard, and Smith this year also).

Breakthrough Player - Kinda needs to be Nsemba.

Scapegoat - The main contenders will be Isa, Mago, Singleton, King. Obviously Powell will be most discussed as per every year, but I'm in the detractor camp so won't call it scapegoating :wink:
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Re: Pre-season chat : Tue Jan 10, 2023 1:50 pm  
Its interesting to see that a lot of you have picked Powell as a scapegoat. I often wonder sometimes if fans have less patience for local lads than others. It should really work the other way but doesn't always.

I'm a Utd fan and I recall a period where Giggs was a scapegoat and criticised by match going fans. It seems ludicrous given the service he gave, his talent and the fact he didn't cost the club a penny yet fans were on his back. Meanwhile some overseas players were cult heroes despite achieving much less.

NB I'm not for one minute comparing Giggs to Powell in terms of talent, it was the "local lad" analogy that I was referring to
Last edited by Stu M on Tue Jan 10, 2023 2:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Pre-season chat : Tue Jan 10, 2023 2:16 pm  
Stu M wrote:
Its interesting to see that a lot of you have picked Powell as a scapegoat. I often wonder sometimes if fans have less patience for local lads than others. It should really work the other way but doesn't always.

I'm a Utd fan and I recall a period where Giggs was a scapegoat and criticised by match going fans. It seems ludicrous given the service he gave, his talent and the fact he didn't cost the club a penny yet fans were on his back. Meanwhile some overseas players were cult heroes despite achieving much less.
o
NB I'm not for one minute comparing Giggs to Powell in terms of talent, it was the "local lad" analogy that I was referring to


Note this isnt my opinion, just relaying what i see on an almost daily basis on Warriors fans
The biggest gripe is that he isnt world class, and he should be cos he touches the ball more than anyone else. He passes too slow and is generally too slow or just isnt good enough - you should give Warriors fans a look if you are really bored one day to see what some fans think of him.

I personally would prefer a more dynamic hooker, but in a salary capped sport its not possible to have class or world class players in every position. For every Hanley / Offiah, we need an Ian Potter, Ian Gildart, Ged Byrne type player, who we know what we get with them. They give 100% week in week out, arent world beaters but the side is better for them being there than not.
Its also a fair point re him being a local lad as very often the expectations are set quite high with them. Recently we had Williams and Hampshire come through, and they were future internationals, now one of them believed the hype and the other one got on and delivered it.
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