***The Officially Official 'Rugby League in 2023' Thread***

I watched the game back last night without the beer goggles I was wearing on Saturday :) Had a good day in the city centre. Shambles Square (Oyster Bar etc) was 80% French

It was a grind for both teams, but once Wigan got in front they didn't look like losing (didn't feel that way at the game though).

I thought Mitchell Pearce looked like he was carrying an injury. All the kicking game came through Tomkins which made it easier to target

Harry Smith was really good. I thought they overdid the kick on 3rd tackle in the first half, but the Catalan pack looked goosed in the last 20 minutes so it must have had an impact.

I thought both sin bins were right in the current set up. You might have got away with the first one 2 years ago, but there was nowhere for the ref to go once the video ref had a look at it (see Shorrocks in CC SF). I don't know why Davies pulled Marshall back for the second one as I thought they had him covered.

Something clicked for Wigan after they were (deservedly) beaten by HKR in the CC SF, that (and the pasting they got off Catalans at Magic) was the signal for them to get themselves sorted. Signing Dupree bulked the pack up, Mago pulled his finger out and Ellis turned out to be a decent prop (in between suspensions). KPP and Smithies will be a miss next season, but they still look like they will have a decent pack next year - Cooper, Byrne, Thompson, Nsemba and Leeming to come into the reckoning

I can only assume that Wardle is injured as the reason he isn't in the England squad. I can't see how anybody would pick Harry Newman before him.
 
How were the Test matches? I've been away and haven't seen either of the first two games. Saw the tries and Lewis looked good. Might consider himself unlucky to be dropped, but he's done enough to get himself on a plane for any tours down under. Wane will stick with what he knows and whilst that means he has to make way for Williams here, he's not done himself any harm at all.

Looking forward to the game on the telly this afternoon. Of course, now that I get to watch one, they will lose.

The Owen Farrell rumour has cooled off a bit, but the new owner officially takes over at Wigan on 1 December and he might want to make a statement signing. I can't see where he would fit into the team, but the thinking seems to be he counts as £50k on the cap and the publicity gains would outweigh his actual salary costs. I still can't see it happening and it wouldn't bother me at all if it didn't.
 
<sigh> Big rumour that an unnamed NRL club have come in for Harry Smith (my money is on Brisbane with the Briers link). Wigan look to have been clearing a bit of salary cap space recently, but even with that it seems that they would come nowhere near the figures rumoured. The club really rate the next one in line (Jack Farrimond), but even if he is any good he'll be off Down Under after a half decent season :mad:
 
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