Head ruling Heart.....

[Wandering Warrior]

First post for me, hi all!
We will not be a champion side until we stop beating ourselves!
Stupid penalties & dropped ball caused us problems & points against. Discipline is the obvious key!!

[Kittwazzer]

Welcome on board WW!

[Matthew]

If we cut out the stupid penalties then we can beat any team in the competition with something to spare - which we certainly couldn't last year.

The turning point for me was when Prescott gave away that silly penalty when we were 14 up. All we had to do was defend the set; let Leeds kick it back and then rip into them again. They had been defending solidly and we could have quite possibly scored again to really put daylight between us.

As it was we go marched 40 metres down the pitch; own line defence let us down and we started to doubt ourselves and this led to silly mistakes and yet more needless penalties.

If we stick to the game plan we don't need to try and steal the ball or lie on. We can leave that to the likes of leeds.

Hopefully Sunday was a wake up call and the players who weren't at their best will be champing at the bit to make amends. The carrot of a potential rematch with Leeds should be all the incentive they need.

We were the best team of the course of the season. That's over now. We now need to be the best team over the course of the play-offs. We've not started great - but it ain't over yet. I'm not sure if a week off would have done us much good anyway - it didn't CC final week.

I would sooner we make a hash of the first game and improve. Rather than storm through the play-offs only to perform like we did on Sunday at Old Trafford.

[MIKE14]

I would sooner we make a hash of the first game and improve. Rather than storm through the play-offs only to perform like we did on Sunday at Old Trafford.

Your nearly there Matthew, I think we will improve and probably easily beat KR and win at Leeds only to perform like Sunday at OT....I'm a half glass empty thinker but with a dash of optimism
The rest of your post is spot on though.

[josie andrews]

I think the management got it wrong by leaving out feka. We dominated the game until the point when our front row subbed. The kids who replaced did not make the yards. This happen on Friday, away at Leeds in the Cup and home to Warrington. Games we lost. On Sunday losing Deacon and leaving Sam at FB left us lacking power in the front row and no creativity.

Feka was injured so wasn't just left out.

He will be playing this Friday v HKR

[josie andrews]

I think the management got it wrong by leaving out feka. We dominated the game until the point when our front row subbed. The kids who replaced did not make the yards. This happen on Friday, away at Leeds in the Cup and home to Warrington. Games we lost. On Sunday losing Deacon and leaving Sam at FB left us lacking power in the front row and no creativity.

agree I think Coley and Piggy going off affected us as much as Deacs if not more. Feka should have been in instead of Tuson as far as I'm concerned.

Feka was injured

[weststand-rich]

Wasn't it this time last year that Feka got his "crash - bang - wallop - try" against HKR?

I think you're right about the penalties and Leeds Matt. After being 14-0 up, the sequence was penalty-penalty-score-penalty-score and out control had gone.

Maybe MM needs to go around the players with a cattle prod, randomly stunning them while they train to get them to control their tempers/

[josie andrews]

Wasn't it this time last year that Feka got his "crash - bang - wallop - try" against HKR?

That's the one

[stevethegas]

I'm not hoping just to get to Old Trafford - I'm hoping we'll win the Grand Final!
Deep down I too am very concerned that we've lost games at home that really we could have won. But for all that if you'd have given us the League Leaders' shield and a second home play off in February, well there aren't many who wouldn't have snatched your hand off.
The reality is we have had a very good season and much much better than we might have expected given the previous 2. It's been good being a Wigan supporter this year.
Only 2 games away from Old Trafford, and 3 from what seemed impossible so recently.
Like everyone I'm worried about whether it's possible.
But the actuality is that of course it is possible and when I let my heart talk, it says of course we'll be there and of course it's our year.
Just hope the pessimists are wrong! Let's keep the faith for 3 more games.

[exile in Tiger country]

Feka was injured so wasn't just left out.

He will be playing this Friday v HKR

I knew we would miss Feka against Leeds, and said so as soon as I heard he was injured However, much as I love to see the big fela play, I wouldn't risk him against KR.
I would save him for monstering Leeds when we inevitably end up polaying them at Headingley.
Come on Feka, come on Wigan!!