Flower

[cpwigan]

The officials were spot on with the decisions they made. Flower absolutely had to go. There's no defending his actions.

He instigated the incident by hitting Hohaia around the head with his arm when chasing the high kick. Hohaia came back looking for some retribution. His 'forearm to the face' was not worthy of a sending off. It wasn't particularly bad. If a Wigan player was sent off for that we'd all be absolutely livid because it just wasn't a particularly bad offence. It was more of a shove than anything else.

Still, it gave Flower enough reason to see it as instigating a fight so he clocked him. That I can understand. The punch while on the ground was disgusting and will see him sat on the sidelines for a few matches.

The entire incident was understandable in a game of rugby, up until the final punch to a player on the ground who couldn't defend himself. You just don't do that.

Wrong. If you attack a player off the ball with your forearm / elbow it is an instant dismissal. You could even argue he retaliated BOTH players should have been dismissed. Shortly after Saints should have been reduced to 11 via a sin bin for a professional foul. We were not perfect, some of Lockers tackles were not by the letter of the law but the game should have been played by equal numbers 12 v 12 and referees by a competent official.

[Panchitta Marra]

Well I was just gobsmacked, it was bad to hit a man again when he is obviously out cold on the floor,but as Phil Clarke said when you are so fired up you sometimes have a total brain explosion. Flower will be feeling totally crap and I think the incident and the sending off shook the whole team and they seemed badly affected. If it had happened in the 70th minute we may have had a chance but to go for 78 with one man missing was always going to be difficult and to be honest I thought Saints would have got a bigger score line after that but credit to Wigan they somehow kept rallying and I was proud of the team for that.It was a couple of fluffed chances and silly plays that undid them.

I think the whole game was a bad tempered affair which wasn't helped by the referee who let it go on and really when you watched replays closely Masoe was spoiling for trouble from the start,and that seemed to be Saints game plan to niggle at every chance. Am I gutted? of course because it was Saints but hey we will live to fight another day but I agree with another thread that we need a proper goal kicker, the two kicks missed last night were the equivalent of a try.

COME ON WIGAN...GET THAT BLOODY TROPHY BACK OFF THEM LOT!!!I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH GLOATING I CAN STAND



:devi: :badg:

Excellent post Winky.

:eusa2:

[morley pie eater]

I know the thread's about Flower, but to put it into some perspective, here's what happened in the other 78 minutes:

Metres made: Saints 1284, Wigan 1385.
Tackles: Saints 302, Wigan 325.
Clean Breaks: Saints 2, Wigan 6.
Penalties conceded: Saints 7, Wigan 9.

What a fantastic performance from our 12 men! It may be remembered as the "Flower sending off game", but should also rank as an all-time great performance, despite defeat imo.

[the winky one]

Well I was just gobsmacked, it was bad to hit a man again when he is obviously out cold on the floor,but as Phil Clarke said when you are so fired up you sometimes have a total brain explosion. Flower will be feeling totally crap and I think the incident and the sending off shook the whole team and they seemed badly affected. If it had happened in the 70th minute we may have had a chance but to go for 78 with one man missing was always going to be difficult and to be honest I thought Saints would have got a bigger score line after that but credit to Wigan they somehow kept rallying and I was proud of the team for that.It was a couple of fluffed chances and silly plays that undid them.

I think the whole game was a bad tempered affair which wasn't helped by the referee who let it go on and really when you watched replays closely Masoe was spoiling for trouble from the start,and that seemed to be Saints game plan to niggle at every chance. Am I gutted? of course because it was Saints but hey we will live to fight another day but I agree with another thread that we need a proper goal kicker, the two kicks missed last night were the equivalent of a try.

COME ON WIGAN...GET THAT BLOODY TROPHY BACK OFF THEM LOT!!!I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH GLOATING I CAN STAND



:devi: :badg:

Excellent post Winky.

:eusa2:

Thank you....though I did think I'd waffled on a bit.

[i'm spartacus]

I know the thread's about Flower, but to put it into some perspective, here's what happened in the other 78 minutes:

Metres made: Saints 1284, Wigan 1385.
Tackles: Saints 302, Wigan 325.
Clean Breaks: Saints 2, Wigan 6.
Penalties conceded: Saints 7, Wigan 9.

What a fantastic performance from our 12 men! It may be remembered as the "Flower sending off game", but should also rank as an all-time great performance, despite defeat imo.

I saw that myself; in front in every department except on the scoreboard which is the only one that matters.


I was actually still quite confident we could get over them up until we had about 10 mins left. That moment will haunt Ben for a while.

[Kittwazzer]

Not sure of the details, just got a text stating he had been arrested getting on the coach, from a good reliable source, may turn out to he rubbish, but I doubt it, he's normally 100% on the money

I got told that in the pub this afternoon but I can't verify it anywhere and it certainly hasn't been mentioned on the news!

[Kittwazzer]

It is a coincidence True Blue. I've never been on Red V The only forum I go on is ours(this one)My true colours are cherry and white unlike yours True BLUE WARRIOR(only joking. RE MM, for the avoidance of doubt, I dont 'hate' the lad. I don't know him.I think he is a good player but he does have a side to him that could cost us a game similar to what happened with Flower. He's not done that so far but I fear he has the potential to do so. Thats my only concern with him TBW.That is why I was pleased he was in the stand and not playing because of my latent fears concerning him.I don't want to resurrect our differences re MM I know we both want what's best for our club albeit we show it in different ways.I have a confession to make which I'll share with just you TBW( other posters ignore what I'm about to tell TBW). My Grandfather worked in the mines in St helens and his sister,my great Aunt was the first Lady Mayor of St Helens. and perhaps worst of all he once played football for Wigan Athletic.But make no mistake I'mm Wigan RLFC thro' and thro.

Jim, before you put MM on a ship to Botany Bay, go to the RFL Disciplinary website and search 'Michael McIlorum' over the years. THEN, do the same for the sainted 'Jon Wilkin', poster boy, charity worker and future TV Pundit.

The results may surprise you!

[Dobby]

There is no way of getting around that it was a shocking act from Flower and is the worst thing I have seen on an RL field. A big game, plenty of hype and being too psyched up certainly played its part in my opinion and I certainly don't think Flower was really thinking about what he was doing or realised that Hohia was unconscious. It doesn't really matter what Hohia may have done before because it certainly doesn't excuse what Flower then did and he will just have to accept whatever punishment comes his way.

It amazes me even more that it was Flower as he has always been so nice whenever I met him and I certainly believe him when he says he is sorry. He has shown nothing previously in his play either that shows him to be a dirty sort of player.

[cpwigan]

There is no way of getting around that it was a shocking act from Flower and is the worst thing I have seen on an RL field. A big game, plenty of hype and being too psyched up certainly played its part in my opinion and I certainly don't think Flower was really thinking about what he was doing or realised that Hohia was unconscious. It doesn't really matter what Hohia may have done before because it certainly doesn't excuse what Flower then did and he will just have to accept whatever punishment comes his way.

It amazes me even more that it was Flower as he has always been so nice whenever I met him and I certainly believe him when he says he is sorry. He has shown nothing previously in his play either that shows him to be a dirty sort of player.

Not according to Brown. His comments re Flower post match were liable IMO.

[Dobby]

Not according to Brown. His comments re Flower post match were liable IMO.

What were they?