THE REASON WE LOST

[Owd Codger]

We desparately need a 7 who can dictate play,Smith was woeful,his kicking game is poor and he is far too slow.Williams may develop into a top class player but he is not there yet.

Exactly as I have said, a great talent, but not the answer to the position of Stand Off at the present time.

[Owd Codger]

What the hell has happened with the pitch? Dave Whelan must be really proud having his name on a nice big stadium with plenty of facilities and a semi ploughed field in the centre.
Just watched Sky coverage and they reckon a football match had been played on it the night before! Can you imagine the wendyball hierarchy allowing a rugby game to be played before football? I think not.
Not suggesting this is the reason we lost but it would have been a better game for both sides had the pitch been something like

Many pitches, are in the same condition at this time of the year, but it is not helped in the case of clubs like Leigh, St Helens and Warrington by them allowing professional football clubs to play reserve games at their grounds for extra income.

In the case of Stadiums like Huddersfield, Hull and Wigan, it is different as they are joint Stadiums and games have to be fitted in accordingly between the two clubs involved.

Having said that, the Latic's could have switched to tonight rather than Friday, but that's Whelan as owner of the Stadium for you, football has always got to come first.

[Fujiman]

What the hell has happened with the pitch? Dave Whelan must be really proud having his name on a nice big stadium with plenty of facilities and a semi ploughed field in the centre.
Just watched Sky coverage and they reckon a football match had been played on it the night before! Can you imagine the wendyball hierarchy allowing a rugby game to be played before football? I think not.
Not suggesting this is the reason we lost but it would have been a better game for both sides had the pitch been something like

Many pitches, are in the same condition at this time of the year, but it is not helped in the case of clubs like Leigh, St Helens and Warrington by them allowing professional football clubs to play reserve games at their grounds for extra income.

In the case of Stadiums like Huddersfield, Hull and Wigan, it is different as they are joint Stadiums and games have to be fitted in accordingly between the two clubs involved.

Having said that, the Latic's could have switched to tonight rather than Friday, but that's Whelan as owner of the Stadium for you, football has always got to come first.

They play tomorrow night so that was never an option

[markill]

The offside decision leading to Brisbane's 2nd try was critical as we were then chasing the game.

Detracting slightly from this subject matter, and can Bentham put his hand on his heart and say he got that offside decision correct and also can he question his British loyalty on the penalty decision against the Golden Point penalty offence.
That Golden point penalty was debatable and I am convinced that for an Aussie committing it then its a no brainer as the Aussie official simply wouldn't go against his fellow countrymen especially in a match winning scenario.

It wasn't given for offside, it was given for Sarginson pulling back/obstructing the Brisbane player from making a play on the loose ball. I think he put his arm across him. It was a soft penalty though I reckon in a game like this. I don't think he was getting the ball, it was a clear pull back and little incidental blocks like that will happen a number of times in games. Still, if he saw it as a bigger impact on the play than I did that is that.

The only decision that was clearly and pretty much indisputably nonsense was the penalty on Bateman they kicked two from. What could Bateman do? He didn't stop, he didn't change his line, he wasn't moving towards the Brisbane player. Parker ran into Bateman if anything. He was appealing for a penalty on his way down. The other contentious ones I can at least see a reason for why they were given. This one I can't. And I think the TJ gave it from the far side.

[DaveO]

The offside decision leading to Brisbane's 2nd try was critical as we were then chasing the game.

Detracting slightly from this subject matter, and can Bentham put his hand on his heart and say he got that offside decision correct and also can he question his British loyalty on the penalty decision against the Golden Point penalty offence.
That Golden point penalty was debatable and I am convinced that for an Aussie committing it then its a no brainer as the Aussie official simply wouldn't go against his fellow countrymen especially in a match winning scenario.

It wasn't given for offside, it was given for Sarginson pulling back/obstructing the Brisbane player from making a play on the loose ball. I think he put his arm across him. It was a soft penalty though I reckon in a game like this. I don't think he was getting the ball, it was a clear pull back and little incidental blocks like that will happen a number of times in games. Still, if he saw it as a bigger impact on the play than I did that is that.

That is why I thought he gave it and thought it was a penalty. Sarge should have dived for the loose ball but instead stuck his arm out.

[cpwigan]

It is vital fans understand that there is no conditioning and/or strength differential between the NRL and SL. When the two face each other we look knackered because we are knackered owing to having less possession, doing more defence on or near our own try line and having to drive the ball off our own try line. For the same reason our kicking looks naff albeit nobody in SL kicks as well as the Rabbitohs near an opponents try line. RL is at its heart simple, if you make the opposition work twice as hard they make far more mistakes and lose the game.

[Southern Softy]

The offside decision leading to Brisbane's 2nd try was critical as we were then chasing the game.

Detracting slightly from this subject matter, and can Bentham put his hand on his heart and say he got that offside decision correct and also can he question his British loyalty on the penalty decision against the Golden Point penalty offence.
That Golden point penalty was debatable and I am convinced that for an Aussie committing it then its a no brainer as the Aussie official simply wouldn't go against his fellow countrymen especially in a match winning scenario.

It wasn't given for offside, it was given for Sarginson pulling back/obstructing the Brisbane player from making a play on the loose ball. I think he put his arm across him. It was a soft penalty though I reckon in a game like this. I don't think he was getting the ball, it was a clear pull back and little incidental blocks like that will happen a number of times in games. Still, if he saw it as a bigger impact on the play than I did that is that.

That is why I thought he gave it and thought it was a penalty. Sarge should have dived for the loose ball but instead stuck his arm out.

Well, it sure as hell doesn't matter now but there was a clear foul on a Wigan player as they waited for the ball to come down. Had that foul not taken place, the ball would have been claimed and none of the following would have occurred. For none of the 3 wise monkeys to see it (let alone the idiots in the VT box) means that the officiating was beyond inadequate.

The Bateman penalty was reminiscent of Premier League football - pathetic in our sport that a player deliberately heads towards an opponent - runs into him and hits the deck as if he's been poleaxed. I really didn't expect Aussie players to behave in that way..

[Owd Codger]

What the hell has happened with the pitch? Dave Whelan must be really proud having his name on a nice big stadium with plenty of facilities and a semi ploughed field in the centre.
Just watched Sky coverage and they reckon a football match had been played on it the night before! Can you imagine the wendyball hierarchy allowing a rugby game to be played before football? I think not.
Not suggesting this is the reason we lost but it would have been a better game for both sides had the pitch been something like

Many pitches, are in the same condition at this time of the year, but it is not helped in the case of clubs like Leigh, St Helens and Warrington by them allowing professional football clubs to play reserve games at their grounds for extra income.

In the case of Stadiums like Huddersfield, Hull and Wigan, it is different as they are joint Stadiums and games have to be fitted in accordingly between the two clubs involved.

Having said that, the Latic's could have switched to tonight rather than Friday, but that's Whelan as owner of the Stadium for you, football has always got to come first.

They play tomorrow night so that was never an option

A fact that I was not aware of when I made my comment.