Wigan v leeds

[DaveO]

SL seems to lag behind as always but many NRL clubs now play a single hooker rather than interchange.

We can't because Riddell's legs are shot or I bet with Madge as coach we would. It certainly frees up a bench spot for a back.

Dave

[waterside glens]

We lost through our own mistakes giving penalties ,dropping balls etc .
Ok ALibert was poor we had the chance and blew it ourselves .Just shows the void between Wigan and Leeds they are big game players.They have the class are a dirty side and get away with it

Dirty yes, class team - no. At the end of the day they had to take Carmont and Richards out with professional fouls on last play to win to match. That's not class. It's not even gamesmanship it's just outright cheating (there s a difference!).

The refs this season have bottled it big time the dissent that is coming from ther players should not happen its time Scummings got a grip and show whose the boss on the field .

This is a huge issue IMO. Leeds looked like a bunch of Premier League soccer players and it should have cost them the match because Albert should have marched then 10m back for dissent and that would have made that penalty kickable.

The trouble is this is happening in many games not just tonight and the game is the worse for it. Kids emulate the players and as my son has grown up I despaired watching how young kids would mouth off at the ref in soccer when he played and took pride in seeing the respect the given to the ref when playing rugby. This won't last in rugby if Sinfield and others (such as Briers) are allowed to drag the game into the gutter. Being able to march players back 10m is there for a reason and Albert and other refs need to use it.

Dave

spot on ,leeds brought football mentality to our game ,shame on them. they never stood square, they forward pass all the time (especially when passing to the right)and cheat because they know the ref is soft.It was another game we managed to throw away because we where better but just keep making the same stupid mistakes.

[cpwigan]

The forward passes were shocking. I sat in the West Stand last night and you get a perfect view of some passes. Leeds threw one forward everybody shouted forward but the TJ who was in a perfect position never saw it apparently.

[Kiwiseddon]

It was another game we managed to throw away because we where better but just keep making the same stupid mistakes.

Here lies the problem then , if we don't learn from the mistake after one or two times and keeping making the same mistake over and over again then it becomes a dumb errors that are costing us

For me, the squad has been exposed and as many have said during the course of this year we maybe aren't quite good enough to win the play off's this year where as next season we will have more experience added to the team.

For me that's it in a nutshell.
There were a million things wrong with last night including the Ref and the approach of the Leeds club and players which I totally disagree with. But we cannot do anything about that cos nothing will change. I lost any faith in the RFL a long time ago and feel that any amount of letters and complaints will only make us look like sore losers.
I don't know why we're hated so much. I don't know why the McGuires of this world are allowed to get away with what they do but I don't think there's anything we can do about it.
As TEW points out, next season we will have more experience across the park. This season in itself has been a huge platform regardless of what happens next.
I totally agree that Leeds should be punished for cheating but it's not going to happen, although I was heartened to hear that Buderas has been cited for a grade A offence in the spear tackle.
What we can do is work on a plan B. Plan A won us the league leaders but with Deacon going off, it showed that we didn't really know what to do next. Leeds knew they couldn't out play us so went to a plan B which worked for them. Just.

In a game of 1 point, Ref decisions are going to come under scrutiny but there are so many things that could/should have won us the game which are our own problem. JT getting an elbow to the head and he kicks out. Simple answer is, don't rise to it!!!! It only cost us. He is a superb Rugby player but he is becoming a liability. Pat's kicking was awful whereas on another day we might have won the game just by him slotting over a couple more kicks.
Sam T needs to stop gesticulating to players and officials and concentrate on his game. We are hated by the RFL and almost every other team, so accept that we're gonna come in for more flack than others and move on. Just beat it rather than bitching about it if that's what it takes.

I'm ranting now eh :conf:

I worry for the remainder of this season. I hate what Leeds did to us last night. I hate the reffing standards. I hate the fact that we're hated so much.
I love Wigan Warriors though and still believe that the glory days are not too far away.

[cpwigan]

Penalty try COULD have come into the equation there imo, because Carmont would have taken the pass from Richards, and probably would have scored.

The words of a young referee. No not Rob (He's past it now anyway) or Turf

[Kittwazzer]

It was mentioned in the studio albeit in inverted commas and with a question mark!

Can't remember the last time I saw one given, but never from halfway line. Valid point though, but then in everyone else's eyes, we would be the cheats and would NEVER be allowed to live it down!

[DaveO]

It was mentioned in the studio albeit in inverted commas and with a question mark!

Can't remember the last time I saw one given, but never from halfway line. Valid point though, but then in everyone else's eyes, we would be the cheats and would NEVER be allowed to live it down!

I always thought penalty tries were awarded for being fouled in the act of scoring so don't see how you can award one for a supporting player being taken out before he gets the ball.

This kind of foul is a big issue though because you will remember Kevin Brown did the same thing and took Sam out when in support to prevent a certain try v Hudds. He got sin binned but if I recall correctly we only got two points from that play not the six we should have and we lost the game by 2.

It seems to me holding back is getting more common because ultimately if you save 6 points there is a good chance the opposition won't benefit by the same amount. It was certainly worth 10 mins in the bin for Brown and it won both Leeds and Hudds games here.

The point I am trying to make is the game only works if it is played to the rules. I know there is gamesmanship and always has been but there is a line you can't cross and still maintain the integrity of the game. Tripping used to be an automatic sending off offence for this reason (God knows why it still isn't).

Therefore unless the RFL want to game to become as cynical as soccer they need to make holding back an automatic sending off with an automatic two match ban to deter players from doing so.

I don't suppose it would have stopped McQuire doing so if that was the last play of a grand final but at least it would place holding back well into the unacceptable category of offence rather than as some Leeds fans would have you believe on rlfans that it is just another aspect of gamesmanship.

Dave

[bourbon_rat]

For me, the squad has been exposed and as many have said during the course of this year we maybe aren't quite good enough to win the play off's this year where as next season we will have more experience added to the team.

I think you underestimate the raw experience gained from what was a hard fought game against a seasoned & devious foe.

I didn't 'see' the game but followed it online via radio,(3:45AM to 5:40AM Melbourne time) & was gutted by some simple errors & Pat's bad night with the boot.However I think that one game may have tempered & hardened a few young souls.They got invaluable experience in Finals.
I can't see Pat having another bad night this season either