Best team won

[cpwigan]

Best team won although we might have sneaked a draw v them and whilst nobody can fault the effort level, St George were simply the better team. The players individually are no better some probably not as good but collectively they are better.

What struck me was how St George would set up a sequence of plays very cleverly not trying anything special but to achieve an end goal. A simple example was from a scrum in their own 20. The initial play was set to stretch the opp defence then next play a little more, a little faster and so on. It was far less obvious who was taking the next hit up etc and then end result was much better yardage, a better kick etc etc.

I was hugely impressed with Morris, fast (taller than I thought) but his balance, ability to step both ways etc. I have never seen a team that it is so clear they love going left yet remain so damn effective at doing it. Mark of a class team IMO. If Wigan got disorganised, one player not quite in the right position defensively, St George made them pay. No British club does.

My biggest criticism of Wigan and the coaching staff was why we did not start varying when we kicked downtown. Boyd was stood like an old fashioned scrum half sweeper and both wingers stay up early tackles. We should have been kicking early, the ball would have found acres of open space whereas on the last it was swallowed up gleefully.

The problem is what Wigan did tonight would have beaten any SL team and the attack has started going lateral far too readily with tries easy to score. St George gave nothing. I thought Alibert should have sin binned at least one of the St George players in the closing minutes and we could have sneaked an underserved draw.

Ultimately for me it shows at the very highest level you need to be clean living and maxed out body wise. This is a young mans game or at the least if you are going to play as you advance a clean living game.

[DaveO]

Well the forums are back!

They were the better team on the night but I think we could have taken them if we had been able to put a full strength side out.

The loss of Lima and Fielden was a big blow. Mossop and Tuson did well but Coley was our only experienced prop.

Playing Gleeson also back fired as he wasn't fit and of course when you play a team that good this is when you really notice the loss of Richards compared to playing the likes of Bradford.

Albert also made their defending easier by playing them onside himself by stepping forward when they weren't 10 meters back the muppet and he clearly forget about standing square at the PTB. They didn't need his help but when he gave it, they took it as you would expect. If you read rlfans you will find someone on there who was listening to the refs call posting he lost count of the tackles
twice. We should not put incompetent refs in charge of big games just because they are neutral.

[josie andrews]

Well the forums are back!

They were the better team on the night but I think we could have taken them if we had been able to put a full strength side out.

The loss of Lima and Fielden was a big blow. Mossop and Tuson did well but Coley was our only experienced prop.

Playing Gleeson also back fired as he wasn't fit and of course when you play a team that good this is when you really notice the loss of Richards compared to playing the likes of Bradford.

Albert also made their defending easier by playing them onside himself by stepping forward when they weren't 10 meters back the muppet and he clearly forget about standing square at the PTB. They didn't need his help but when he gave it, they took it as you would expect. If you read rlfans you will find someone on there who was listening to the refs call posting he lost count of the tackles
twice. We should not put incompetent refs in charge of big games just because they are neutral.

Couldn't have put it better myself Dave. Halibut was a joke of a ref. I know we don't like to blame the refs but he was incompetent & shouldn't even be refereeing SL games let alone a game of this importance!

Yes, the best team won but, I think the boys were screwed playing Gleeson when he wasn't fit.

[Kittwazzer]

I would have liked to have had Lima, Fielden, Pat and a fully fit Gleeson available. Might have been a different outcome but no complaints, you play the hand you're dealt!

Very proud of the lads that turned out. Not one let us down. And that was the hardest game they will be faced with till this time next year.

Let's take it out on Salford!

[THE 18th Man]

The best team did win and it was nice to see the team get a standing ovation after that match. any other team in the world (SL or NRL) and we would have won but St Geroge were too good. how good were Carmont and COley though. oldest ones but boy did they put a shift in. next up Salford lets take it out on them

[matt3009]

even though we lost i thoroughly enjoyed the game,and they were a good side no doubt and deceptively quick too!! :eusa2:

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

A fantastic game of RL. There is no shame in loosing to a class side. St George were well drilled, highly skillful, fast, technically excellent and tatically brilliant - no more than I would expect from a side coached by Wayne Bennett. Yes defeat will hurt, but the benefits derived from this game will be huge and will propel our game to a new level. We must remember that several of our younger players were recently playing reserve team rugby yet on Sunday they were competing with the best Australia could offer and they gave as good as they got.

The fact that we had two props, a half back and a winger missing plus a centre playing on one leg probably had a bearing on the outcome of this game. I doubt that St George would have been successful if the roles had been reversed.

Notwithstanding the result, this is the level of rugby that I want to see week in week out. Sadly, I can only dream or upsticks to Aus.

One thing is for sure, Wigan's performance will have worried every oposition coach because if we play at that level we are unbeatable in SL.

[DaveO]

The fact that we had two props, a half back and a winger missing plus a centre playing on one leg probably had a bearing on the outcome of this game. I doubt that St George would have been successful if the roles had been reversed.

I agree and we have been very unlucky with bans/injuries leading up to this game. Had we been on the same boat in the GF it might have been Saints playing SGI becase I don't think its reasonable to expect a side to cope with that many out especially given who they are. If SGI were missing Morris and Cooper plus a couple of props they would have struggled to replace them.

That said with a very inexperienced front row we matched them for large parts of the game so it is a credit to the young players but I think the fact Coley and Carmont were our best players shows how much experence does count at the highest level. We can put a lot of kids into the 1st team in SL and win games but you can't do it at this level.

Notwithstanding the result, this is the level of rugby that I want to see week in week out. Sadly, I can only dream or upsticks to Aus.

I agree and its pretty obvious most teams in SL can't match this level and a gulf is going to open up if we carry on like this and others don't try and emulate what we are doing.

One thing is for sure, Wigan's performance will have worried every oposition coach because if we play at that level we are unbeatable in SL.

I think if we had got battered then you would have seen plenty of oppsotion fans crowing over on rlfans but I think the penny has dropped we got as close as we did to winning that game with a lot of experienced players sidelined and they understnd the implications of that well enough.

[botica]

Completely agree!

I am so proud of each and everyone of the lads that took to the field. No other team in super league at this time could have done any better. :eusa2:

I keep thinking of the lads stating the disappointment of losing in the Challenge cup last season, rekindled their desire to complete the season on top and in style... Wonder what this disappointment will do to the squad? Glad i am not a Salford player if i am honest.

:eusa2:

[matt3009]

totally agree with the quotes and if that's the performances we can look forward to seeing week in week out at the dw and anywhere else we play, that will be the place to be :eusa2: :eusa2: