Westwood and Briers amongst others seem to want to gain advantage by foul play

Is Tony Smith encouraging a foul play culture and do Leeds need to follow suit to compete next year

Interested in other fans views

Every team has one (or two) all part and parcel, Monaghans headbutt on on Sinny last year was no accident. Whatever the rights & wrongs it's up to the ref to notice foul play.

Exactly, Michael Monaghan targeted Sinfield last year NO DOUBT and Briers slapped Ablett around the head a few times. As much as ppl go on about Wire's attacking play and Smith makes out to be holier than with his attitude to attacking rugby they can have their share of dirty play.

They've had the rub of the green so far tonight and in the playoffs, but to be fair to the ref the Westwood incident would've been hard to spot in real time.

Think Hansen has just evened that one up! Wire could implode here, they're struggling under pressure

Hansen's cannonball on Ratchford has been the most influential play of this Grand Final. And something that might break a player's leg is much worse than something that might bruise their cheek, imo.

Agreed, the 5 minute break for Monaghans injury helped Wigan no end too

Rugby Gods anyone?

Wire have completly blown this. Biggest choke in a final i've witnessed.

Wigan, once they got over the first few missed chances were tremendously clinical, they had to be to come back. Wire fell apart.

Skit briers! Or should that be $hit briers?

More like dine on excrement Westwood. Cowardly cheap shot on green in the ifrst few minutes. Enjoy the losers medal.

and hanson deserves a winners medal????

It wasn't pretty!

I thought it was sllightly cynical from hansen but not against the rules by the definition of the law.

I have no problem with the Harrison one, contact at the hip and attacker not wrapped up, it's when the guy is clearly stopped and held I don't like those. Cooper again tried the Westwood style punch towards the end.

I know many on here like him but seeing Tony Smith's smug cocky face lose has made my night. Said it all year that when his teams get into an arm wrestle and have to fight away from Plan A they struggle, whether it be Leeds or Wire.

Thought McIlorum should have got the MOM though.

I have absolutely no doubt hansen knew what he was doing and his sole intention was to injure. He tried to dislocate ratchfords knee but got his ankle instead. Its been coached into wigan for a few years now.

typical michael mcguire tactic

The GF we all wanted to see?

Had to switch over for a while as Rachel Riley was shaking her tush on the other side!

Hansen hit him above the hip. When did that become illegal?

It didn't. I think hansen saw a legal opportunity which may result in a injury, so he took it. Cynical, but not against the rules.

I don't know, all this roughness. Where's the clean-cut fair play of yesteryear gone?

No side without dirty players has ever won owt.

Wigan deserved that as a team. Mental strength wins finals. You can point the finger at Wire chucking it away, but Wigan had to show plenty of character. Totally ruthless in the 2nd half. Well done Wigan.

Despite the big signings Smith has not managed to produce the mental toughness in the side to match the illegal toughness that Warrington have shown in the playoffs and GF. And despite the squad rotation during the season his side couldn't last the pace when needed.

You have to wonder now if smith has taken them as far as he can. With so many key players either leaving or reaching the end of their career (why is that familiar?) you can't see them getting better in the immediate future, and if Smith can't claim the title with this squad that he has had over the last 3 years, you wonder when that elusive title will come for them.

And let's make no mistake about it either. Wire have lacked the mental toughness on the big day, throwing away winning leads in both grand finals. People will talk about the injuries but they had already gifted the momentum back to wigan before the injuries screwed them, at a time when they should have been putting the final nails in.

It's strange considering smith manged to instill such mental toughness into such a young inexperienced team in 2004 who managed to overcome (at the time) grand final veterans bradford.

In 2004 i just thought it would happen because it had been 32 years and it was ''our time'' but after wires losses this past year makes you realise how different history could have unfolded for us.

No, but that's Wigan for you. They do it week-in-week out. Silly niggling plays that can often end in injury like tonight. It's not a pretty tactic but it seems to be effective!

I posted a big list of close important games Smith had lost/won as coach of both Leeds and Wire. Fair to say the lost column was much bigger than the win one, with a rare exception of the 2004 GF

No coincidence that most of his successes
2007 GF
2010 CC
2012 CC
2005 WCC (finished close but only after a BIG lead)
Have come when it's not come down to the wire (no pun intended),

Defeats
2005 GF
2005 CC
2006 CC
2006 Playoffs
2007 playoffs to Saints
2011 playoffs to Leeds
2012 GF
2013 GF

Smith teams don't function well when they don't get to play Plan A and it becomes a gut check and a battle of substance over style.

Thank Michael Maguire.

Ever since he rolled into town wigan have been very cynical like that. It's one of the negative aspects, of what is an extremley well drilled clinical team.