This was pretty much what I thought. I didn't think anyone stood out for them, but didn't state it the first time because i'd have expected a barrage of abuse from their fans. If it had to be a Wigan player i'd have said Mossop or Clubb personally, as I noticed them a few times when they were on the field. Definitely agree that LMS was our best player.

On the issue of the offsides and charge down, here is the pic of the Wigan defensive line at the play the ball just before the charge down. Mossop (red) got to Turner, Manfredi (yellow) scored the try. They were both clearly infront of the ref (blue) and nobody on the commentary team picked up on it. More worryingly, alarm bells didn't ring with Bentham when a prop isn't at marker but manages to charge down a kicker.

Bentham didn't police the 10 metres well for both teams all game. He could have blown for 20-30 penalties yesterday as both teams abused the offsides but he tried to keep the game flowing.

Bias? So did he not win MoM then? It's not bias at all, he won the MoM award!

Personally I thought Clubb was MoM.

Roges, you point out both a strength and a weakness in the Wigan line up. No fixed half back pairing is throwing the timing out, however it also mean that there's depth in that line up.

I think some poor excuses for our loss. It's greens fault for taking Burns out and Wigan was offside when charged the kick down.

We made two school boy errors and Wigan punished us for them. Turner not in position for the kick that was charged down. We been charged down constantly this year and im amazed KC and the coaching staff haven't addressed this.

Poor decision by robes passing it to Richards on last tackle in our 20m zone cost us the 2nd try.

We had players out injured for sure but so did they. I honestly beleive the team we had out was good enough to win which shows we are pretty decent depth wise.

I know I'll have the pies responding to what I'm about to say but I don't care and Im being honest -

I don't think Wigan are good team. I don't tnink they will give us any problems later down the line. Their pack is ok but they have no halves to trouble big teams in big games. I now sol was out and he makes big difference but Imo Wigan won't win the grand final and they ain't a patch on the Wigan of last year.

I thought the effort and commitment was first class yesterday. To be without Lomax, Percival, Burns, Walsh, Wilkin and Vea before the game and then to lose Greenwood after 15 minutes and Wellens at half time, so effectively just had 2 subs to rotate was a remarkable effort to come so close.

When we get anything like a fully fit team on the park we'll be very difficult to beat and it's simply key injuries and the volume of injuries that is crippling us at the moment.

I didn't think Saints were a good team last year but they won the GF and won it without recognised halves that would trouble big teams! At this point in the season Wigan are not playing as well as last year for sure but they will certainly improve. The question is by how much and only time will tell? I also think that you need to factor in the fact that Saints are defending much better than last year. Wigan found it very difficult to break their defence down yesterday. Wigan's attack is not as fluent as last year yet but a good defence stops a good attack! Also Wigan's defence was good yesterday and so don't assume that if Saints had their recognised halves that the result would have been different. Maybe later in the season when both teams have players back then some of these questions will be answered.

Apart from the ifs buts and maybes, yesterday's game was a good tough game of rugby that could have gone either way. Isn't that want we all want to see and is what will keep species coming through the turnstiles?

I took a friend to the game who supports Gloucester RU and he really enjoyed the contest, intensity and atmosphere. He said that watching RL live he appreciated how tough, fit and skillful the players are.

It was a great game, and great advert for our game.

Sorry, I meant it might be my red vee specs that I don't focus on the other team so don't really notice who stands out for them which is why I thought Williams was ordinary bar one kick.

How come when Hohaia went off in the Grand Final Saints say they lost their only half back, and then even though he played on Friday Saints say they have no half backs. Contradictory?

Didn't he sign for Saints as a halfback?

One word - Royce

How come when Flower was sent off Wigan say that Saints only won because of this? Yet, when Saints play with 15 men for 40 minutes, have to re-shuffle the whole squad and have 10 injuries, Wigan deserve their victory. Contradictory?

In all seriousness, on the day, Wigan were better than us, and deserved to win. We put up a very brave fight and the effort was top drawer. Last year when we lost, we often disgraced ourselves. This year when we lose, we go down fighting, which is pleasing. I'm not too downbeat as I don't believe any player on that field (for either side) could have given any more. Trophies aren't won on Good Friday and if we ever get a full strength side on the pitch, we can beat anyone!

If Saints ever get a full strength side out on the pitch against Wigan or anyone in SL, they will take them apart. Just having Walsh and Burns on the pitch on Friday would have decimated that Wigan defence.

If Saints had a full squad available, then there'd be no point playing the season - just give both trophies to us now. We wouldn't lose anywhere, such is the strength in the forwards.

Even having a fit Walsh and Burns will see us win the league. They can leave Percival, Lomax and Vea in the stands. We'd still win it.

Line drawn in line with the ptb (37/38m) and another 10 metres from it (47/48m). Note the ball is already in the hands of the dummy half by this point so the defence have set off with their first step. Likewise Phil Bentham has evidently started moving backwards anticipating the kick. Mossop (2nd man right of Bentham) looks onside for me, we can see he's moving so would have been a fraction further back when the foot touched the ball. Manfredi (furthest man to the right of Bentham) is nearly 20 metres back from the ptb! In fact the only players I'd say would definitely have been offside there when the foot touched the ball are Farrell (on the floor behind the ptb) and Williams (2nd man on the left of Bentham) but neither gets involved. BTW the yellow arrow on your screen is actually pointing at Gelling not Manfredi.

Second player left of Bentham (Williams) is WAY offside he,s half way between the marker and the referee, should have been penalty but Bentham must have turned a blind eye.

On the pic, Turner looks plenty deep enough for the kick, I,m assuming it was a slow pass getting to him or taking too much time executing the kick.

Williams didn't get involved as Saints passed left. Despite his body positioning on this frame he actually stands still whilst the rest of the line moves up, presumably anticipating running downfield after the ball is kicked. The error comes because Hohaia gets the pass and wastes time with a poor dummy to Thompson which the defence didn't buy at all. Turner gets the ball with about 7 metres between him and Mossop, who has had three seconds to build up some speed. There are no blockers and Turner doesn't have the presence of mind to step (a centre should be able to shimmy round a prop, and there was plenty space either side of him) or just take the tackle (it was 4th). Instead he takes a two or three steps forward in taking his kick, by which time Mossop is right on top of him.

Can you definitively say Saints wouldn't of gone left if Williams hadn't of been in that position? No? Involved then. We've been stung by the exact same logic recently.

I don,t think it really matters offside is offside, ALL players except the marker have to be inline with the referee at the play the ball and not 4 or 5 metres in front.

You should have done, he would have had to let you go past him or get penalised

Who gives a ? You carry on dissecting your hollow victory against the current champions of the country, we'll see you later in the season when we aren't decimated by injury upon injury.

Roby/ Cunningham running at offside players has never been as penalised as it should. In fact looking at the photo again, Williams moves up too quickly to protect an overlap and should of been penalised regardless. Anyway as said, moving on

That's not the way it has been officiated, at least for the last 15 years I've been watching. What happens when there is a break? Do we automatically penalise the defensive team for offside off the next ptb when their props are inevitably still working their way back? It would kill the game if the officials were overzealous like this.

Well The Chief obviously does or he wouldn't have posted the picture. I only came on here to see it because FeartheVee posted in on our board. Agreed it will be a different game next time hopefully with better weather and your first choice halves playing, touch wood we'll have Charnley, Flower, O'Loughlin and Powell back in action too.