Hahahaha

Didn't you watch the game? Saints do and did use the same tacking techniques as Wigan, the difference was really down to the ease with which Wigan made yards, completed sets and completed sets well.

I tend to agree, I thought Graham started to lose it very early and Wellens is a shadow of his former self. With the Wigan pack making sure that Wilkinson was targeted and Roby not getting a look in the core of the team were disrupted too much and Saints never got the chance to fight back.

You're spot on except it's Wilkin (

). We were hammered by Wigan's pack, this along with the slow PTB's which were forced on us meant Roby couldn't get going. This in turn meant that Gaskell and Lomax hardly touched the ball.

You'd have been forgiven for thinking Roby hadn't been picked. Whether it was our tactics or your mistakes which disrupted his involvement, I think it has to be a major factor in the end result.

Saints were trained by a wrestling coach to slow the tackle down, nothing said then! not that I approve any methods!

There was little difference in the amount of time that Wigoon or us were lying on the PTB. The difference came in that more often than not Wigoon tackled the ball carrier and put him on his back which was something we struggled to do either because we don't how to be more effective at it or because of Wigoon's running style. The fact that we appear not be able to either get them on their backs or ensure that we don't get turned onto our backs is a coaching issue. Simmons needs to tackle that now because without it we are not going to Old Trafford. At the moment we are comfortably in the second tier of teams below Wire, Hudds and Wigoon. We might be at the top of that second tier but our defence is significantly weaker than any of those three.

Excuses eh, brilliant. Havnt beaten us in the last 4, the worm has turned people, the worm has turned.

Wigan get more numbers into the tackle. We need to copy that. Most times last night they would stop the runner with two in the tackle. Once they stopped him another one would put a hit on the ball carrier often making a direct play at the ball. They then peel off one by one after the move shout. If you were to time the delay between contact and the resulting play the ball I reckon it would be around twice as long. Saints are too disciplined at the moment. We have conceded significantly less penalties than any other side in Super League and it's costing us as we are not strong enough to cope with it defensively.

Have you even bothered to read the thread? Most of the posts are complimenting Wigan and how Saints should be doing the same thing.

Saints use fewer players in the tackle but employ the flop to slow down the play the ball which they get away with. Oh yee of one sided vision!

But, you did it for years, I suggest you dig out some old' tapes' of Chris Joynt in action.

There are still a fair few games to be played. This was always going to be the most difficult 3 weeks of our season. Exiles, Bradford 2 days later, Wigan and Warrington.

If if we beat Warrington, that's 3 points out of 6. Personally I thought we should have been aiming for 4 from this period, but I can live with 3. 1 would be a very poor effort IMHO.

Last night we were out played. But we were far from out played at the Pie dome. It's that old story of consistency for English RL teams. The difference between the 2 games was very little for Wigan. For Saints the difference was massive. Our forwards just did not put in the energy and drive that they did at the DW.

The 2nd half it actually took the backs to try stuff before the forwards actually started to make in roads. All in all a bad night, but luckly for us there are plenty of chances to put it right and with the league being a cup comp at the end, consistency is no longer required to make a good season into a great season.

I still think we are having a good season and I'm not ready to go OTT over a poor game like yesterday.

Puletua is still the guy we where all begging to stay 2 months ago
Graham is still the guy who we where all desperate not to lose (and the only forward to punch through the exiles)
Roby is still the machine who has had an awesome season
Soliola is still the guy who puts in big hits and has tightened up his line defence
Wilkin is still the guy who has been assisting Lomax and Gaskell to control games

So the pack has an off day, in June. September is a long way off to get those things right.

We've had 4 years of off days in October in recent years, let just chill a bit.

Post of the day for me.

Give credit to Wigan who did a job on us from start to finish.

What worries me is that if Roby isn't getting the quick play of the balls we struggle big time,Royce get it sorted please.

Excellent post.

However, you've missed two, vital points. They decided to have their 'off day' against Wigan! And at home! Not only was that embarrassing to the fans but it also sticks a question mark beside our mental strength.

Wigan did the job on Roby and Graham who provide Saints main go forward. Saints need some alternative tactics.

Couldn't agree more mate,hopefully with Leon back soon(and stay injury free) we should get some.

He was.

Our Saddened having a whinge about Wigan,give over.

You guys would be the experts on that. Ok you might win next Friday but noah was watching the last time you beat us at your place !

Ignoring the initial whinge, you nailed it in the second part of the post.

Wigan play to the rules, it's up to other teams to do the same.

For what it's worth, I actually though Alibert gave needless penalties against both sides last night. I'd much rather watch a game where a ref lets a few technical infringements go for the good of the spectacle.

Had a good read of Redvee this morning and the balme seems to all be wellens`s. the fans are calling for him to go. wasnt on his own, the whole team got owned.
Wigan played out their skins and deserved the win.

[size=200SIMMONS OUT[/size

As has been mentioned I think it just seems a lot longer that Wigan stay in the tackle because most of the time they manage to win the collision and hence become dominant in the tackle. This didn't happen the other way around, but I did notice Saints players came very close to a flop several times as the Wigan players tried to get up. I noticed Foster do it 2 or 3 times, as well as other players. That in itself shows that perhaps Wigan aren't slowing teams down as much as everyone thinks, it's just we are getting quicker ptbs to make the difference look greater.