Brilliant performance today, left it all out there. Completion rate was superb and the pack ensured good dominance of the ball and territory. However their defensive work is outstanding and was sensational today.

Difference for me today is Wellens contribution in attack compared to Sam Tomkins. Wello doesn't link in well and more often than not stops the momentum of the attack or puts the centre under real pressure.

Leaving Jammer on at the end was a mistake today he was gone.

Well done lads, heads held high.

Yup, I agree.

Just shows how good wigan are.

If we beat cas another defeat to wigan at wembley beckons.

Not dissimilar to the games against them earlier this year. Amazing defence from the Pies. Defend like that and you can't lose.

Top game, we just looked a little stronger, and your player have been carrying injuries... Meli had a terrific game.

Thought we were competent rather than brilliant, but that may be due to the opposition defence preventing any real spark from our attack. Think we were a bit lightweight too...seemed to miss Sia for a large part of game and to have two subs unused until about fifteen and ten minutes to go is a luxury against any team. let alone one playing as well as they were.

If i thought that not playing in the final would allow us to be better prepared for the play offs, I might've taken some comfort, but its clear that Wigan are the clear favourites to take both comps, notwithstanding the timing of the final.

It was obvious Graham was struggling and Saints turned over possession too much. They did well to get back into it but it was a bridge too far. Great second half to watch tho.

Think if Saints can recruit an attacking fullback with pace and not feel the loss of Graham too much they'll be thereabouts next season.

Wigan aren't THAT much better. They can be beaten. A full strength Wire would trouble them greatly and we are capable of as well. They also have incredible luck with injuries in big games, never seeming to be missing a key player and the opposition always losing a couple before the game, Morley and Briers for the Wire game for example and Pryce/Eastmond for the GF last year. We also struggled today as James Graham was finished at half time and shouldn't have come back on.

We were great today, they didn't make easy metres, they didn't score soft tries from kicks. The Tomkins try was a soft effort from a couple of players but we were on the back foot in that period so they would have scored somewhere.

Resigning Leon Pryce is an absolute necessity. He is brilliant and although far from top fitness today was very influential IMO, letting Lomax go hunting. It's amazing how solid we look with him on the field, compared to the headless chickens routines we go through without him.

After that a new fullback is top priority. I'd throw Hohaia there or promote someone from the academy. Wello's time is up, and although he rolled the clock back with a truly superb tackle on Charnley in the first half his effort in the second half was equally lame and his attacking frustrates me greatly. Because he lacks pace he runs onto the ball, always in the same place in the line which makes it utterly predictable and he's often stumbling and off balance and just dumps it onto the centre, who i feel heartly sorry for. Had we had a Hodgson or Tomkins or Eastmond at fullback today, we would have won.

After 65 minutes we had a 95% completion rate.

We are well conditioned, and not as old as Warrington..... And you are just deluding yourself to think it is all down to "luck". We have a big, capable squad, not all others have. Nothing to do with "luck".

Well played Saints just could'nt get through Wiguns great defence



Got to agree with Saddened Wello is passed it great player but he's now holding us back

Cant help but wonder what if Josh Perry wasnt injured. I think he could have really levelled the game up even more.

Still, as a Wiganer I'm happy to get back to Wembley but good game to all involved - nobody let themselves down.

Thought your team did you proud today, superb performance that pushed us all the way. It's good that this side of the Pennines seems to be on top now with ourselves, you and Wire.

Yeah, but it would be mighty interesting to see how you'd cope with O'Loughlin and Tomkins out against Wire or Saints.

But they are not, despite all the dirty tackles people make against Sam in particular... How many times was he tackled in the air?... You really are sad...

Defence in the first half won it for Wigoons, Saints had enough ball in the first half to be in front at the break, but Wigoons excellent defence held firm.
Not much in it in the 2nd half, difference was Sam Tomkins.
Just hoping we don,t have any injuries as we can kick on for the play offs.

Just wondering if Eastmond would have made a difference.

Look Scouse people I posted before the game, stop all this hollow we are good enough posturing.
You are has beans and either the All Stars or Wigan would have beaten you today.

Eh come on, I've been very fair in praising Wigan throughout the thread. It's undeniable that you have had a fair share of luck when it comes to lineups for big games recently.

And, if you were "near perfect" and lost, as a RL fan you must have really enjoyed the RL you watch today.... Or are you really a one-eyed, sad git?

Illegally once, by Shenton I think.

Grow up Saddo...

Quote ="Fatbelly"Look Scouse people I posted before the game, stop all this hollow we are good enough posturing. You are has beans and either the All Stars or Wigan would have beaten you today.'" www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4OzPrskdqU All stars eh?

Quote ="Fatbelly"Look Scouse people I posted before the game, stop all this hollow we are good enough posturing. You are has beans and either the All Stars or Wigan would have beaten you today.'" www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4OzPrskdqU All stars eh?

If you could have cloned another Tony Puletua you would have won today. It was a shame that James Graham was injured, I know he is a good player but he was really struggling and should have been taken off.

We were competent - not perfect. Playing steady can give you a high completion rate.

We didn't do enough in my view to trouble Wigan - who looked far more dangerous when they had the ball.

How many times in the past have we done Bratfut or Wire in similar circumstances?

I though we did ok today but I think today's game showed we are desperate for some good quality backs. All that pressure in the first half and only two points to show for it. We spent most of the first half camped on wigans line and didn't look like scoring.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, we seriously lack quality backs. The go to players when we need them, the x factor players.

I thought the pack matched theirs today as our pack does most weeks. It's a Shame Toby didn't run more from acting half. I thought Graham looked shot today, they battered him and in the second half he was going to ground before he was hit which was pretty embarrassing.

At the end of the day we couldn't score and they was more clinical with the ball than us.