So, Ben Flower returns to the field tonight, be interesting to see how he goes.

Don't think the comments of Shaun Wane are very sensible, saying he wants him to 'run harder, hit harder and be more aggressive'...

You'd have thought Wane would want to play this down and try keep it under the radar, particularly as many point the finger in the direction of Wane as being ultimately responsible for the mentality of his teams with his questionable 'pep talks'.

You'd think he say something along the lines of "Bens worked hard to get back in track. Hopefully we can all move on now."

Not "more of the same please Ben."

What a tit.

Wane is irresponsible and was totally at fault for the incident happening in the first place. He wound them up so much with his 110% aggression approach that it was inevitable that as soon as they started to lose the forward battle (And the did massively throughout the entire game) their players would snap.

His comments this week have been bizarre. He said they would have won by 30 had that incident not happened. No chance, Saints' pack was far too dominant and Wigan would have had to really throw it around to score.

It's pretty unbelievable that he's still coaching Wigan and hasn't been sanctioned by the RFL either. The Sky documentary brought Wigan's reputation to it's knees, his behaviour on that was simply unacceptable and how Leneghan left him in charge after that is bizarre. To come out this week and say Flower, returning from a 6 month ban for uncontrolled violence, should be more aggressive on his return is also completely reckless. If Flower goes high first tackle, or commits any sort of high shot early doors, then he's leaving himself open. It's a huge risk and not in the player's interest either. He should be dampening down the hype and speculation and pressure, not heaping it on and stoking the fire. All Wane has done this week is paint a huge target on Flower's shirt for both the referees and opposition players to target. Irresponsible and ill advised.

Is there any way that Wane's been misquoted? Could it be that Wane's point is that he doesn't want Flower to go completey into his shell - he is a prop forward afterall, its a hard mans job.

Shaun was probably just struggling to get his words out, was possibly chewing a pie at the same time. If he meant it though, ben's really going to have to get his thinking cap on - "More aggressive that when I punched that unconscious dwarf!?" - Its goings to take some topping, but I'm sure they'll come up with something in training.

One thing I'm sure of though, is that Super Ben is gearing up to give our Flower a reet hard time tonight to try and get a reaction.

Wane 'had he not have been sent off we would have won by 30,everybody knows that' Humble as ever.

I'm really looking forward to this game. I hope Wire are as revved up as they were against us, if they are I expect fire works

However, it's a Thursday game so it will probably be gash.

That's a tad over-reactive.

Flower is - (or should have been) - in control of his own actions. I deal with troubled teenagers every day who do their very best to wind me up - I don't go home and beat the crap out of my kids or the guy who deliberately cuts me up on the way home in frustration.
However much we don't like or agree with Wanes tactics or the fact he looks like Jabba the Hut - No one is to blame except Flower himself for his actions - he's not a child.

Massive high shot in the first tackle of the game, Morley style. But Silverwood bottles it and he stays on the pitch.

Wane is a man who is coaching a team that lost the big one last year and don't look like silverware winners this year. He is very insecure and is looking to the wild Welshman to lift the team.

100% agree. You'd have thought he'd be saying 'he's just got to get on with his job' not trotting out his usual guff about being hard and aggressive.

I've actually not got a problem with Flower - he's a prop, part of his job is to intimidate and bully the opposition, and in the heat of the moment he's had an awful brain snap and been punished accordingly.... Wane and his 'go out and be reckless' team talks as a coach however are an embarrassment to the modern era - those sort of team talks thankfully are even rare in the amateur game nowadays.

Wigan could do with either a different front man doing their public speaking, or a better media manager with some control over the thug. Or just get rid!

Is he feeling a bit sheepish?

It's probably been posted elsewhere, but the Guardian piece on Ben is excellent: www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/a ... ban-regret

It's probably been posted elsewhere, but the Guardian piece on Ben is excellent: www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/a ... ban-regret

he urgently needs to stop snorting the pie gravy.

Flower should be thankful that the only players likely to give him a hard time tonight are Benny and potentially Sims. Nobody else on the field for us is an enforcer. Imagine if Flower played for Wire and was coming back after decking Smith in a GF? He'd be mauled to death by the likes of Tomkins, Clubb, McIlorum etc.

Is there any rugby on tonight or is it just the ben flower interview.

He hasn't even had the balls to apologize to Lance Hohaia face to face. IMO a total coward.

The face to face thing is a bit of a red herring. In the end he said sorry and I doubt Lance cares.

Just wish they would talk about the rugby.

A real man would face to face, not a text or phone call.

As a Saints fan, I just wish the ban included no pre-match press for his first games. I'd have rather he came back a few matches earlier without the fuss.

Good to see those classy Wigan fans give him a hero's welcome. Super Ben - conqueror of unconscious dwarves.

Cracking game mind....................

It's a good watch. Both defences are beyond dire though

Wire should've had a penalty at the end of the half there.

Sarginson and Myler apart the defenses have been OK, it's a far better game to watch than the good Friday game.

Has Lance apologised for the forearm smash off the ball?