We’ve beaten Wigan in early-season games and gone on to lose to them when it matters, so hopefully this will be a good lesson for us and we get to see both teams play each other at full strength in bigger games this year.
I didn’t think Wigan were anything special from what I’ve watched of them pre-Easter (and there were definitely a couple of posters on their forum thinking they might go 0/3 over their easter games), but fair play to them they’ve done what Wigan generally do.

It’s up to us to respond, and what a game to have up next.

Excellent post.

I honestly don’t see you guys having many issues with Saints who are now very much in a transitional period but you can never write them off.

I’m sure Wigan and Warrington will be contesting some key games this season and I think both teams can learn from Friday.

It’s shaping up to be an exciting season for both clubs.

Although Vaughan and Kasiano did start for us, and it did make our initial 13 look strong, both players knew that they were going to play long minutes, with little to no respite from our bench players.

So they would have both been unable to play their usual game from the start and had to conserve their energy to compensate for that.

It would have made more sense to play Matautia at loose forward and play with Maguire at prop, with Kasiano on the bench.

Green is nowhere near ready for Super League and shouldn`t have been selected. Thomas was out 18th man and has held his own as a prop in the games he has played up to now.

Those changes would have given us a far better balanced 17 man squad.

I keep hearing the calls for Mcguire to start prop rather than Kasiano but the fact is he is not a prop and has barely played many minutes this season as it is. To me there is no reason why Kasiano could not start. I agree he is best suited as an impact prop but St Helens Wolf’s post has it spot on. out 1-13 is arguably nearly full strength and we struggled from the off. Wigan had the better game plan full stop. There is some right guff talked on here about the players we have missing. If any of those had played on friday night i have no doubt the result would have been the same.

McGuire has played as a starting prop in a State of Origin game, so I think he could play there for Wire if we need him there.

As I mentioned in a previous post, both Vaughan and Kasiano knew that nothing was on the bench to help them and had to conserve their energy. Neither could play their normal game from the start of the game knowing that.

I'm also all for hearing the views of sensible opposition fans, I'm one of the few who appreciates Saddened's regular contributions on here, but these Wiganers are merely here to gloat in a patronising way.

Do you reckon they'd have been seen on here had they got beat on Friday?

In fairness to Powell it seems he instructed the team to kick early which weirdly we never did. Couple of times in the first half we had a scrum in our ten, French was up in the line and it was the perfect opportunity to launch the ball long straight from the scrum and chase it. Worst case scenario it has Wigan back in their ten in wet conditions. Considering how much we were struggling for yardage I thought it would’ve be a no-brainier. Hopefully they’ll learn.

That’s the exact point I was making. Wire fans were all over the Wigan forum last week but have now disappeared, I wonder why? I am not on here to ‘gloat’ but to merely discuss the game. Rugby League is about opinions which may differ. Warrington at home with eight wins on the spin were favourites to win that game but Peet out coached Powell and the Wigan team outplayed their counterparts. We should be discussing the game not what ifs. It is now up to Warrington to go away and come up with a plan that reverses that result and, if they do, you will see me on this forum giving them the credit for doing so.

I think that sums it up perfectly. By the way, I think you will beat Saints if Powell selects the right team.

Exactly. Powell and his coaching staff got it wrong.

McGuire played as a prop anyway, he just had a different number on his back.

One of the major problems you have, which I don’t think anyone has touched on, is your outside backs are lightweight and consequently they make few yards coming out of their own 20. Saints are the best at this, even on GF their backs made unbelievable yardage, their forwards very little. Wigan have learned from that and now we have two centres and two wingers who regularly put us on the front foot (Field’s injury has allowed the inclusion of Miski and that has improved our yardage). On a dry patch you will be better, but come the September rain you may struggle unless your game plan changes.

Hmm you’re not correct there. Ashton is an excellent metre maker and Thewlis is also pretty decent considering his size. Give me either of those two over Miski any day of the week. We could do with a bullocking centre though which I believe is in the pipeline.

Loose forwards usually play a lot more minutes than props, so they do have a different way of playing the game, so that they can stay on the field so much longer.

Many 13`s play for the full game duration, props seldom do..

I haven't seen any gloating from Wigan fans on here. Are you sure you're not mistaking this forum for Twitter or something? As far as I can see the Wigan fans are here to discuss the game. Personally, I have only commented on what I see to be incorrect perceptions on Wigan or the views on the ref/video ref. I haven't mentioned Warrington at all.

For the record I think you'll have a good season and wouldn't be surprised to see both teams walk out at Old Trafford come October.

If I was to mention Warrington and their performance it would be to repeat Powell's post match comments. You were schooled in wet weather football on Friday. Forget any nonsense about refereeing decisions or "we could/should have won that". You were 2nd best across the park. However, if you're looking for positives, it's that it was good that it happened now. If both teams do meet in the final on a (likely) wet evening in October you need to have learned the lessons from Friday's game. Had you won on Friday, you wouldn't have the opportunity learn those lessons. As some have commented; it could be the best thing that could have happened for your season.

That may be true but it was the coaches choice, one that I found strange. By the way, the role of a loose forward has changed dramatically, I am not sure they exist any more and if they do he doesn’t fall into that category.

Miski 156m

If that’s what you want in a winger knock yourself out

Miski is very effective in the Wigan system which generally relies on the outside backs to make big meters and get quick play the balls early in the tackle count.

French isn’t nearly as effective as Miski on the wing at Wigan because of that.

You guys are less reliant on your outside backs to gain the meters.

King for example has been a massive meter maker for Wigan so far this year. Not sure if that was the case with you guys.

Steve renouf and Jamie lyon weren't massive metre(I'll spell it properly)makers. it's NOT want you should want In a centre.

It depends how you play.

Teams play differently. Coaches have different philosophies.

It may not be what “YOU” want but it is something Peet wants.

Wigan rely on outside backs and centres to make metres.

Just because 1 team plays one way it doesn’t mean all teams do.

Gelling was consistently Wigan’s biggest meter maker during his time with us. Was he during his time for Wire?

At Wigan probably since the days of Wane our backs make metres, along with Faz who is a freak, and the rest of the pack are generally there to defend and set up field position.

Also Renouf was a big metre maker, without doubt a strike centre as opposed to a creative player. If you don’t understand that then I would question your understanding of rugby.

Lyon was more your classic “centre” though I will give you that.

I’d say though the Wigan philosophy has been more successful than the Warrington philosophy since Wane implemented it as the trophy cabinets would prove.

Renouf made his metres going 50/60 yards to score tries to be fair to him!

Yeah, Miski is really effective in the Wigan system.

How come he rarely gets selected to play then?

Maybe Peet isn`t as obsessed with statistics as you obviously are.

A big meter maker, beats a small meter maker every time.

Peet has been trying to accommodate Field, French and Cust in the same team.

It hasn’t worked.

Even prior to Cust’s injury French was being moved to 1 and Field to 6 in games.

It’s not about statistics, it’s about what works.

French is significantly more effective at 1 than he is at 1 as both Saints and you guys found out.

French is effective at 6 and provides strike to compliment Smiths direction.

Miski and Marshall get the sets started quicker than French does as he needs a bit of space to do what he does he lacks the physicality of the other wingers.

Cust isn’t a bad player, he is just too similar to Smith and the 2 try to organise us…it doesn’t work.

I do find the comment about stats an interesting one though which I would like you to explain.

All coaches are obsessed with stats. Their week tends to be dominated by them.

In the vast majority of games teams who win the stats win the game (not always but generally).


Can you elaborate on your lack of interest with stats and why you think Powell isn’t interested in them?