I'm sure Catalans are thinking the same Wire_74, they were also missing 5 regulars.

IF Wire win the Semi at home in two weeks time then I hope they go on and win the cup. IF they get turned over by Catalans in the Semi then I hope they make the Grand Final.

Neither will be easy but Wire have been consistent this year, although they have been the least affected by injuries which helps. If Catalans had stayed relatively injury free then I think they would be in the 8, not as high as Wire but definitely in there.

Least affected by injuires?

Clarke, Carvell, Myler, Higham, Bridge all out for chunks of the season.

Now

Wood, King and Louis.

We (and Wigan) HAVE been less affected by injuries than others. However, several key players have not been missing at the same time (cf Greenshields, Bosc, Pelo or Burrow, Sinfield, Webb). You missed Briers off your list - remember how well we coped without him for several weeks.

Oh yes, round four against Huddersfield that was the first game he missed then he wasn't back tilla fter Saints which was about round 11 I think.

Just goes to show what a decent conditioner and medical team coupled with good luck can do. I don't begrudge you your luck with injuries as I hate to see any player out injured.

As TS has said you are one of the only (if not the only) team to have 2 physios. I think it is this investment which has maybe helped you the most this year and if everyone else doesn't like it then maybe other clubs should think equally hard about their backroom staff as you have clearly done.

I know for a fact it was Jimmy who first brought up the idea of an enlarged staff to keep more bodies on the field, he doesn't really get the credit he deserves for his work in your emergence as a real challenger.

The previous years of bad injuries also gave Ben Harrison, and to a lesser degree, Chris Riley, lots of experience which is now paying off. The balance of the squad helps too - if everyone was fit, you'd be seeing players like Vinnie, Clarke, Grix wondering if they'd play.

im going to perpignan otherwise i'd be at wembley to enjoy a great day of rugby league.

how old are you? 8?

Are people forgetting our woeful record in Perpignan?

I think this result is a blessing in disguise, if im 100% honest with myself i dont think we would have got top spot anyway, i couldnt see wigan losing two more and us remaining unbeaten.

This result gives us the kick up the a*se that should see us crack on, hopefully turn Stains over on saturday, giving us confidence for the semi, final (hopefully) and play offs.

COME ON YOU WIRE!!

As I keep saying, keep the faith.

Wigan have two weeks off between now and the playoffs given their non-existance in the Challenge Cup, this will allow them two one week windows to freshen up, go light on training and then go again in terms of intensity. Our calender is congested, congested because we're competing on two fronts, and competing to win on two fronts not just making up numbers so with this in mind, Smith has to look to find windows whereby we can reduce the intensity and it looks like Catalans was one of these that he identified, and in the long term will give us the best opportunity of achieving our goals, which are clear for all to see.

The big plus for me is that unless i'm missing something, we've come out injury free, which when you add back in Wood, Louis & King, means we're heading towards two big fixtures for us (for different reasons) in good health.

I never think any game will be a walkover, i aint blaming the heat for the loss either of us could of won that game but catalans played a bit better and made our indiciplin count. On a thread a few weeks back we discussed the run in and where we could win and lose and i said that catalan is a potential loss due to only winning once in france. If i thought catalan would be easy i would be booking my travel and hotel for wembley.

Interesting that according to Mathers twitter Smith cancelled the day off and had them running at the Zoo this morning.

Good. The team was more than strong enough to win and the players probably switched off by looking at the fixture list starting with Saints. I knew we would struggle to back up the Wigan game.

I feel a little as though the Wigan result means little now. All that hard work to go there and win and really put the pressure on is now rendered pointless by getting beat at Catalan. Well, except to get that 'cant beat the teams at the top' monkey off our backs that is.

Still, mustn't moan. 2nd in the league, CC Semi final, it's not exactly dumpsville at Warrington at this time is it?.

Jeez. All the top teams have had a bad result this year. More than one in some cases. It was one match. Let it go.

Aye maybe. Can't help but think if we had lost at Wigan we would have won on Saturday though.

We have come a long way, but as TS says, we are not the complete article yet.

could not beleive it when seen the score game on for semi.s

His thoughts on the Warrington Guardian website are interesting. So are Kevin Walters'.

Yes, I agree with Smith's comments. I guess he didn't help the "flattening out" by the resting of some of the players.

*If* we beat Saints let's hope we don't flatten out again for the following fixture.

Smith is planning to win the Challenge Cup and the Grand Final. If he wants to rest players and take a defeat, he'll do it. He won't rest anyone for the next two weeks, but I bet he does vs Wakefield and Hull.

Its means alot because time after time we have been told we couldn't do that.

www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/wol ... al/?ref=mr

www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/wol ... al/?ref=mr

So we have one of the most important games of the season coming up and smith has cancelled training for the zoo! Bring back Cull!