Of course in a few weeks time none of this will matter anymore. People's memory of the season will be that Wire and Cas played the best, most entertaining rugby whilst Leeds and Wigan(???) took the prizes.

......true.....

Glad You agree about Mickey Mac

We just need to make sure we don't let ourselves get bullied out of the game. Play it our way for the full 80, kicking like we did against Cas, not getting sucked into Wigan's cheap shot, niggle-ridden style, we've got to dictate the pace and keep them frustrated. Now the Wire!

I think that this whole 'big nasty Wigan' thing is being completely exaggerated to be honest.

Perhaps
But slowing the ptb is a big part of their game.
It needs addressing somehow

It was definitely part of our game on Thursday too.

East stand for the winners of our game.

Not familiar....is that Stretford end or the other?

Correct. Can you imagine the uproar if Macgraff Leuluai's tackle on Matty Russell was done by, say O'Loughlin? Wigan and Wane acknowledge that they are an aggressive team and play right to the boundaries of the rules, sometimes admittedly we cross them. It is a big part of Wigan's play, and matching this aggression goes a long way to beating Wigan.

It'll be a great game on Friday, with it being potentially M Monaghan's last game I feel he will have a cracker (which spells bad news for Wigan!).

So, you don't think he'll be picked for the final then?

Haha, sorry missed out the word potentially! I shall edit now. Genuine 50/50 game this i reckon.

50/50 +/-1...which ref

Its not big nasty Wigan its the cheap shots what they get up to. I cringe when the man is tackled in the standing position and and the 3rd man hits the lower leg

Yeah, it's almost as bad as the third man coming in late, lying on top and then blatantly thumping the opposition playmaker in the face.

I hope Ben realises that one idiotic act now justifies Wigan's career ending tactics forever more!

They arent big

They just have an uncanny nack of making sure our players are crocked recently.

I wonder what the stats are on ligament injuries occuring in games against wigan over the last 5 seasons.

Perhaps ignorance is bliss.

Well lets put it this way, i heard off a non wire player, that in terms of that sort of thing, he and his team mates would rather play on the i(njury)Pitch at Widnes than play wigan.

You'd know........

Actually, according to the sentiment of your comment, he wouldn't...

How many Wigan players have been banned for illegal tackling (twisting/cannonballing etc)? The last one I can think of is Jeff Lima about 3 years ago.

Good job getting the excuses in early lads.

His point is exactly that you dont get banned for the reckless tactic.

I think that is the concern exactly. The tackling "technique" may not be illegal, even obvious, but there appears to be a deliberate intent to cause disruption and injury to key players. It's not exclusive to Wigan, are Wires are certainly not innocent, but Wigan seems to have it, and the ability to escape punishment for it, honed to a fine art.

Personally, I don't want to be a martyr, and a losing one at at that, and I am sick of appealing for honesty in the name of the good of the game. On Thursday I hope Hill, Waterhouse and England launch more cannonballs than the Napoleonic wars in Wigan's direction, get away with it and cause huge disruption ........... but not injury - I don't and won't condone that. Then we can agree that it was all just Wires imagination after all, that it is a legitimate tactic and you lot can start preparing for next year whilst we get on with winning the GF.

Right, and how many careers have been ended by these reckless tackles? Again the only one I can think of is Stankevich about 15 years ago. Hardly prolific is it.