I would have Sam Tomkins in the PnB in a heartbeat given the chance.

Me too.

How is Danny Maguire not a tool? He's also not a great player.

Now Burrow, on the other hand, is not a tool. I wouldn't classify Eastmond as a tool either and he is a good player.

Eastmond and Tomkins are excellent players, and will probably become great players. You don't have to like them to admit their potential.
Remember, Alex Murphy was hated, until he came to Wire, and was the best thing since sliced bread.

Sam Tomkins is a player ive always rated highly, from a raw talent with huge potential his all round game is certainly improving rapidly. Some are getting a bit carried away though by mentioning him in the same sentence as Billy Slater, ive no doubt that he will do a very good job at either fullback, stand off or scrum half for Wigan but Billy Slater is a freak of a player where they don't come along too often.

I'd say that Sam Tomkins is closer to a younger Preston Campbell more than anything else, they are both light on their feet and can step past players with ease and both are equally at home at half back or fullback.

wigan will still win the hubcap, and they will be THE team to beat in order to win the GF but even so I think if I were a wigan fan I would be concerned about their 'bottle'.

Three of the biggest games of the season have been against their biggest local rivals at home, their closest rivals in the league at home, and Leeds in the cup. They came up just short in all three. Then when in a position to secure the hubcap, again at home, they come up short again.

I agree.

So would he.

Or we could look at it we have lost 6 all season and the biggest defeat was 12 points, the others 7 and 2. That would suggest we have competed in every game and werent far off winning! We have also beaten the rest of the top 8 at least once! Have the best defence by far are 2nd best attack (20 off the best!)
And have a few players to come back into the 1st team to boost the squad!
If offered that before a ball was kicked every team would have taken it!!
Shouldnt Wire be more worried that even if they hang on for 2nd they have to play a certain team from scouseland again!!!!

Nah more worried about defending our Cup at Wembley Saints can wait till after.

Mason was a coward, totaly pooped his pants when Fielden starting throwing haymarkes.Tomkins try was good not world class as some think it was.He didnt have much to do apArt from run fast in open spaces.Still think Wigan will top the table and win the shield,but you get the feeling when the pressure is on.They will bottle it in the play offs.

dont you dare peace and quite at last

Who wouldn't?

A pie?

I am concerned that we are now struggling to hold onto 2nd place, and whether 2nd or 3rd we will have to face our nemesis in the first round of the playoffs. I am also concerned, both with the playoffs and the cup final in mind, about our record against Saints, Leeds and wigan.

But my point was IF I were a wigan fan I would be concerned with wigans record in games where they REALLY want a win (ie the four games I mentioned). I have no doubt that you would have accepted the position wigan are in now pre season, as would I if it were Wire (would have gladly accepted our current position too). But can you honestly, hand on heart, say that despite wigans excellent record this season you are not concerned about wigans pretty poor record when it [ureally really [/umatters?

My point was that your putting yourself into a position of a Wigan fan and thinking about us, just look forward to your cup final!! Do you have a concerns for a Saints and leeds fans?
But with regard to the REALLY want to win! Are you saying we didnt want to win the the other 2 games?? I personally think we wanted to win all 6 games we have lost! Did you not REALLY want to win all 7 league games you have lost??

Im not overly concerned at all. Other games we REALLY wanted to win included Wire, St Helens, Leeds, Huddersfield and Hull which we won!!! We also have some players to come back into the squad who bring experince.

Also if you look at the way fixtures are panning out. Leeds have to play Catalans with a few injuries and the dilema of resting players or not! They then have to take on yourselves in a cup final, after that they need to go to Hull for what could be winner takes 4th spot! Should they get 4th they play us at home(Barring a disaster!!) I would be confident at being able to beat Leeds as they would have to play virtually cup finals for 3 weeks on the run!!
Or if we get Hull they will have had to play you away, Leeds at home then come to us! Considering their current form I would fancy us beating them on the back of playing Leeds! We could well then have the choice of playing Hull or Leeds in the final elimator after both sides have had an hard slog to get there!! The worry is getting 3/4 props out on the pitch in the big games! Thats when we seem to struggle!!

If you're not overly concerned that your team has lost arguabley the four most important games of the season (at home against your two closest rivals both geographically and for league position, the cup and the home game to clinch first place) then you're clearly in the Matt King bracket of 'laidbackiness'

But thats because you have highlighted just 4 games! Look at the bigger picture!! Like I say we have also beaten the closest rivals! Who says they were the 4 biggest games? When we played you at your place both teams were 2 from 2 and had the chance to not only go 2 clear but make a statement to the rest of the league. The game at ours we had a safety gap from you so it could be argued that the game was more important for you to win than us!
Saints away only had the small tag of being the last ever derby at Knowsley Road!! Again it was a chance to put a gap between us and them and make a statement! At home we had a cushion and they needed a win more than us to stay in touch!!

The cup yes was a blow with it being do or die but considering the way the game panned out to lose with a tired tackle from a piece of skill in the last min!

Sunday also wasnt a must win game! A win would have been good but we needed 1 win form 3 games! Huddersfield again could be argued needed the win to stay in touch for 4th/5th spot and had something to prove after losing to us twice and lockers knocking robbo on his !!!

I taught Matt King how to be laid back!

If you'd beaten either Saints or us at the Piedome you'd have already won the hubcap by now & wouldn't need to be so twitchy...

Whos twitchy?? We need to win 1 game out of our remaining 2 not an hard task for team thats only lost 5 from 25!!

If you had beaten Saints, Leeds and Us and your place you would have secured 2nd and wouldnt be worrying about having a trip to Knowsley road!!

who's worried - it's as hard for us to beat them there as it is at home!

We'd be four points clear of you....

Danny McGuire isn't a player who can win a game in a split second?

And playing Hull or Leeds at home!! So I still dont see why we should be worried!! Win 1 game and we have done the job of finishing top having played the same games as everyone else! Well when I say the same we didnt have the luxury of playing Salford and Hull KR three times but you know what I mean!!

Who did you play three times? Oh yes, Huddersfield who are level with Hull KR.