Wigan should be a model for us. Forget the heritage issues, there are so many things we can learn.
[ihave a strict game plan that everybody follows religiously[/i
Wigan have a structure that both the first team and the Under 19s follow meticulously. Everybody does their job, no one tries anything fancy. Only Tomkins is allowed to play what he sees.
[ithey have a no excuses culture[/i
You have no one to blame but yourself.
[ithey play the referee to perfection[/i
Every tackle is the same, the third man in comes slightly late, holds on for a split second longer, everybody gets off the tackled player together slowly. You can never get a quick play the ball. Unless the referee penalises it early, it will happen throughout the game. It is unlikely as it bends the rule rather than break it. Also Tomkins and Charnley are in the referee's ear all game. This will have an influence with a weak referee. They will try things when a break is made against them. We only made one when Fisher was tackled by Tomkins who then lay down on our side of the ruck and didn't get up until all his players were back in line. Nothing said or done, should have been a yellow card.
[ithey are all rugby league savvy[/i
Noticeably their 19s. This is the biggest issue facing development areas. It will take our guys years to catch up.
If the game wants London to be a force, there is some serious education to do.

Why London are so poor:
They can't tackle
They can't pass
They can't run hard
They have no pride
And....
They have no right to be in super league

Ian Lenagan


lock it

Wigan are well coached, every player knows their role.

They do all the basics very well and very quickly. We on the other hand...........

When you watch Wigan they run up fast, get back fast, get 3 in the tackle, run with purpose

Every player playing Rugby can do that by being fit and determined. No skill required.
Why cant we do that? Why cant we sprint up from out defensive line on every play teh ball, why when the tackle is complete cant we get up of the ground with a degree of urgency after every tackle,, why when we run with the ball cant we target an arm and run like we want to get though the tackle. Why cant we do any of that?
Its beyond comprehension. The differentiator in the main should be skill but yesterday it was the basics (with skill then thrown on top for good measure)

TR says theer are players who dont want to go where the club wants to go-really. Some of them yesterday we dreadful and should be utterly ashamed of them selves

Wigan thrive on pure aggression, you can't coach that, you've either got it or you ain't.
Unfortunately most of our squad ain't.

So Wigan run up big scores against almost every team in the league cause they do the basics right? And they moan to the ref ? and they cheat by lying on and getting away with it ?

Nothing to do with the fantastic skill they have and the back three of Tomkins ,Richards and Charnley that continually score tries from long range.

No, you're right, its playing the referee to perfection that makes them good!

They were an utter joy to watch. Mesmerising in fact and part of the reason I didn't leave at halftime. Amazed you didn't put a century past us.

Exactly and like you say topped of with great skill and set moves which they play to very well

I actually agree that the main reason we're so good is that we nail the basics. That's what Maguire did when he came, started from the bottom, got us fit and got us doing the basics right and the rest eventually followed. Wane has just took over from that and somehow improved us even more.

Most has already been said. Good solid game plan and the team all know what is expected. Willow has pointed out the difference in physique which is also a factor. Also they tend to play a little quicker across the park. Know how to manage the ruck to great effect so the opposition play the ball is always slow. Know how to interfere in the defensive line, though a few of the better teams are doing this.

And while a couple of Wigan fans have suggested some sour grapes from previous posters I think its just a desire that we met that level of delivery.

We are informed that we are spending 100% of the cap.....I assume Wigan are as well. That scoreline is a disgrace and if Towel were still coach we'd be screaming for his head.......

To quote the Stranglers....."something's gotta change"

We have been beaten by that sort of scoreline, by what most might describe as lesser teams than Wigan, under a host of coaches. Too many embarrassments to remember. You are right something needs to change but until there is a clear out and some balance brought back into the squad that is not going to happen unless the existing players sort themselves out.

We may be paying up to the full SC but we cannot get the same quality of players to come to London because as others and i think yoursef have pointed out we have to pay maybe £30,000 more in London weighting for the same standard of player that plays up North which meens we cant sign the same quality of overseas players like Wire and Wigan get, and because Northern players have family networks, schools for the kids, wives jobs etc., Up North they wont come down willingly even if we were allowed to equalise out the money.

IT IS NOT A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.
If you give 100% effort though you may beat the odds as teams get injuries, make mistakes and have off days. Its the lack of effort and failure to do the basics which anoys most of us - not the losing. We are used to losing but even the most hardy of us are being worn down by this never ending basement team.

Its gonna change soon! With the new set-up for 2015 it will definitely spell the end for this club as it is currently constructed. The only question is whether we will be around to see it. It requires NEW THINKING and NEW MONEY. The two main things we lack at the moment. I can only hope that Brian Barwick (who has been to the Stoop at least twice this season) can bring about some changes. The current salary cap penalises us by 30% and the best northerners won't come anyway. The World Cup might tempt someone to turn it around, stranger things have happened in our history.

Bear in mind the exchange rate when buying aussies. Terry Matterson on £130k back in the mid 90s would have been near the AUS$300k mark per annum.

Now to get an aussie for AUS$300k would cost you around £70,000+ more.

Yes. If you don't retain the ball, don't complete your sets, and don't make your tackles, you lose.

That's not what was said. What was said is that they play to the referees whistle. You try something, and if you get away with it you keep doing it. Every good rugby team does that.

No doubt about the skills, but if they played behind a team that don't do the basics they'd have less opportunity to show those skills.

Not by itself, but it helps.

the thing that keeps our players keen is they are all replaceable and wane will drop any player not doing his job we have young players who can step into the first team and not look out of place. London don't have that stick to beat the first team players with if any of your first team players are missing and an under 21s steps in you have a drop in standards.