apparently Potter is in the mail today saying the rules should be changed to stop wigan's spoiling tatics. I am sick and tired of this unsportmans like behaviour from coaches and players trying to influence referees. Wigan are doing better than anyone else, get over it! I hope wigan run 50 past them and fecka accidently drives Potter from sideline into the north stand where he belongs!

Wahahahaha.......from a guy who is out at the end of the season, buggering off back to the land of convicts without a rugby job to go to.
Back to bricklaying for you Brian!!

took the words out my mouth Mate

It's all being done to influence the refs and in fairness to guys like Potter, Kear, Agar, Heatherington and Morley it's worked a treat and we're being watched like a hawk on a weekly basis so they're getting what they want.

The good thing from our point of view upto now is that it's having little bearing on results and as long as that continues i'll continue to smile at the weekly petty ramblings from desperate and paranoid coaches, players and chairmen who don't like the thought of being beaten.

It's about time the RFL told them to STFU!

What exactly has he said?

I prefer it as it is, you can generally only slow the play the ball down if you're dominant in the tackle, a defender that's clinging onto your legs to bring you down isn't going to stand much chance of stopping you getting a quick play the ball away. Instead of moaning he should tell Graham, Fozzard etc to run it in harder then fight to get up asap.

IMO the whole point of a tackle is to spoil the plans of the opposition, i really cant see the problem, you play within the rules, if the RFL dont like it, they should change the rules

Link anyone?

Who cares, hes a quitter

Thank God!!

I agree with you i just wish he would shut up.

Let them moan, him and many other coaches have tried this ploy, and the referee's have penalised us on numerous occasions. We're playing within the rules, so let them worry about us.

What exactly has he said?

No idea. Can't find anything on the mail website

Me either, everyone seems happy to jump in without having read anything though

Aye looks that way. Any excuse for a bit of Potter-bashing I suppose. If he has said anything like that it's nothing we haven't heard before anyway so it seems pretty pointless

You will probably find todays mail will only be on line tomorrow unless you subscribe to it thats the usual case with news papers.

Here's what the article said:

Mick Potter has added to the growing criticism of Wigan's approach with a provocatively timed attack on the Engage Super League leaders.
Potter's St Helens side travel to the DW stadium tomorrow night fully aware of the immediate impact Michael Maguire has made during his first season in England.
But observers have long pointed to what they see as Wigan's spoiling tactics as a major reason behind the club's success.
Now Potter has chosen to add fuel to the fire saying: ' They have implemented a ruck speed that's very slow, and they've really practised their tackle technique. They get numbers in on the tackle. It was a tactic that was successful at Melbourne (Maguire's old club) for a long while, so why wouldn't you bring it across?'
The St Helens coach even challenged the game's rule-makers to scrutinise things further.
'Its a case of finding the balance between having a ruck that is just boring, or where it's controlled and you just get up and play the ball. You should win or lose the ruck on your merits in the carry or tackle, not because you're the best wrestler, or you get the most numbers in because you hold them up and walk them around until you put them down about 10 seconds later.'
Potter has been known for his quiet approach but his interjection in the debate over Wigan's tactics adds further spice to a clash that is set to attract a 20,000 plus crowd.

Real stinging criticism there

What about the rest of the article, You know The Bu11 & B0ll0x Bit?

I'd still like to see a link.

Well . . .



Fair comment, and Wigan fans were certainly complaining vociferously about the latter when Saints were benefitting from it.



Also fair comment - and exactly how Wigan fans have been describing the tactic all year as a description of why it is acceptable. It's a matter of what constitutes "held" in my opinion - and how quickly players have to release once it's called. I don't see why taking a long time to peel away from a player stood and held should be any more acceptable than a player on the floor and held. It seems to be though.

Coaches will always try to bend rules, and opposition coaches will always try to persuade refs that they shouldn't be allowing it. It was ever thus and it will ever be thus. Would you really expect anything less? If what Wigan are doing is legal then they've got nothing to fret about. Playing the ball quickly was DEFINITELY legal, but it didn't stop people complaining about Saints.

But by the same token they can't complain if everyone else complains about it! It's a tactic that this season is winning them matches so I really don't know why they are so defensive about it. Next season, however, it will all change, just as it has done with Hudds, because not only will a raft of coaches change but also everyone will be planning and practising their counter moves for next season to make sure Wigan don't have the same advantage. I just hope we don't all adopt the same style or else I swear I will go and support a Championship club instead!