How the hell do you know the body language said "we'd like to play Hudds"?



No one is suggesting we didn't approach this game differently to a league game. Unsurprisingly we didn't approach the CC final as a league game either.

In order to "secure" 4th spot Wigan had to lose to both Hull and Leeds. So trying to win v Hull as we clearly did was stupid if the aim was 4th which it must have been had we decided we wanted to play Hudds as no one expected Hudds to pass on the LLS by deliberately losing to Wakey and Bradford.



They cared whether they lost last week when playing the game and that is the point. At the end of the day the result may not have mattered but that is not how they approached the game.



Was part of that plan being poor in the league since about July?

I think that is a very important question. Are we to expect a poor last few months of the league season to prepare for up to four games in Sept/Oct?

It's got nothing to do with how we've played since before or after July as I said the plan was to make sure we had enough in the squad energy wise to win one or both trophies we have played poorly since July/August but you have to ask yourself in the grand scheme of things is it really in the any clubs best interest to bust a gut for 27 rounds then have nothing to show for it except as many believe is nothing more than a cheap piece of tin "hubcap" Leeds are the masters of playing just about well enough to make the playoffs then turn it on for when it really matters and that to me is exactly what we have set out to do all season I never said anything about body language said anything about we want o play Hudds but the players may as well have walked around last week against Leeds with neon signs saying we couldn't give a monkeys if we lose tonight. We didn't TRY to beat Hull if he wanted to beat Hull why did he rest 90% of the first teamers I can tell you without a shadow of doubt Wigan regardless of finishing positions have had every intention of giving approx 70% for the most part of the season and without question they did NOT care in the slightest that they lost last week and yes as part of this plan succeed/fail we can expect less drive and determination for the most part of the league season and turn it on when the playoffs come along which is precisely why Leeds since the Top 8 and club call was introduced have dominated the Super League anyone including Leeds fans who thinks Leeds would have still won the Finals they have in the original play off format are seriously deluded Leeds have simply played the system perfectly except for 2010 and that is what Wigan are clearly attempting to replicate this season only time will tell if we have played the system as well as Leeds and unless its physically impossible don't for one second be surprised to see a repeat of the 98 Grand Final.

This so called plan in nonsense IMO. Wan couldn't possibly of looked at the table in June and thought 'right Hudds are definatly going to finish 1st so we've got to loose loads if games to finish 4th'. There is absolutely no chance Wigan deliberately set out to loose games.

What I do think we did was concentrate on the cup. The draw presented us a golden opportunity to win the cup and that was the focus. The cup games aside, yes I do think Wane was looking to prepare for play off rugby and wouldn't have given the players too hard a time for loosing.

There is no way we hav spent 3 months trying to engineer a certain league position to play a certain team, there are too many variables for that to be the case.

Agreed. What we have been doing is playing at a lower intensity in the league in recent months. The CC final may not have been great to watch but we played pretty well, particularly in defence.

It looks like Wane has been planning for peaking in the play-offs, which is great, though I'd have preferred us to bring a bit of form into the play-offs rather than assuming we could flick a switch and be able to beat the top sides. But Wane knows the team best. If this team continues to do well without Lockers then Wane will deserve a lot of praise.

The 8 team play offs were introduced in 2009. Leeds had previously won Super League in 2004, 2007 & 2008. They also won it in 2009, during which year they also finished top of the table.

So rather than post rubbish on a public forum just take a few seconds to check out your theories first.

We're Wigan rugby. We win when we want.

We haven't planned to finish 4th because as you say we had no idea who would be top. What I do believe we have done is split the season into 3 parts. Finish top 4 (did at magic) Win the cup. Win the playoffs.

There has been a clear drop in our intensity in recent months that was back last night and possibly in the first half against Leeds. There has been no urgency when behind that again was there last night. If we won in recent weeks we won. If we lost then we lost.

We've played the rules to the best we can and given ourselves a chance. We'll no doubt be deducted points for breaking the spirit of the league.

^This!

Since the Top 8 was introduced Leeds have played the system consistently whereas previously although they may have won it 3 times those 3 victories wasn't back to back but apart from 2010 the wins have all been for Leeds 09, 11 & 12 the point I'm trying to make that people just either flat out refuse to take note of or are just too thick to realise how Leeds have played the system is that it's not that Wigan have set out to finish in any particular position or to play Huddersfield in the 1st round what they have done is played well enough over 27 rounds of the regular season without breaking their necks trying to finish top to just make the play offs and then have enough left to make a real tilt at the play offs which is precisely how Leeds have played it since 2009 and that's exactly how Wigan have done it this season it just remains to be seen if its successful no final table positions were set out it was simply a case of make the playoffs then kick into 2nd gear.

Can I introduce you to a few things?
1: , that's a comma, you use it to separate elements in a series or to connect two independent clauses. It helps what you write to be read.
2: . that's a full stop. You can use a full stop to indicate that a statement is complete and that what follows is a new one. You used one, wasn't it fun?
3: REALITY. I've read some utter nonsense on this site before, but yours really takes the biscuit. Going in to a game like last nights on the back of absolutely awful form and, being realistic, very little reason to have any confidence that you could turn over a top team after Leeds dismantled you last week is the worst possible preparation for play-off rugby. Don't let one result against a team who played very poorly blind you to the fact that Wigan lost their way some time ago and will most likely struggle again when facing Warrington, Leeds or Saints (not that they'll necessarily lose, I don't doubt the quality in the Wigan ranks).

Wigan played well last night, but they were aided by the fact that Huddersfield played so poorly. To suggest that they gave anything less than 100% against Leeds or didn't care that they lost is an insult to your players and the blood they left on the field, they gave their all and came up short against a very good team and the performance against Leeds was more indicative of the second half of Wigan's season than last nights. Whilst I'm sure Shaun Wane will accept the odd defeat here and there he is not the sort of man to accept anything less than 100% effort yet you talk about having 'enough energy' left for this time of year like there's a finite amount available across a season - Leeds have never just put in 70%, they've built up to peak at this time of year, and guess what, they're peaking again. What you're actually saying is that Wigan have discovered a form 'tap' that they turned off months ago and can now just turn it back on at will.

And finally, to suggest that it's deluded to say that Leeds would have won the Grand Finals under the old system is difficult to comprehend. Under different systems and finishing in different positions Leeds have lost one knockout play off game since 2007. To suggest that kind of capability is down to a system is what sounds deluded to me.

Lets look at finishing positions before and after introduction of Top 8 in the old system 2004 Leeds 1st, 2007 Leeds 2nd, 2008 Leeds 2nd then into the new system in the 3 times they've won since 2009 Leeds have finished fifth twice in 11 & 12 you can not actually sit there and tell me that Leeds under the old system would have ever finished any lower than top 2 and I've just proved that they didn't therefore that is called playing the system what I have stated time and time again but I'll spell it out for you again is that Wigan have NOT turned on or off any kind of form they have simply set out to finish comfortably into a playoff position without busting a gut it's got nothing to do with effort or commitment that has always been the same the difference is during certain games this season key players have been missing Saints away, Hudds home, Hull home wigan are playing the system and the sooner people realise that the better.

It's so difficult to read your posts, it might be an idea to use grammar. My apologies if you're dyslexic. No one is saying Leeds haven't played the system, but to say they wouldn't have won trophies otherwise is well worthy of the ridicule you're receiving. Look at the teams they have beaten on their way to winning those trophies as proof.

You call it playing the system, but somehow, despite being the only team to have successfully exploited this clearly flawed system, Leeds have gone all out to finish as high as possible this season. That's weird isn't it? The only team to have seen the flaw in this system and successfully exploit it decide to ignore it? Not only that, but despite being the creators of this masterplan they decided not to rest any of their key players at any point during the last three years, despite playing in more games than any other team during that time. Instead they cunningly engineered lower placed finishes by knocking on, losing close fought games and getting players suspended for games against key opposition.

The only masterplan at Leeds is to peak at the right times of the season, namely 1 - The WCC (semi successfully) 2 - The CC Semi and Final (again semi successfully) 3 - The play-offs (undoubtedly successfully) and peaking at those times means the occasional dip in form. They don't plan these dips in form, they just happen, and if Leeds could find a way of playing at top form all season they'd do it. They don't give less, they don't try less it's just that sometimes their performances are not as good.

Strangely though we've not had a dreadful 3 month period like Wigans in all those seasons. Maybe Wigan have perfected the plan, or maybe you're talking gibberish.

So if Wigan or Leeds win the Grand Final this year you'll still tell yourself Leeds have peaked at the right time of the season and they apparently did all they could to finish as high as they could and still finished outside the top 2 yeah you keep telling yourself that Leeds are simply peaking at the right time.

Go through Leeds games this season and tell me a single one where they didn't try their damndest to win. They might have played badly some times, they might have had some bad luck (especially with injuries - review our injury list this season and tell me where Leeds should have finished), but they never rested their best players when fit (much to the chagrin of many of my fellow Rhinos fans) and never phoned it in. Of course Leeds are peaking at the right time. You're either an idiot or deliberately obtuse, I no longer care which.

Whereas your skull is too thick to comprehend what's staring you right in the face and your clearly too dense to grasp the simplest of concepts that since 2009 when the top 8 was introduced only 2 teams have won the Grand Final from 1st or 2nd yet it was won by Leeds 3 times from the top 2 before the top 8 yet you think that is all about peaking at the right time and its just a simple coincidence but as I said your too dense to accept that your team has played the system better than the rest.

Shaun Wane is just smarter than everybody!

i wondered when somebody would give him the credit he deserves.
Hes managed the season brilliantly. Pre season it was mainly doom and gloom with many thinking we would be lucky to make the play offs with the squad we had. Oh my how Sean Wane has proved this wrong.

He rotated the team just enough early season to keep it fresh, went on a winning run , long enough to guaruntee the top 4, then concentrated on the cup...we lifted the cup with a defensive display comparable to our displays so far in the play offs.

Win or lose next week, hes done a fantastic job.

Frickin Happy Clappers!!!!

I know coach of the year is probably in the bag and already picked as Paul Anderson but what Wane has done has been equally as good.

Looking back with hindsight it just seems wane knew top 4 was all that mattered (didn't matter where in the top 4) so once that was in the bag he spelled the players and managed the squad knowing they had the ability to do what needed to be done in the big games and they'd be fresh enough to do. Obviously I don't think losing as many games was part of the plan but it was inconsequential.

I'm always happy to clap even if it's a slow clap but then I suppose that means I am unhappy, which I am happy with.

Wane has done better imo.

Anderson has brought silverware to a club for the first time in 50 years with a few new signings but otherwise a team that consistently ran out of steam in the league.

Wane has brought silverware to a club that has underpinnings of success and the confidence that brings.

Wane has done well but Anderson better imo

Good to have an argument about which of 2 British coaches should get it.