I don't think many expect Leeds to win but the idea that "Leeds will have to put in their best ever performance in the CC to beat us." You seem to be completely deluded about the historical significance of the current Wigan team.

We shouldn't really concern ourselves about who is and who won't be lining up for Leeds, it's a cup final and whoever they field in their 17 will be determined to win the final. Also, past results will have no affect on this Saturdays game.

I've no doubts about Maguire allowing any feeling of this will be easy creeping into the team, as long as we prepare correctly and perform for the 80 minutes (without any periods of switching off) the result will take care of itself.

It's all about the preparation of the upcoming week and execution on the actual day that will win the cup, not the Leeds teamsheet or previous meetings between the two teams.

Agreed. Far too 'Sheffield' for me.

Yes I'm confident we'll win, but I'm still saying 'if' and not 'when'.

not to mention peacock and leuluai?



forgive me for not $h!tting my pants at the prospect of their pack eh. Leuluai is awful.

We don't need to look at Leeds especially, if our own house is in order for the game then we know we have the ability to win.

I can't see Madge and Waney having the players any less than 100% ready and prepared for the game.

Of course you are favourites, very strong favourites. But Leeds do have some very good players and you could have an off day. If Maguire, Burrow, Buderus, Sinfield all click, it could be closer than we all think.

I think most of the talk around Wigan and on here is playing right into Leeds' hands! For people to say its guna be the most one sided finals in years is ridiculous, obviously don't know what they're talking about. This is a one off match and anything can happen.

I certainly wouldn't rule them out. We never know what is going to.happen on the day.

I'd be worried about Buderus. He had a real nightmare against us last year and will want to put it right. He's certainly got the class to do so.

This will NOT be a one-sided final.

Leeds - incredible though it seems - still have a chance to salvage a very, very poor season by lifting the Challenge Cup. Their senior players will know full well that, despite everything that has gone wrong, 2011 is now only 80 minutes away from being another success story.

I'm not sure it would be the best outcome for them, because McDermott would then be in a strong position to continue. But as others have said, it's only one game and one game can hinge on an odd bounce of the ball, a ridiculous refereeing decision (again), an unfortunate injury. It could also be that Wigan get nervous and freeze, whereas Leeds may feel they have nothing to lose and just go for broke.

That said, I think the Maguire factor is hugely important in this one. Madge has proved that he can prepare his teams perfectly for the big occasion, while McDermott doesn't appear to have the Leeds dressing room in any shape or form. In that respect, I just favour Wigan, but anything can still happen.

great post! Did I just type that? Think I need a lie down



You are spot on though

I thought that back in 98,,,Didn*t even bother to watch the game and went to a a cricket game over in West Bromwich....Could*nt believe the score when i got back in.......

I just don't get the comparisons being made between now and 1998.

In 1998, that was an ageing Wigan team jaded by the numbers of Cup Finals it had appeared in. The opposition were utterly hopeless, as Wigan proved a week later when they suddenly got serious; it was all too easy to take the Eagles with a big and fatal pinch of salt.

In 2011, Wigan are a young side desperate to win silverware and hungry for the glory and fame that they've seen their rivals enjoying for the last 15 years. The opposition meanwhile are one of the other best teams in the competition who, while they may have had a shaky season by their own standards, have not exactly struggled against us.

There is simply no way that Wigan, even without Michael Maguire's skilled motivational techniques, will go out at Wembley and be as complacent about facing Leeds Rhinos as they were Sheffield Eagles.

A more worrying comparison could be drawn with 2002, when Saints were the slight favourites but an unfancied and yet still (on paper at least) pretty impressive Wigan team played out of their skins to secure a close victory.

quite right, wigan have got to play at 100% of their ability for the whole 80 minutes. If they do that and not miss tackles, stop leeds offloading, complete 90% of their sets as a minimum and keep their discipline then it will be theirs to win

Leeds definitely have some strike players that could worry us: Maguire, Buderus, Jones-Bishop, Hall and Smith, but I'm pretty confident that we'll keep them quiet on the day.

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Yeah, anything can happen, one off game yadda yadda but it won't.

Don't get me wrong i'll still be there cheering them but expect a defeat.

aint gonna be another sheffield wigan will win mark my words

I have no doubt Leeds will be mentally up for a big game, but the reality is we haven't played a quality 80 minutes all season. The result against Quins does put the difference in attitude between Leeds and Wigan into perspective, and to be fair to McDermott, you can only point at the players themselves for that.

Leeds may get up and win, but I'm not sure that would be for the best for next season - we need a decent coach. If we win, BM will be in charge again next year.

You know times are bad when you even think about a good side to losing a cup final, just to get rid of the coach.

He's kinda right though! I quite like it in a weird way when we get beat! Not just beat but hammered this season coz it's closer to the mess that is our crap coaching staff (mac is a good bloke dont get me wrong) and average squad members(Kirke and co) Fooking off! Then we can get back on track.

I would love Leeds to win the cup but it would prolong our club going in the wrong direction. it's gonna take something special for Leeds to win the cup though.

Wigan have been improving all season, NRL coaches pride themselves on getting their team ready for crunch games. The two previous games against the Rhinos were close affairs, but more to do with poor Wigan form in game one and as a previous poster noted a run of games against top teams before the second Rhinos game.

The Rhinos will turn up and make the game a battle for as long as they can and they do have some very quick young players who could go the length of the pitch; a reproduction of the form against Wire and Saints will see Wigan winning.

It wont be as easy as some think, Leeds still have class players who have the ability to inflict damage, but as a team, they struggle.
Forget Sheffield, that had more to do with money and the betting odds than a shock win.

We all know that Leeds will cause us some troubles, we have played them twice this season and have an aggregate score of 46-44 in our favour. Shows who close they can be to us. They will no doubt try and slow us down, try and use the famous bully tactics to try and throw us of our fluent game.

Madge knows what to expect, he will have us technically spot on to face Leeds and Wane will have the lads fired up.

It wont be a big win, but i think we'll take it by 10 points.

Course madge knows! What I can't believe is that Wigan fans can't see knobody spoils, niggles, slows the play down and trys to bully more than Wigan. Don't pretend your some pretty rugby team. You are the baby of bellamy. That's not a bad thing it's just true.

leeds are still a top 8 team and as such they demand respect wigan will be fully focused on the job in hand come the weekend. i think it will be a close game but wigan will just edge it i hope.