We have no hope if we persist playing players who generate no interest amonst fans, and are at the end of their careers. We should be looking forward.

Conditions are appalling outside folks that game was ok considering. But it was funny how most players coped well except for Chase, he was shocking

Rather ironic that Carmont and Finch withdraw through "injury" (see thread below before you moan, most Wigan fans think they were not injured), for the same club to lose a player through injury.

Due to the number we have supplied to both teams, statistically we are more likely to get an injured player.

Very true.

Really? i thought he was pretty good.

stevo saying sam didn't chime into the attacking line, well its hard when your hooker takes any space between the defensive line and you away by stealing a few yards also sinfield distribution and timing just isn't good enough at all tonight.

also it wasn't just tommy who got injured tonight, gaz hock is injured to.

Joke game..Joke coach with no tactics..slaughtered again by the Aussies next time..sad sad..

So thats Finch, Carmont, Leuluai and Hock all injured in the space of a week?

Why is it a joke game?

We slaughter the RFL for not being innovative. The Exiles idea was innovative. It hasn't hit the heights they were hoping (and by the looks of it it's going to go downhill from here with the new NRL Salary Cap), but at least they bloody tried. The games are still tougher than anything France et al would provide.

It was a concept that was well worth trying but it has little chance of growing. As mentioned the rise in the NRL salary cap will keep the best overseas players down under and with the focus on clubs producing home grown players the standard will surely drop if the concept continues.

Without any real rivalry, with pretty much no support for the Exiles team and no atmosphere generated I can't see how the concept can survive.

I don't think there's any doubt that the game is better preparation than a match against France so I guess it depends on whether the RFL care about how well supported the event is or whether improving the capabilities of the international side is the most important thing.

That was the most boring game ive watched in a long time.

James Roby is the most over hyped player ive ever come across. How many times did he pinch a few extra metres by running from dummy half instead of moving the ball wide quickly to the likes of Chase and Tomkins. Whats the point of having two attacking threats at 7 nd 1 if the hooker is never going to get the ball to them quickly.

i posted the exact same thing on saints board i know they wont like it but o'well. he just plays for him self he even grubbers for him self.

Tried and failed yet again..no crowd..who cares about it..no passion..no real desire to win..truly awful game..i feel really sad about british rl at the mo..but don't want you to rip your head outta the sand

Thats why Stains are rubbish

I thought tonight was an awful game and an awful advert for international RL. It had no skill or intensity and was played between 2 fairly mediocre teams that any top SL team would annihilate. Wigan have beaten better teams than those by over 40 points this year. McNamara or the RFL can dress it up all they like but that was dire tonight.

11,084 better than half of the league games in the weekly rounds

and if you really believe there is no passion and no desire to win just look at some of the tackles, look at tommys injury body on the line and talk to the players involved i know brett was absolutely distraught not to be playing.

It was an absolutely terrible match, no heart from either team, no atmosphere, basically no-one gave a crap about it. It's a good concept, if people cared.

Yadda Yadda..it was gash..we all know it apart from the ones in d-nile..x

the reason it looked slow and mistake ridden was the rain was awful and didnt help that 8 of the exile players that had been in the training sessions had to pull out and they had to adapt this week. watch the 2nd and hopefully better weather and the origional players back it will be a faster better game

No doubt they will tell you that you dont know what your talking about and point to his stats. Stats are all well and good if they are earned with quality play. I always thought Cunningham was similar in his earlier years when he ran too much from dummy half but at least Cunningham had immense strength to knock defenders off and offload which resulted in openings in the defence for the second phase attack. I always felt Cunningham became a better player about 4/5 years ago when he varied his game more. Roby needs to do the same. No wonder Saints have been hammered by Wigan this year. Just shut Roby down and you shut St Helens down most of the time.

Still with no significance.

As I've said on the VT, he only way this concept would work is if there was a significant win bonus for the victorious side.

How many of you have been out today? its slashing it down and blowing a gale, the game was decent for the weather conditions.
I think there are a too many numb brains on here talking nonsense about a lot of things.

exactly get better weather and the other players back for the exiles that did the origional training that pulled out last minute and it will be a different game

you may see a few more "injuries" before the next game now!