Pryce misses a tackle and gets praised for tracking back but by missing the player in the first place he draws players out of their line allowing them to offload and all our defence is in a mess. This happens time and time again when Pryce plays yet some people can't see it.

I'm fairly confident we'll have a lot of our more experienced players back by playoff time - there was no point risking them for this game.

I'm all for playing youngsters, but when we have to bring in so many at once it's too much.

Richards had a quiet game by his standards, losing Goulding prior to the game was a massive blow as he has been, IMO, your stand out player this season given that so many of you doubted his quality and ability to consistently perform for Wigan. I knew at half time that we had a superb chance of getting something from the game as you had fluffed so many opportunities and been frustrated by our in your face style of defending. Mason's stamp on Fielden was shameful, but things like that can work out in two ways from a mental point of view and the fact that we survived in a bruising contest for as long as we did, especially when reduced to 11 men swung the momentum our way. Regardless of the result, it was a magnificient advert for super league and I really enjoyed it. First time I have been to watch Rugby at the DW (only visit prior was to see West Ham) and I think you have the best ground in super league, perfect for watching a good game of league. All in all a confidence boosting win and performance for the Giants which I think will stand us in excellent stead for the all important playoffs. I wish you all the best for that, as without doubt you have been the best side in the competition this year. COME ON YOU GIANTSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!

His clone? Are you saying that because they're both black?

They have completely different builds. Pryce is taller and heavier for a start, which understandably makes him slower.

I think the criticism he gets is unjustified. The two women behind me slate him every chance they get. He can't do anything right apparently - even though he scored a well taken try, forced a Hudds player back into his own goal and threw Hodgson into touch.

The ONLY criticism you could have of him tonight is that he didn't the ball enough. That's down to Marsh though, in my opinion. He's worse than Goulding was at centre when it comes to being greedy.

for me we lacked composure and the missing gleason and goulding on that side effected the balance of the team. we were forcing the pass instead of building preasure. Bad game over all . we will be better next time. It keeps the top 6 interesting going into last few games

I do not think there are many wingers in the world that would be considered integral to a GF winning side.

What I would say is (and for some reason people use this against him) close to the line his ability to score is top class.

To see him being slated for only scoring close to the line is an odd one for me. Coaches talk about building pressure winning the arm wrestle getting the field position then taking the opportunities that present themselves, as was seen yesterday and time and time again in his Wigan career to date he is the kind of player that does this ie convert pressure into points.

Is he behind Goulding? Yes, should he be slated for the way he played yesterday? Not for me apart from his work ethic which needs to lift.

Marsh and Davies are not ready for the big stage just yet.

Fair play, I got that wriong. I honestly thought this squad had the mental strength to avoid getting the jitters, but I was wrong. Doesn;t mean we wonlt win next week or any week after, though.

I just thought that Wigan as a whole were very poor and I think it was the worst performance of the season. We should have won easily against a poor Huddersfield team and in the first 20 minutes it looked like we were going to. In the end though we didnt capitalise when Huddersfield were reduced to 11 and we just had too many players that had very poor games. This to me was summed up by O'Loughlin, who has been terrific this season, losing the ball on numerous occasions. It was just one of those nights.

The injuries certainly didnt help us with most of our first choice backs missing. One other major turning point was Huddersfield managing to change the course of the game with their dirty tactics and managing to get away with it. The Wigan rejects were at the forefront of this and there are certainly some very bitter ex Wigan players in that Huddersfield team. The blame for that certainly has to fall on the referee. Fair play to Huddersfield, they pushed it to the limit and got away with it, but Bentham should have done better to stop it.

There was a lot of talk about how fit Wigan were early season and whether they would be able to keep that level up. Have Wigan fans seen any signs of this? Tired players make mistakes and Wigan certainly made their fair share last night.

Personally, you were so dominant last night that I didn't see much evidence of tiredness.

I dont think fitness levels are an issue at all.
Its down to experience in pressure situations like last night.
We completely dominated Shudds, but couldnt put them away.
And when they took the lead, you could just sense the frustration amongst the team.
It was like 'what the hell do we do now?'
Leeds and your lot would have found a way to win easily against those tactics.
Thats why both do so well in the playoff's year in, year out [size=85(said thru gritted teeth!)[/size

We arent quite there................................Yet!

You've lost some tight games but the positive thing is - you've dominated in them. If you weren't competing it would be worrying, but more often than not you'll win those games.

Last night we did pretty much everything ok a part from finishing. With better execution and completion by the time Huddersfield came into the game in the 55th minute we should have been past the 30 point barrier.

Last night didn't concern me one bit. Our go-forward was good as was most of our build play, we just couldn't finish chances that we have been finishing in most other games this year. If that game now means we don't waste our opportunities for the rest of the season, which we can't afford to do particularly in the play-off's then will have been a game worth losing.

I was bitterly disappointed after last night's, game but deep down it was our's to win and we found a way to lose. I'm just as confident after last night games of doing well in the play-off's as I was before the Giants game.

when Leeds, in particular were affected by injuries to the degree we were last night they were getting beaten by teams far worse than Hudds without two potential tries being stopped by professional fouls. Saints were affected by Pryce being missing the other week and played very poorly in comparison to what they are capable of despite having far less players in with high squad numbers. Last minute changes and injuries affect all teams and I don't buy the argument that last night was a must win test of how good we are as a team, it was just an ordinary 2 pointer arguably less important than most games this year yet people are reacting to it as they have done since our first loss at Bradford, the bubble's burst blah blah. Deja vu

We had both halves (Eastmond and Pryce) and several of the half back understudies (Ellis, Wheeler and Lomax) out injured, with a hooker and a second row in the halves. You had all your link players fit and playing (Tomkins/Deacon/Tommy/Riddell/SoL).

Last night your inexperienced players were Marsh in the centres (we had Jamie Foster playing on the wing with Meli out of position in the centres), Farrell/Tuson/Davies on the bench (we had Ashurst and Magennis in the run on 13 and Jake Emmitt on the bench).

Not sure how you worked out we had "far less players with high squad numbers" - looks about the same but the disruption caused to Saints was far greater IMO because of the problems at half back which aren't as easily glossed over as in the forwards or outside backs.

I still think you lack class at half back - Deacon/Tommy isn't good enough to win trophies IMO.

my point about pryce was how much disruption just before a game can affect any side. If you play with the side that lost to leeds in the cup for a few weeks they'll get used to playing together and do better. Made this point in response to a Wigan poster who said leeds and saints can deal with disruption but we can't. The squad numbers bit was in relation to Leeds, when we played them and beat them at the DW they had several regulars out and we were reminded about it, they had played with pretty much the same youngsters in for a few weeks and still had top players in key positions and couldn't cope we had young lads in most apart from Marsh and Davies have been in plenty of games but the likes of Farrell and Tuson are not used to playing 80 minutes in a pack with the equivalent of two and half props. I'm not trying to say our injuries are worse than anyones just that I don't agree with the argument that injuries and last minute changes don't make a difference. There were a number of circumstances which affected last nights result and had any one of them been different we'd probably have won but people are reading way too much into it imo

I didnt say / indicate anything to suggest that injuries disrupted us more than would have Saints or Leeds?


You might want to read my post again.

LW you said leeds and saints would have found a way to win. They have been in similar situations and not won. What is the difference between what you said and saying we were more disrupted than them? The implication is clearly the same. Don't forget that given our league position it was less of a must win game than most we've had this year because we've still got two bites of the cherry. Hudds were playing for position so had more at stake, Saints and Leeds haven't had any games like this and have still lost a few between them, We lost, it happens, no big deal and no relevance to the playoffs as players didn't play last night who would have been available if we really needed them. By being top we have allowed ourselves time to get a few players sorted out in time for the games that matter, other teams won't have that luxury and our chances in the playoffs are the same as they have been for the last few months as far as I'm concerned.

Far be it for me to be pedantic with a fellow C&W......But i think these were the key points in my OP -



I think those 2 teams have learned through lots of 'big-game' experience how to adapt their tactics, and dig out a win in a game like last nights.
For us, there have been (at least) 3 games now, where we've looked a little lost when a team consistantly frustrates our style play. And we've ended-up losing all of them against the overall run of play.
Never mentioned anything about injuries.
That wasnt the point i was trying to make at all.

I agree with that, but when we have Roberts & McIlorum back fit, we can revert to Tomkins & Leuluai in the halves, which is our best combination.

Agree with everything you have said, except I cannot see Wire doing the double. CC probably, but I think if they meet Saints they will choke again

As horrible as this is to type, I think there's every chance of Warrington doing the double - its all there for them.

I understand your point totally mate but firstly as I said I don't think it was a big game and secondly we had injuries which you can't just ignore because of course they affected us. I don't and won't agree with the idea that committing 2 professional fouls is disrupting our play to the point we had to adapt tactics. We got beaten because they had a better bench than us and they are a decent team.

Hmm...Not sure about that one.
I think they [imay[/i retain the CC.
But if, as i expect, we do reach the GF and face Wire? I'd be far more confident of winning, than if we faced either Saints or Leeds.
No particular reason for that as on paper at least, Warrington are quickly becoming an accomplished tournament-type team.
I just still honestly believe that in order to be called Champs-2010, somebody is going to have overcome one of those two at OT.
And that aint going to be easy - Be it either us or Wire.

Love to be proven wrong though!