You're right, I was all for signing a new creative half, as we looked flat, lifeless and void of ideas at times last season. But, who am I or anyone for that matter to drop a 6 and 7 that led the team to an unbeaten run in the playoffs and then to win a GF? In the last god knows how many games we've only lost 1 with Tommy and Williams in the halves, that's all, 1 game v Saints away at the start of the season. What would be the logic in changing a winning team to accommodate Sammut?

In that 10 game spell it was our defence which was the main reason for winning the GF. Only Saints away and Cas at home (8s) can I recall us attacking with any fluidity

Does anyone know the attendance? Leeds' following was pitiful, and I've never seen the Boston stand so empty. Sky showing it on the free to view sports channel may have put a few off too.

11,200

Thanks. Lowest crowd for a regular season Wigan v Leeds game since September 2002.

Get your own house in order , only 10,000 home fans for the Champions first home game of the season !

The quality of the opposition often dictates the size of the crowd. I'm not sure whether to be disappointed that only 11200 wanted to watch Wigan v Leeds, or be pleased that 11200 wanted to watch Wigan take on a side that narrowly avoided relegation last season, and will probably be in the bottom half this season.

=#FFFFFFLet's see if I can catch me a Rhino fish....

Nonsense. Yes the D was good. But to disregard the halves in such a run of games and the final is just ridiculous.

I’m not disregarding them but they weren’t exactly that good that it can’t be changed up for the bettter. It’s clear to everyone man and his dog that Tommy is a 9 not a 7

The crowd was very disappointing - was hoping for 13k at least. But I think there is a slight mitigating factor with the WCC being played next week. A lot of the 'pay on the day' fans may have decided to give it a miss as they'll be paying out for more expensive tickets the week after. A points deduction and a loss against Saints will hardly have helped to stir up enthusiasm as well.

The logic would be that despite winning those games, there were obvious deficiencies. Lam wants a more attacking structure than Wane wanted and the Leuluai/ Powell 7/9 combination doesn’t lend itself to that way of playing.
There wouldn’t have been any point in bringing Sammut in if we don’t intend to use him.

Regardless of the WCC, the poor crowd must be a massive concern for IL and Rad. It was billed as new beginnings, we champions, new faces in the side, new coach etc. The opposition have brought new marquee players and I thought they’d be better than they were. Poor crowds will not encourage the club to spend money on wages and in return the fans won’t come if there is a perception of penny pinching.
Very concerning.

Some fans have been complaing of penny pinching for the last 10 years under IFL with zero truth behind it.
Maybe if some fans did more to encourage other fans to come along instead of perpetually moaning about every tiny little thing it may help.

Bear in mind 3/4qtrs of things they moan about aren't even evidence based or factual anyway.
Just moaning about rumours they've heard or seen on social media.

We probably lost quite a few last night due to the fact the game was shown for free on Sky Sports Mix.

For the first home game of the season that is pitiful.

The worrying thing is Lenegan seems to be having a lot of influence on how Super League is run, when he has a track record of failure. He is currently running his own club into the ground, who happens to be the 2nd biggest RL club in the UK.

2nd biggest club? I’m sorry but no way are St Helens bigger than us.

I see you're still smarting because Hetherington doesnt call the shots any more.

Really? We were fighting relegation when IL took over and he’s leadership has taken us to consistent success, consistent final wins and world champions. If that’s running a club into the ground I’d hate to see how you’d describe us if we kept ending up outside the top 8 like Leeds for example!

It was good to see you bring 2 coachfuls’s of fans too!!

A lot of Leeds fans seem to be unhappy that gary isn't getting his own way now, why is that?
Track record for failure?
Running his club into the ground?
Up to and not including the last season of the current decade (I.e the last 9 seasons) in the 9 super leagues his club have :-
Won 4 grand finals
Been in 6 grand finals
Been in 8 semi finals
Only once finishing outside the top 4. (5th was it?)

Disastrous!

How were Leeds crowds ?
Down over 2k I believe?

It's only worrying if you consider a) that the game was doing really well before the revolution started, and b) if you feel that having success as a club relies on having your best buddies running it.

Both of which delusions clearly apply to your chairman.

More of a worry for you, I'd have thought, is how long your owner will permit GH to keep your club swimming against the SL tide. It isn't just IL who believes that, as the British game's flagship competition, SL should be in full control of its own destiny and enjoy the bulk of the cash it generates. How do you think GH's constant resistance to that is going to work out for him?

I guess we’d have preferred to play one of the top clubs in our first game but sadly got thrown one of last years middle 8 plodders. When you play at 20% and beat a team by 18 points it’s just not going to get the fans juices flowing.

I think it would be unfair to drop either Williams, Tommy or Powell for Sammut. What you're effectively doing is dropping a GF winning combination (who also were undefeated in the playoffs) for player who, to date hasn't even made it at SL level with lesser clubs. Who until we signed him was playing championship rugby.

I wouldn't understand that logic. Nothing personal to Sammut, who I obviously hope is a star, but to dislodge a GF undefeated partnership?

On a basic level I agree with your points. But I think we finished last season as the second highest scoring team, went undefeated in the playoffs and won the GF, with the 3 mentioned, it has to stand for something.

I understand your points LSOW but what you’re effectively saying is we can’t improve on last year. What if was Cooper Cronk that we got and not Sammut? You’d be highly likely to give him a go and that would be the right decision. Last season’s run was great but this is a new season and we have room for improvement.

You're right, if we signed Cronk I would be rolling out the red carpet for him. But Sammut is no Cronk, for that matter someone who arguably isn't as good as Williams or Tommy. Both of which have won major trophies in SL and be capped many times for their country. Whereas Sammut as currently failed to make it over a long period of time at SL level, his career to date is miles off that of Williams or Tommy, Cronk, your example not mine is a whole other story.

I hope Sammut is a success, but he surely has to compete for a spot in the halves? Is he really good enough to leapfrog 2 players who went undefeated in the playoffs and won the GF? who in god knows how many months have only lost a single game? For me; no.

How would you feel if you were Tommy Williams or Powell? Don't they have a stronger argument to be selected? Yes of course they do.