So I assume you didn't see last night's game....
If you want to assume the mantle of cool dude whilst painting me as Corporal Jones, that's fine.. With regard to the team's attitude, my thoughts are this. I can accept a coach resting players due to the nature of the playoffs, etc. what concerns me I will state again in the hope of a worthwhile response...
I don't see professional players taking to the pitch with a "don't care" attitude. I would imagine those lads are hurting today and wondering how they can turn things around next week. If our team are currently sat on a plane thinking the CC is in the bag (some, not you, are predicting up to 30 points in victory) then they are even cooler than you.

I watched all the game, and i was as frustrated as others here. I will leave you to do the "painting" of yourself and others... I don't panic, thats my nature, and i will judge the season when it's over.

In which case I don't expect to hear from you until after we are knocked out of the playoffs. I would like to point out, however, that you did paint many people with your M&S comment.

Whatever......

I'm worried about us in the short term, but not the long term. Our form is terrible but we are a good team which should be looking to win many trophies when we're a bit older and the key players at Wire and Leeds have retired/gone over the hill. Not sure whether Shaun Wane's the man to take us forward though. I'd probably give him the benefit of the doubt and offer him 1 or 2 years if we win the cup

Totally agree. We are a young group and there is a lot of improvement left in most of them. We need a couple of judicious signings in the backs to go with us not losing any more quality players then, as they get older, better and more experienced we should all reap the benefits. I actually yearn for a thread in the future when our rivals come on here winding us up about the age of our squad?

something i have noticed that has disappeared off the playlist is the use of the full width of the pitch.
when we were playing well, we stretched teams by getting the ball wide, and then very quickly (often in the same play), returning to the opposite wing.
this exploited our strengths (which is very much fitness and mobility, rather than power), and opened up gaps that we could exploit.
recently weve tried to batter the ball down the middle, which with our lightweight back row is never going to work against a half decent outfit.

Too true...

I noticed Eddie H mentioning a few weeks that this new rhino rugby ball is like a bar of soap when the hands get sweaty. Is this having an impact on our handling ability? It looked hot in Catalan, maybe I'm clutching at straws and trying to rationalise the appalling handling from both teams yesterday and also in other games I've seen on TV?

Even if I'm wrong, I'm praying for an overcast day next week..

Believe in WIGAN!!! Let's enjoy the week and the build up.. I expect the performance of the season on Saturday.

Thing is, it's the same ball for both teams, I didn't see them dropping it like a hot potato

I don't think it's a plan to lose any game.

I hope, I really do hope, that it is a sign that Wane is picking the matches to put 100% effort in at the business end of the season.

Exactly.

We can only hope for the former.

Of course the structure is broken. However, teams who treat every game like a final and burn out towards the end (i.e. Wigan last season) are fools.

The supporters who turn up week in, week out surely must realise that the regular season is a warm up for the playoffs?

How do you turn a losing streak with no form into a Wembley winning performance? If players are dropping balls week in week out that won't suddenly change next Saturday. Swapping players each week doesn't help to fine tune the basic of skills such has holding onto a ball. Luckily for us Josh is on fire who ever is on his inside but Pat isn't fine tuning anything except his kick offs. Its good to rest legs for Wembley because its an energy sapping pitch but watching the recent run of form from HH Moose Mac and Faz doesn't inspire confidence. Just of note, Pat hasnt been getting the regular kicks to his wing, is this just a lack of ball rentention, a loss of the plot or a deliberate ploy to disguise a key strategy for the final?

Damn, Leeds victories these past few years really have f*cked with peoples logic on the situation.

What could be an easier route than finishing 1st and getiing 2 home games to old trafford with a week off, against 4th place in week one, and then most likely 4th place again or someone lower as you get to pick who you play. You get 2 home games, against lower ranked teams, with a week off.

That is the best route.

I'll get castigated on here, but finishing lower down wasn't good until leeds ''made'' it good. Now, by some warped logic, as soon as you get to the business end of the season it's somehow better to take your foot off the gas and drop a few positions.

That sentence you wrote right there is one of the most bizzare i've read on here. You were basically saying, losing games, to get lower placing, to get easier route.

In 2009 leeds finished top under the current system. They played hull kr, who were a tough nut to crack at the time, finishing 4th, but top against 4th at home in a playoff situation should be a win for top spot. Then you are one home game away from the final and theres always the chance one of the lower ranked teams causes a few upsets, you get to pick them and they are lambs to the slaughter. On this occasion leeds got catalans. Easy. Through to the final.

The reality is of course there is no easy route, so if you are looking for one you are a onto a loser right there. But the [ieasier[/i route is top spot. Don't let warped logic cloud this.

I think it's about balance.

Balancing the "easier route" with having fresh players hitting form when it matters.

The latter is more advantageous than the former.

Agreed. It was no suprise that pearl of wisdom came from wigan pie man, the most clueless poster ever seen on these boards.

How do you hit form when it matters? Is it by tactically being out of form a few weeks before?

It takes a lot of effort to finish top, especially when you make the CC final. Plus the bottom line is I'd rather play Huddersfield than Leeds or Wire in the play offs, beat them and we're at home in week 3 anyway.

You would have to ask those in the know about the underlying reasons around the apparent dip in form.

The most striking aspect for me last night was the lack of enthusiasm. The little simple things in the game for example getting up quickly and set at the markers. On one occasion Catalans had a scrum with 10 mins to go 10 m out from their own line, did we make an effort to stop the clock? Nope, not a chance.

We can only hope this masterplan for peaking in big games will come off next week. However, I'm not sure you can turn form on like a tap...

You would increase training intensity in a cycle beforehand, so to be at peak peformance in september and october you'd be training yourself into the ground now then easing off for the playoffs. So if a team has an increased workload during the week their performances are likely to be flatter.

thanks for the vote of confidence



as BK says, its about going into the KO stage with freshish players.
We burned out last season, and i am expecting Hudds to burn out this time around...hence i want to play them

I've been saying it for a while, the sheer quality that's gone and continues to go against what we bring in(good players that they are) is very scary and i just can't understand it.

Correct. Any Wigan fan who attended the Hudds game feels the same.