Stevo had an article in the Saturday Times saying back to top 5 play off maybe league winners straight to final and 2 comps of 10 teams. He also wanted the return of GB. He also talked about lack of fan interest in the CC and play off early rounds.

I think Saints are the main unknown factor. It will be too early for Hull to be challengers. But Saints are in a similar position to where Wigan were under Noble and when Wigan brought Maguire they were ready straight away. I'm not totally sure Brown is the real deal but he did do pretty well with Huddersfield so he might be.

Wigan I feel are slipping slightly backwards. I'm surprised at the standard of players you are signing. Matty Smith and Blake Green are not Wigan standard players. You're dependent on Tomkins to give you an edge over the rest and reliance on one player is not healthy, Wigan were in this position ten years ago with Farrell. Wigan will still be up there but I don't see you moving forwards.

With us I think we have got one more year of this current team, then there will be a dip when we lose a lot of key players at the same time and might drop out of trophy contention for a while (although I don't think we will implode). Probably the same can be said of Leeds.

Wigan do have a good proportion of good young players in their squad so are well placed for the future but an Arsenal situation might develop, Wigan need to sign about 3 really good experienced players with leadership. Wire and Leeds have more experienced senior players than Wigan. Much as you probably hate both of them, if Wigan had had either Briers or Sinfield in the team in the past few years you would have won more trophies.

Is that a wind up?

Briers vs Finch or Tommy. Finch = SOO and NRL gf winner. Tommy = SL GF winner + WORLD CUP winner. You don't get much more experience than that. Briers has none of that.

The only reason Wigan failed this season was down to Shaun Wane and his neanderthal tactics and training methods.

Yes that's it. Top points scorers by playing some brilliant attacking rugby is a quality often associated with a Neanderthal of a coach.

Attack wins games, defence wins championships

Maguire knew that Wane doesn't.

We had NRL grand final winners, SL GF winners, Men of steel & world cup winners in our side but won sweet FA.

All because we thought we were the dogs balls in July. No point racking up points in meaningless games if you can't walk the walk in the big games.

I don't care if we won every game 4-0 as long as we won the GF.

Point a diff, derby wins, victories in June mean nothing. GF wins are the be all and end all

They are, absolutely.

But we weren't undone by our coach being a 'neanderthal'. We conceded 2 tries in 160 minutes of playoff rugby, and went out by a point after our NRL organiser in chief panicked and forgot how to play smart rugby when leading a semi final by a point with 5 minutes left.

We could easily have been there last night if we'd have been smarter in the last 10 minutes against Leeds, but that wasn't Wane's fault, so stop looking for a scapegoat in him. If we'd have swapped Sinfield for Finch in that game last week, we'd have won it.

Have I missed something??....Have we been kicked out of the league or something???....

Out of interest how would you compare Brett Hodgson, SOO player and NRL GF winner, to Sam Tomkins who has got none of that.

Or maybe I shouldn't go down this route else someone will start bringing up Ricky Bibey.

Or god forbid, Ryan Bailey.

I must be in a huge minority and quite possibly it's just me but I think wire have been the best team in SL this year. They only finished 2nd cuz Tony Smith rotated his squad really well knowing that finishing first doesn't matter.

Anybody who think Leeds came fifth on purpose is bonkers! They'd have killed for some good form in the middle of the season. They won a 4 game knock out competition and nothing more. However, every club knew the dance before the music started to play so fair enough, the won the GF and are champions again.

My problem is that there is no intensity in the weekly rounds as coaches often say the results don't matter. That's a bad place for our game to be. The top of the league should be the holy grail of our competition and our game as a whole is suffering.

As for Wigan, I'd have taken league leaders and 2 semi's in 2012 if I'd been offered it in 2009 so we're in better shape than we were then. Hopefully Wane has learned a lot and we'll improve next year.

FWIW I'd put GF and MOS winner Tomkins over Finch.

BUT what has that got to do with Briers? A player with no WORTHY Rep, GF or awards to his name.

ATEOTD you mentioned experience and said if you had a player with Briers experience we'd be better off. I proved you wrong as we had a VASTLY more experienced player in Finch.

No we lost because Wane beasted them in training.

Finch, Tomkins, Hansen & Lima all injured in training. Add to that Lockers at 6 and 9 instead of players being better.

OTT comments in the press and going OTT in June instead of October.

He's a poor excuse and a poor replacement for a World Class coach like Madge.

Bloody hell , talk about being selective , we are better than we were in 2009.... what about 2010=SL Champions, 2011=CC Winners...we are in a worse state than we have been for the past 2 seasons, and i for one cannot see us doing any better next season , especially with Shaun Wane at the helm

Your not allowed to say that. Don't you know that Wane is from Wigan and therefore the only person who should be coach. Ignore the fact he's taken us backwards and in the process mass himself a laughing stock!

Some posters need to get their head outside the WN postcode

Get a grip.



Did you really expect Wigan to make the impact they made in the 2010 and 2011 seasons this year? After losing the likes of Deacon, Hoffman and Joel.. Our squad simply wasn't as good as the squad from last year and the year before even, Madge i agree had a MASSIVE effect on our campaign but Wane isn't necessarily bringing the club down, fair enough he's made a few boo-boos but its his FIRST year in charge of a clubs first team! Get off his back he's done more than i expected this season.

Also, We beat Saints Three times out of Four! Included the Manchester Massacre.. There's been some special moments this year, And i'm sure there'll be more under Waney.

Hail Hail!

..

Wane finished top of the league this year. Thats an achievement in anybody's book.

If you get rid, who is available? Mick Potter? Paul Cullen?

But by your clubs own admission you have failed this year. Was it wane, or leneghan, that earlier this season was talking about how big wigan were and the aim was at least 1 final and a trophy every season? In terms of trophies you win some finals you lose some...so a final each season is a must.

You have failed to make either final this season, considering you had a squad capable of finishing top it has been a failure and an underachievment.

I can't either. Warrington will have the same squad and will finish above you next year, saints with a new coach are likely to improve and hull are improving. They key for me is losing both your halfbacks, that could see you drop a few places. 3rd at best, 5th at worst.

For gods sake, in 2012 we where the league leaders which is no small achievement. We lost 2 semi-finals, both to the SL 'champions' with both of those being close games that we played poorly in

Some people need to stop thinking that just because we won the SL title 2 years ago that we are the dominant force of the 80/90's. Those days are long gone and will never return. We are one of the top 3 sides in the competition and I for one am more than happy with the current state of our club

Remember 2006 anyone............

Some people really need to get a grip

that's silly and you really don't know that. players get injured in training, it happens, it's a contact sport

Christ, that's the most sensible thing you've said on here.

I don't think we'll be seeing 40-50+ point scorelines next year as the losses of Tommy, Carmont, Finch and Lima are going to be huge. Next year may well be the dreaded "transition year" while new players bed in and younger players get more experience. Who knows, we might finish 5th and win the league!

Nah, Leeds well and truly have their eye on that spot. Again.

I agree with this, Wigan's "transition year" with losing these class players is going to come a year before ours so next year might be our best chance of winning SL in the foreseeable future. 2013 Year of the Wolfs, bring it on.