It's all stacking up...

1. The fake outrage after the Cas game and the way opposition fans were dying to see Smith miss the WCC.
2. More fake outrage on Twitter following the win on Saturday. Funny how no one mentions it when decisions go against Wigan?
3. The salty response from Stu M & other Saints fans, who can't even say well done.
4. The vitriol now being directed at Peet who, if nothing else, is just a decent human being. All because he's dared to praise the club, players and the wider community
5. Speaking of the community - The buzz around town. The talk and the excitement as we built to Saturday. A sell out 5 weeks before. Everyone asking if we could do it etc.

All points towards one thing..

WRLFC are back as the undisputed kings of RL

All good points, but the lack of a well done just null and voids all of it.

Plenty of people, myself included, mentioned how Saints have raised the bar over the last 5 years. Great achievement, after great achievement. Quality signings and quality lads being brought through. RL done the right way. Outside of that I said your WCC was an achievement. We just disagree how much of one.

To not even say well done, shows you up.

Sad really, but it is what it is. The price of success.

So when it comes down to it the fact that I haven't said "well done" is the crux of your annoyance? Despite the fact that I have lauded your recruitment, admitted you are rightly favourites this season, admitted you were the best team in SL last season, admired your production line re youth etc etc...

Well done for Saturday. There you go. You can move on now.

I've not got the time nor inclination to go through all of your posts but I do seem to recall you referring to our 4 in a row as Covid titles too.

100% didn't btw. I agree a lot on here did tho.

If anything, I was flying in the face of it. Whilst others moaned about Woolf bending the rules to your favour, I was saying that I wished we did the same.

The aim of the game is to win imo. Woolf knew that and did it excellently.

So this is what I don't understand. You admit that lots on here said it, probably because they couldn't bring themselves to say it was a great achievement even if they covertly thought it. Why could they not say it? I would guess the same reason as I can't, an inate act that you can't praise your rival for a trophy.

That's why I can't understand your annoyance at me not saying well done. How about "fair play mate at least you have shown up on here"

Its in the record books and another trophy in your cabinet.

I think this may be our last season to enjoy Bevan French. No insider info but out of contract end of the year, gets MOTM in the game, Man of Steel, his game has come a long way since he joined us. I would be gobsmacked if he didn't have NRL teams making a move for him. And in truth if he did leave, we can't complain. 5 years we've had out of him. Fantastic service.

Harvie Hill has gone under the radar a touch. He was excellent in that game when he came on and we needed him to be too because our pack was gassed. 20 years old to come into a game of that intensity and more than hold your own is testament to him. He deserves some big minutes on Friday against Huddersfield.

Because it's all about balance. You've painted yourself to be a level headed poster. To not even acknowledge a great performance (regardless of result) goes against that.

Out of everything, we only seem to disagree on how good of an achievement your WCC win was. We won't change each others minds on this one. What I have said however is that Wigan and Saints are the basically the same. Same types of fans, same travelling support, same philosophy to bringing kids through etc. For the most part, what's good for Wigan, is good for Saints.

It's good that you won the WCC. It's good that we won the WCC. In the week I said as much. Neither of us would win the NRL, but at least it now makes the Aussie fans think again. They can't just rock up for a jolly and expect to walk over us. We're better than that.

Amen

Yeah I'll give you that 100%. To be fair you've argued with Wigan fans over the part in bold so thats not in question.

I'd start him on Friday (he might have to anyway given the injury situation) as a reward. I like what Dupree and Mago are doing off the bench but the lad really helped us nail that game down on Saturday. He looks like he's physically and mentally far more ready for first team rugby this year than he did last year. He didn't let anybody down last year but he looked understandably a bit tentative (certainly in comparison to the lad who dominated academy packs week in week out) but you could tell in the pre season games that has gone now and he's ready to push hard for a place. It would be a great story if he could see off the masses of competition and gain a regular first 17 spot. I do think he's talented enough to give it a real crack (don't ask me who'd miss out though).

If I had I guess, I think you're right about French. He'll almost certainly have interest from over there and if he gets a half decent offer he'll go. But like others have said, I'm not sure if he'll get any offers as as a first choice #6, and his size will probably put most teams off having him as a first team full back or winger. I'm not sure what sort of offer he'd get as an NRL squad player and how that compares to him staying at Wigan, but it wouldn't shock me if we're offering him the best contract come the end of the year.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... cecdcce0a5 Bevan admirers starting to hype him up now.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... cecdcce0a5 Bevan admirers starting to hype him up now.

There is a piece on Field in the SMH as well. It’s to be expected in fairness. I watched the pre conferences online from after the game and French was in with Peet. They both spoke openly about wanting to go to Vegas next year, so it didn’t seem a given that French won’t be here.

For what it's worth my overriding thoughts on the matter are that it just highlights what a stupid system it is to have a referee basically guessing a decision on field which then massively influences the video ref. It's crazy - if the on field ref doesn't know then he shouldn't be forced to guess. In this instance Moore literally couldn't see the ball and had to walk around a pile of bodies before making a judgement. How can this be seen as a logical process?

It's pointless giving my thoughts on here about if Moore should've gone try or no try and why he did what he did. But what I will say is that if you take away the ref's call and ask every referee in the country to act as video ref, view that incident and make a call purely on what they've seen, then not one of them will give a try. That's my opinion. But in putting it on the video ref that he has to find concrete evidence to overturn what is essentially a guess, the system is massively flawed and in this instance Wigan have benefited. Let's be honest, if that try was given against you, you would be absolutely raging.

I haven't seen any evidence that the Penrith one at the end was definitely a try so have no arguments about it not being given, but if Moore is giving the atttacking side huge benefit of the doubt with the first one then he should again with the Penrith one in my opinion because I can't understand how he has seen more evidence of a try in the Wardle one than the one at the end. But again, that's where the system is so wrong. The on field ref is just having a guess and massively leading the video ref in one direction.

Whilst I'm at it, there was a forward pass for Leemings try too and the mistake from Moore on the ball steal is amateurish. He missed a blatant high tackle on Field late in the game as well.

As for the game itself Wigan defended brilliantly for most of it and took their chances well. Penrith were making much more ground, especially first half and spent more time in the atttacking 3rd but your line defence was excellent. The French pass for the Miski try was exceptional and you were unlucky with what would've been an amazing try with the scrum play.

Fiinally I am genuinely happy for Matty Peet. He is one of Rugby League's good guys and in the brief dealings I have had with him away from Rugby he is a top class human being. I find it impossible to dislike him or say anything negative about him which is rare for a Wigan coach

That last post has just reminded me- and something I forgot to metion.

A part of me wanted that French try to be given. One that it was a superb piece of innovation and a pre-planned move. And secondly because then Wigan would've won fair and square which would have been easier for me to accept rather than the Wardle non-try.

There is a photo in todays League Express which shows the ball on the try line for the Wardle try. The only reason it could have been overturned was for a double movement and I don't think it was.
There is no way that the Penrith try could have been allowed, Moore was in the perfect position and had the best view. He was right to send it to the video ref though for conformation, there would have been uproar if he'd disallowed or given it without reference, remember when the Saints no try at Wembley wasn't sent to the video ref and the fallout from that?

He got the ball steal wrong, but also the head shot on the Wigan player in the last five minutes.

I've also seen a photo of the kick for the French try with a line drawn accross which appears to show him to be just onside. We'd have to have the VAR technology from football to be 100% sure, they don't always get it right and I don't think we'd appreciate waiting five minutes for the decision.

Moore can see the ball on the line so gives a try and he can't see that May has got it down, so he gives no try. I don't agree with the system but I can see why he sent them up as he did.

On what basis would you go no try on Wardle? I'm not saying I disagree but it can't be for it not getting to the line as pointed out by Rogues above, so are you saying double movement? It wasn't a typical double movement that we're used to and I honestly don't think it's as obvious a shocking call as some are making out. I again point out I'd say no try but I honestly can't really give a reason for it and then that makes me think I'm wrong and the officials are right. There was a reason they kept asking for it to be played at full speed.

I don't agree there is a single image or piece of footage that shows the ball on the line for the Wardle try. Nor do I believe that anny of you would accept it should it have been given the other way.

We won't agree so no point going round in circles on it. Like I said the overriding issue for me is the system and it's something I've been saying for years. Wigan have massively benefited from a ridiculous way of coming to a decision.

Next to nothing has been made of that incident and I think that's wrong. They kept going on about international rules and both feet needing to be behind the ball but even so, it was extremely tight and in Superleague they don't even bother having a second glance if it's as tight as that, they just quickly give the try and move on. I watched the replay yesterday and the VR has great eyes if he could give that as conclusively offside on one view. I sense he expected the backlash from the Wardle try when looking at that.

I'd have genuinely had no issue with the French one being given.

If you want to split hairs on it I agree, there isn't an image that shows the ball on the line but there is a clear image of it on the floor and it is 100 certain that the line has to go through where the ball is sitting (unless the bloke who painted it on was bladdered), so you're either jumping on it being a double movement or it's a try.

The system of sending it up as a try/no try we can agree it. It's daft and has been since day one.

I am not jumping on anything. I don't think at any point Wardle had the ball on the line, I think he was short and there was also an arm underneath. I don't actually think the ball was on the floor.

But like I said, we don't agree so it is what it is. I just hope lessons are learned from it and they do away with the ref's call. Moore is forced in that incident to make a guess. Had he not done then the outcome would've been different, I'm certain of that. Big games shouldn't be decided on blind guesses.

I don't think he's guessing, he runs around the bodies and sees the ball has to be on the line and goes with the try, much in the same way he can't guess for the May one because he just cannot see the ball at all. I think he calls both right from what he can see but I would turn the Wardle one down for it being a double movement. It's not the common way in which double movements usually happen but I think he does stop and then drags the ball in towards him.

Liam Moore is the bloke getting the stick but it should be Kendall (if anyone) for the Wardle decision and the French no try. Liam Moore made one error on the night IMO and that was the ball strip decision (and he actually seemed to get a word in his ear on that as well because there was a delay).

It all takes away from a great Wigan effort on the night (not saying you're doing that btw) and a great result for the English game again. Nobody is daft enough to say it proves we're the best side in the World but we have respect and have shown we can play, just as Saints did last year. To see the Aussie side down in the dumps again was something the whole game here should be happy about.

I bet Wigan fans won't complain anymore when Moore referees their games.....