Forsyth is trying hard but things just didn't come off last night. It's a good grounding for him as well as Davies and Marshall but ideally they could all do with being taken out of the firing line at points over the next few weeks.

I thought Marshall looked jaded last night and in need of a rest. That isn't a criticism but just a reality that he's young and it's been a big few weeks emotionally and physically for him.

Could you tell me what year that was if you're so sure?

I'm trying to verify that "fact" myself! I honestly don't know if we were first to go full time or not.

I suppose we all went "Professional" after the meeting at the George.... 29 August 1895...

But who went full time first? Probably us but I'd love it to be Leeds!

Good following from Cas last night

I do believe its appropriate to say BOOM, after such a response..

That's the biggest following I've ever seen from Cas at our place.
Personally I've no problem with them taking the michael and using the same old loads of tripe they bring out with boring monotony

I am pretty sure it was the 1991/2 season for us. The reason it sticks in my mind is Ian Lucas sold his antique shop to go full time then when on tour with GB at the end of the season had his career effectively ended by a tackle not unlike the one Olly suffered at Leeds.

Anyway I always thought it was a rather token gesture at the time as several clubs had virtually full time squads and Widnes had been throwing cash at players like confetti a few years earlier ant it was 1987 Leeds signed Gary Schofield from Hull so it was hardly us who were acting like we owned RL.

What set Wigan apart was the professionalism off field with the club doing things like employing sprint coaches and even back then we had a production line of home players.

As good a following as they've had since the first ever game at the DW I'd imagine.

It's not because they're successful currently though. It's simply a coincidence that they all had 'summat on' every time we've played at the DW....for the past 18 years!!

At least that's what IanTigerman told me.

Can't wait to see how many fans you bring over to the Jungle at the end of the month - Saturday night - not on Sky.

Did I ?
Can't remember saying that but I'm sure you must be right because you support wigan

Of course our travelling fans have increased with us winning to think otherwise would be stupid,your missing the point completely and are once again blinkered.
The famous Wigan Walk shows everything about "your fans".
What about staying to applaud the young lads for all the effort they put in !!!!!
Hey up.Enjoy the season

You should be delighted then. When all those top class internationals come back, you should be even harder to beat

Hey all.... We have the return of the Giraffe to look forward to next week!!

Cas are just the latest West Yarksher flavour of the month, they'll falter when it comes to the crunch. Look at Huddersfield a couple of years ago, giving it large finishing top of the league and got slapped down in the play-offs.

They'll keep.

Smith has certainly done well tonight guiding Saints from 14-0 up to draw 14-14

No gold rings handed out last night.

I bet it's bigger then any league following (last night aside) you've brought to our place in the last 18 years and it's not even our cup final



It's nice to see what the 1960's looks like sometimes!

My husband thought there was a sudden breeze the ammount of people who got up and left last night,very odd you pay a decent wedge of cash you may as well have done with it and stay

It was after that.
Andy Farrell was an apprentice joiner when he won his first Challenge Cup Final. The BBC did a video of him at work prior to the final.
Leeds were the first team to go fully pro.

Err, no, complete opposite in fact. Tommy's organisation and ability to take people on is giving George the freedom to play his more "off the cuff" game that he never had the luxury to do alongside Smith, who was pretty much ignored as a threat by opposition teams.

My memory is something similar. I'm sure Leeds were the first team to go fully pro but quite a few teams were near enough there for a good few years before that. I've searched the internet for evidence to back that up but a yet unsuccessfuly.

Mark my words mate, on Monday when William Hill released the odds, Wigan were 10/11 to beat Cas, then obviously people will have piled on Cas making the slight swing. Cas are 13/8 faves for the GF with William Hill. I totally agree there's no value backing Cas, but there was in January! As for am I confident ? More so then I was in 2014 when we lost the cup final and essentially lost the lls by failing to win our last game, we fell just short that year but have a better squad this time round , but we will see. I'm fully aware there's a long way to go and we need a bit of luck with injuries and need to avoid burning out early .

Cas 13/8 favs for the grand final??? I'll give anyone 10s, not a prayer