As you have said 3 times now. I dont think you are going many people agreeing with you though on the Wigan website.

lol i think your right, dont normally post on other teams boards but thought i would add my opinion to this topic. Think i'll quit now whilst i can.

its nothing to do with points either its more the way are teams perform against other teams. all this peaking stuff is a myth just look at 2010 season went through the season "Peaking" majority of the season, if your a well coached team with good players this peaking crap doesn't come into it.

also the warrington learned the lesson from last season is alot of poopie aswell your team have just got a little bit older and weaker this season.

the same packed played against you last night!!

Playing above themselves - I see what you did there. Amusing.

The problem your 2006 side has in terms of claims to greatness is that it faced little or no real opposition. That season was a real low point for SL. Your win was overshadowed to a degree by the interest in Wigan's battle against relegation, such was the lack of interest in the competition. I stand to be corrected but I don't think even your own fans turned out in large numbers to watch you that season.

The fact is that you topped the table by 8 points from Hull. Leeds, Wigan and Bradford were not great (we were awful, obviously) and the Wolfs were poor. Catalans were still in the initial building phase.

Compare that with 2012. If we are to win the SL we will have to get past Wire almost certainly. While I think we have the edge on them they have some exceptional players and are a very, very good side indeed. We may have beaten Catalans today but they are a strong side with a massive pack and some real quality in the backs too. Huddersfield are a very good outfit too, and they did a real number on us at the start of the season. Saints too are a good side, albeit I think if Brown were at TP already you would be a bigger threat than you are.

The environment was very different in 2006. Leaving aside the question of how good the Saints team of that era was I think we can safely say there are at least 4 teams in SL better than the second best team in 2006. 2006 was a bit like the centenary championship season in 1995 when Wigan won easily, but it seemed the other teams weren't even competing.

Bradford in 2003 had a monster pack. I still can't believe their winning margin in the GF was as low as it was because we were totally outmuscled and outclassed in the forwards in that game, despite having players like Craig Smith, Farrell, O'Connor and Newton in the pack. We are getting close to that level of power now, blowing teams away in the first 20, but for me that Bulls back of 2003 remains the benchmark.

That Bulls team was immense going forward but I was including defence within my assessments and as good as they were they were not the complete deal. We beat them comfortably during the season putting forty odd on them at our place and winning 0-35 at their's with what most fans would rate at one of the weakest Saints teams we've seen in Super League.

One of the reasons why I mentioned the '06 Saints was because their defence shifted into a gear which we'd not seen in Super League, destroying opposition teams without the ball as much as with it. I think it's a better comparison to what your pack is doing than that Bulls team which was strong but still carried weaknesses and I don't think you can say that about either of the other two. It's your defence which is proving the bigger factor in matches for me.

Sculthorpe, Anderson, Fa'asavalu, Roby, Graham, KFC, Wilkin in his pomp, the guy they signed from Sydney (forgot his fooking name), Fozzard, Basher.

'kin hell i'd have that lot over ours and yours.

Anderson, Cayless, Scully, KFC, Roby and Graham are/were better than what we have.

And perhaps Gilmour in his '06 form.

Gotta think this year people saying about we've hit our peak etc, we have used more young lads this season (8 debuts) than last year and 2010 which will mean our squad is a lot fresher come the business end and will allow us to have a much stronger challenge for both trophies. With Widnes, Bradford, Wakefield, London and Cas as our next 5 games I fully expect the likes of Finch, Tommy, Mickey Mac, Carmont and Lockers to all get rotated with young guys to allow us to be fresh

To be fair, it's difficult to compare any team to one in the past, we have a very very good pack, possibly even a great pack, possibly one of the best of the modern era, but it's hard to say it was better than a particular team at a particular time. I'm just glad we are were we are at the moment, i'm going to savour that more than anything.

Cayless

Cheers Wigg'n

Sorry I got to this and couldnt read any more for laughing. Mr average has never had a pomp and is now being well and truly found out when he is himself playing in an average team.

serious question what makes you think you have the edge on warrington

It killed me. Couldn't read the rest for laughing.

Serious answer...... The league table...

Funny how you didn't mention Cunningham, or Scully or Roby or Graham all of which are better than anything in your pack, but chose Wilkin, tbf at least you didn't pick Mike Bennett which i thought was going to be the obvious target.

Wilkin regardless of what you think the level of his talent is/was was still at his best around that time.

***facepalm***

Oh yeah forgot, they never played for Wigan

Yes, but his best was ordinary.

Roby and Graham are great players now but were nowhere near their peak in 2006, particularly Graham, who was a good young prop but no world beater at 20/21.

Still wasn't as good as the Bulls pack of 2003 though, with Vagana (an absolute beast of a player and in his pomp), Anderson (in his pomp, not 2006 form), Fielden (in his pomp) and Peacock (in his pomp). It's fair to say the Bulls pack was in its pomp!

oh right didnt think the league was decided in june thou

Don't get me wrong i'm not arguing over who was best, and i would agree with that (always a first time)

Your right the league is not decided by June anyone who thinks otherwise is rather deluded.

Looking at the fixtures we have left Wane will have to start doing silly things as he did with Widnes for us not to end up top. We have a rather nice run coming up. With only Wire away really a tough away game and we are not playing Catalan or the Giants again until the play offs. I did reckon if we were within a point of you coming off our last 4 games then i did fancy us to finish top. Also ironically now the suspensions and injuries are looking to have worked out well for us. Though Leeds are poor Saints, Giants and Catalan are good sides getting max of 8 points with the suspensions and injuries is very good. Apart from you in the top 4 we only face Saints at home last game and by then i hope have sealed top spot and can rest as many as we can for the play offs.

But finishing top is meaningless tbh Hub Cap means sod all if you do not go on and win the GF.

When Wilkin was in his pomp?

Bloody hell, he's only 28 now.

When was he supposed to be in his pomp? You mean when he had a load of very good players around him?

Did i say it was decided, no you did... Does it indicate at the moment whether we have the edge over you, yes it does. Anything else you don't get?

i bloody hate the word pomp