i thought Cam Smith was the best player on the field.

Spot on.

It would be easy to say Peet isn’t up to it after that performance. It would have been easy to say Peet is the best coach we’ve had since Mags after the Saints win. Both would have been fickle.

We’re not at full strength by some stretch and I think that’s beginning to haunt us with some players playing in positions they’re just not suited to and actually hindering the team as a by product. Perhaps it’s out of necessity or a tactical plan, but it didn’t work v Hull and it’s gone dramatically wrong v Leeds.

That doesn’t mean Peet isn’t up to it, he got it wrong and I can live with that so long as we learn from it and change it. I back Peet to succeed at Wigan and I doubt you’ll find many saying different at this point.

I wouldn’t respond to him, he’s just wanting a bite.

And Marshy and Field that makes 5 players out includes to strike weapons that are as good if not better than any in the league.
We lost to a better team and are still second in the league,yet some fans from other teams of which are lower than us on the table like to point out how bad we are,makes me laugh that.
In Peet I trust.

An absolute freak of a performance and result, we gave them 24 points! Peet was right in his post match to call it out for what it was but remain calm.

Two criticisms, I have though, of the coaching team are the selection of Cust and lack of faith in youngsters. We're doing it tough at the minute with injuries but we're persisting with tinkering with players in alien positions. Hill and Nsemba did ok last week (although v limited minutes), so play them. Isn't the mentality supposed to be 'next man up'?!

Cust is done here, unfortunately. The lad isn't fit and looks like he's running in treacle. His confidence is shot.

For next week, I don't think there's any returnees so we have to go IMO;

French
Miski King Wardle Thornley
Hampshire Smith
Byrne Powell Smithies
Farrell Isa
Shorrocks

Havard Hill O'Neill KPP

Oh I know. Common sense often weakens the bait

I don’t think Cust is done, just he’s being played all wrong. It’s obvious his and Smith’s partnership doesn’t work but I do think he could be better utilised at 9 or 13. At 13 it gives us an extra ball player and options where as Smithies - and I don’t wish to sound critical because I like him, just isn’t that. He’s a tough nut but he’s not a 13. He’s a back rower destined for the front row IMO.

I’d go

French
Miski King Wardle Thornley
Hampshire Smith
Havard Powell Bryne
Smithies Farrell
Cust

Isa
KPP
O’Neill
Mago

Interchangeability in the back row for front row and a hooking option with Powell considered for the halves. I think we’re dearly missing Singleton/Cooper/Ellis and will look far better when 2 out of the 3 are back.

Cust at 13 may not be a bad shout especially when we're missing props and SRs so Smithies can move up.

What keeps me awake at night is the fact that our next 2 or 3 head coaches are currently at the club, More of the same for the next decade I'm afraid, Jobs for the boys is alive and well at Wigan

Did you watch him trying to make tackles last night?

Unfortunately the absolute sh*te show in the 2nd half will overshadow the lack of cutting edge edge and predictably our attack currently has.

We did all the work in the first half to have effectively won that game. Failing to score with the amount of dominance we had gave Leeds a golden ticket to take the game to us in the 2nd half.

We then start playing panicky football, Leeds target Smith and French combo - as it's the only thing we have at the moment and all of a sudden our lightweight / makeshift forward pack is grasping thin air.

Admittedly, regardless of who we had in the middle, we should have fronted up better, but I think Peet should take some criticism (for possibly the first time from me) in his team selection.

Bench of Brad and Cust - back from injury, while we are a number of props down already could look like complacency or poor judgement on his side. Asking KPP, Smithies, Shorrocks, an under performing Faz, hardworking but lightweight Isa, an underperfoming and limited game time Mago to be the pack pretty much is inviting Leeds at us.

The only bright spot is that we can't go into next week with such a poor selection again (can we?), and hopefully Leeds don't get quite so much the rub of the green, and our attitude is for more than 40 mins.

Leeds fan in peace.

I looked at the benches last night and just didn’t understand having a half and a 9 there. It gave me some confidence as we had four forwards on the bench (and that’s a rareity for Leeds we’ve had a winger on there most weeks…)

Ultimately I don’t know if it was the difference, as you had more than enough chance to put the game away in the first half, but it may have been a reflection of where energy went in the second half. It was a bit of a crazy game all round.

One thing that I will say and I don't think this is an over reaction, is that we seem to have an inability, or lack of urgency (as a club) to fix things on the fly.

A few examples from previous seasons - Field getting injured in the 1st game in his 1st season at the club but he wasn't replaced. Burgess not being fit and having to suffer Clarke and Clubb. Why didn't we sign a prop? Lam was well out of his depth, but kept on until the end of the year and it all just fizzled out. A full season a couple of years back with Faz/Isa filling in at centre, with no hint of us rectifying it, despite having a powder puff pack and not much going on.

Now to this year - Cooper is out for the season. He's a massive loss on the field and, like others have pointed out, he was growing into a leadership role at the club too. Add in the loss of Bateman from an experience and leadership POV and it's obvious we need to get someone in.

Likewise, the attack is clunky and gone back. Briers has gone and it's not got the same zip. Just go and get Gleeson in as a coach. He's a proven coach with a good rep. Don't let everyone suffer out of misguided loyalty to "what we've got". We all want to see Peet succeed - so help him out.

As we've seen over the last month - confidence is hard won and easily lost. Once it's gone, then it's a big shift to get it back. We're half way through the season (ish). Freshen it up and don't let the season fizzle away into a "if only we didn't have those injuries".

Agreed. We have a couple of obvious deficiencies and we should address these and we have an outstanding chance of having a great season.

Ignore them and 'trust our process' and we have an outside chance of having a great season.

too soft, didnt want to roll their sleeves up, when it got too hard they shrank away, total lack of on field leadership

Well in the cold light of day all I can say is that was absolute poop, never seen a team fold like that after the opposition gets a man sent off.

PS, can't understand why Hampshire wasn't given a run in the reserves last night, bizarre not to get some minutes in his legs

Obvious downside admittedly but I do think it’s worth a shot. Especially when we’ve got Field back and hopefully in the halves

Cust is a no from me at 13 - his defense is nowhere near good enough and he would probably only last half a game before getting injured. Sadly he is not turning out to be the player he seemed at first which is a shame as when he first arrived I thought he looked a decent player. Smithies is not a 13 either - should be in the second row, 13 is a position we have not really filled since SOL finished.Shorrocks would be worth a shout there I think - he has slighly more to his game than other other back rowers. We are going to have to sort out quite a lot in the pack going forward - Singo and Mago going (likely) Copper out long term , Isa nearing the end of his career and Farrell looking less effective these days. Some big calls to be made.

With Cust not being 100% they wanted him 18th man as cover.

Fair enough, understand your point in I don’t disagree much.

I do think however Singleton would be a loss bigger than most would admit to. He’s a grafter prop, always up for the hard stuff and rarely lets the side down. Yes he doesn’t make many yards or dazzles in defence but he is effective for what he does. He’s the type of prop clubs need alongside your meter makers and hard defensive hitters. Plus he doesn’t cost the world either, for me we should be looking to keep him and raise cash elsewhere from Mago/Isa/Cust (maybe) leaving. I’d also include Thornley in that list but I am open to keeping him on board too.

Singleton will be missed. A few fans don’t get what he brings to the table…even in the wake of the last couple of weeks since he had been missing.

He’s an old school poop house who does stuff others won’t in contact. He does the stuff that makes the likes of Havard not have to.

I’m sure our recruitment is at an advanced stage, we do though need someone to step into that role moving forward, most likely Cooper pre injury but there is now a big question mark over his fitness/recovery.

Thornley for me needs to be let go. He’s solid enough but he isn’t a starter and probably next year blocks the path of Eckersley from progressing into his next natural squad place as first back reserve.

I think Isa dictates his own future. Mago and Cust need to go for me.

Toby Warren from Leeds felt a crack in his neck and back and couldn`t move his legs.
However he is ok and recovering and is waiting to see what the long term impact will be.
He was full of praise for all the Wigan staff who looked after him.
And hats off to Mat Peet who texted him to see how he was.
Full of admiration for your coach from a Leeds fan.

good news