Thursday is looming large and the extra bit of drama is Elland Road is the venue.Last time I saw KR there was v Wigan in a cup semi I think? Close game we lost can't remember the score or the year as was quite young? Hoping it can be a little like when we played Wig at Leigh and it helps us a bit?Saying that I can see it firing Leeds up as they will want to put on a show there?Will they play at 100% with Melbourne on horizon or will they even have too against us? Different style of pack so maybe we match up a little better this time? Lots of ifs but if honest I'm expecting a loss but as always you never know when we pull out a shock and we have beaten Leeds away a few time? Should be good and a bit of nostalgia if nothing else

Might have been the game Burton flattened Wane? Think that was a John Player Final though.

I remember a game there that was a semi final for Wembley against Leeds we drew and had to play again on the wensday we then won I think it was 1981 then got beat by Widnes

We need to leave out Marsh and Penalty machine Jewitt. Swap in Atkin and and any other forward, maybe give Tickle his first run out.

86 v Cas

Found the game on old Wigan rugby league games 1985 CC semi lost 11-18 Great game, just watched 18 min of highlights and 2 brilliant sides.Tough packs both Brutal game with some great try's. Some strange audio text but a real good watch.My Dad was well then and watching that brought back many good memories.Sheens could do a lot worse than sit our team down and make them watch how that Pack of yesteryear put their bodies on the line.

With our pack we can't afford to leave Jewitt out

I was gutted because we were going on a school trip that year to Wembley but at least got to see Hull get beat

Jewitt is the one forward with a nasty streak but he doesn't do it with any brains.Posturing and squaring up
quickly but invariably draws a penalty.As a team how long has it been since an opposing side held any fear of playing us?Even in Championship we got rolled down the middle and edges with essentially the same team? Need far more aggression in defence and attack, controlled aggression ala Leeds. Same back row of Clarkson Greenwood Donno. Swap Kavanagh Tickle for Horne Larroyer etc and it's just the same.Too small too nice and it hasn't changed in 4 or 5 year. We get our bellies tickled far too easily and it's the whole teams problem

Why are we persisting with matty marsh.?

tickle will play surely otherwise what's the point bringing him in?

Maybe our coach (one of the best qualified in the world)thinks he is worth it & where else will he learn but by playing?. Also who else is going to play?

Atkin or what's the point of signing him

To play with Marsh in time as Danny will only last another couple of seasons at best. Atkin is better but Marsh needs game time if he has any chance to improve. As I've said its not as if there are queues of Aussie internationals waiting for job offers down Preston road.

I still do not think Marsh will ever make it in super league

Tim quoted as saying Atkin will start against Leeds. Right call for me.

You may well be proved correct, my point is that the young lad needs to be given the chance to fail & the chance to put it right. We just have no place in todays game for talent to be nurtured. One bad game & your career is over now.

Jack Walker at Leeds is what you’d class as young and looks every bit a first team regular. Matty Marsh is what, 23? And he looks a very average reserve, how long can he go on clinging on to the ‘youngster tag’?

I’d like to see Quinlan in the half’s and maybe moss at full back

Maybe if we do not get who they are after they might try him

Every chance you could give Salford a decent run for the wooden spoon after tonight's valiant efforts.
Comfortable for the Champions without getting out of second gear.

An early message from dingbat central I see...

second gear lol, there didn't get out of first,leeds where awful have never known a team drop the ball or knock on as much, the match was there for the taking,

That's how I saw it mate.
Leeds dropped the ball a hundred times and still won comfortable.

Can't fault the effort.
But the lack of pace, and persistent running back around the ruck, coupled with a no offloads policy. Means we're going to struggle in attack. Especially as we don't want to spread it out wide.
Think we need Moss at FB to give us something different.
Next week (a game I can't get to) is the important one.

There was some encouragement, buy a lot we need to improve on.