I thought today saw two very evenly matched sides tough it out under some incredibly pedantic refereeing. Wigan are the new Huddersfield, they base their game on gang tackling and slowing the play the ball. Nothing wrong with it, they look very well coached and their defensive discipline and manipulation of the referee was of a very high standard. Their kicking game is also good. Bar Tompkins though they have zero attacking threat and I can see them going the way of Huddersfield and just lacking that bit of attacking threat you need to win SL.



That has got to go down as a perfect summary of the problems we have under Potter. Two conservative in general play meaning we struggle to be a threat from anywhere outside the 10 and once inside it today our execution was laughable. We had enough field position and possession to win two or three games, never mind one where the opposition only scored 18 points. How many times did we knock on under no pressure on the 2nd or 3rd tackle when camped on their line? And what was with the constant choice of the left hand side of the pitch to attack through? Dean is a solid enough kid, but he's not a danger in an attacking sense as a centre. We've got Matt Gidley on the other wing who did nothing all day but discuss the exchange rate. Wigan's defense is good, but it wasn't that special today, the errors weren't forced, it was just poor execution and a general lack of ambition and ideas. You have to question the inclusion of Dixon, no disespect to the lad I'm sure his time will come but where is Nick Fozzard?



Mr Thaler today ensured a potential classic was dragged down into the RL equivalent of a relegation battle in football. He was so utterly pedantic with numerous penalties for absolutely nothing, yet when he did have some decisions to make with regards to some of the (very) high tackles he bottled them all. He seemed to be oblivious to several blatant high tackles only to then give the side 3 or 4 consecutive penalties for such ridiculously pedantic penalties at the play the ball. His general authority over the game is so poor to, he seems unable to get players to do what he wants. The bit where a Wigan player was staying on the pitch whilst bleeding to give his side a breather was absolutely pathetic from Thaler. As soon as he saw him he should have just blood binned him and got on with it, instead he stood there like a fool waving at him whilst the ever professional Wigan player just bought his side a 5 minute breather.



A potential classic that ended up a dour battle between two sides who were both very poor on the day.

This was especially frustrating. Even more so when Carmont was obviously struggling and had to move to the wing and Richards to centre, we still didn't go out to the right.



I know right handed players prefer to pass to the left, but it was becoming a mick-take at one point.

How can we have no attacking threat, when according to statistics amos roberts has the most clean breaks, also leading the most metres gained and on top of that Pat Richards and Amos Roberts are leading the try scoring charts, and darrell goulding isnt far behind with 6/7 tries either. Also we've scored the most points in the super league season up to this point. You catching my drift here?

The pop side (including me!) were yelling at Saints to go right, go right! It was just incredible that they bumbled to the left instead and got precisely nowhere. It's as if all the lights had been switched off simultaneously.



There are fewer times in recent years when I have been so totally disappointed and frustrated in the team's performance as I have today.

Not really. On that evidence Wigan don't have the attacking threat to win SL. Good defensive discipline and effort will only get you so far, you'll need to improve a lot if you are to win SL.

Yeah, but how many tries did you score against our number of tries? If you have that much of an attacking threat, you would have mullered us, the way we were playing. However, you didn't. You won on goal kicks. Most of those were thanks to us giving you penalties.

Sorry that bit is a load of rubbish, our kicking was terrible and S Tompkins had a quiet game



I could hardly see anything in the Wigan end but still i saw 75% of kicks go straight into the hands of pryce/gardner/meli









exactly it kinda baffles me to how hes come to this conclusion

Yeah, but on that evidence you dont have the attacking threat to win SL either. The point im making is that if your going to jump to conclusions about a wigan side? surely you should look at the season so far, instead of judging by watching a match, in not the best of conditions with both sides defending very well. At the end of the day, we've scored the most points in the league this year, we have two players who are top try scorer, another who is leading the most clean break list. How you can say we have no attacking threat beats me?



We have the potential to score tries all over the park, which we have done this year. Im not saying we are going to win the super league, and lose only once in the season at all. The point im making is that UP TO THIS POINT you cannot say we have no attacking threat, with the present statistics, its just daft.

So to clarify you could hardly see but you are suggesting I got it wrong. A few kicks went to hands but only because your front row is poor so you made very few yards at times. Tomkins was quality today in his general direction and decision making.

I've never said we have anything like got the ability to win SL. I know we've not got a cat in hells chance.

A little harsh on Wigan in that assessment I feel.



I don't think we manipulate the ref in anyway, or even bend the rules. We have three seconds once the ball carrier is on the floor, and we simply choose to use that 3 seconds. As you say though, nothing wrong with that. The fact so few teams in the league do this makes us a target for referees to penalise us in my opinion.



As for Sam being our only attacking threat, I think you're kidding yourself to be honest. Yes he made two good breaks, but the first Lockers created, and Sam was simply a supporting player. With a fully fit and in form squad, all of Riddell, Sam, Leuluai (granted he's mad a mixed start to the year), O'Loughlin and Roberts are capable of making something in attack. Add to that our back rowers running some very good attacking lines, and I think we're one of the most dangerous sides in SL in attack.



That said, I think you're being too kind in regards to our kicking game! Really needs work on in my opinon.



------------------



As for Saints, you just lacked composure today, and Wigan's defence was too strong for the most part. This year is going to be a straight knock out between Wigan, Wire, Saints and Leeds in both competitions in my opinon. Big game temprement and form at the end of the season will decide who will be champions.



Just to end with Eastmond; I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, but you have a great prospect there. His kick for Gardner's score was superb; showed that as well as having the talent, he has a good rugby league brain. I despair at the candidates for the England coaching role when it's clear to all, that with the right man in place, we have a pair of half backs in Sam and Kyle that could challenege the Aussies for the next decade!

I overheard a saints fan in the pub before the game admitting that apart from Eastmond there is no-one in the team likely to score from inside their own half. Rather than dismissing Wigan's attacking potential, if I was a St Helens supporter I would be looking closer to home because your attack was pedestrian and laboured throughout today.

Roberts, Richards, Phelps, Joel Tomkins and O'loughlin are all a danger with the ball in hand as they have proven time and time again so far this season. Not to mention Ridell who didn't play today.