Despite Leeds lacking any type of spark in the game who chose not to bring on the player who could have potentially boosted the team.

Leeds were poor, but the thing that was most disappointing is how passive we were. On a number of occasions we had the opportunity to be more aggressive and simply failed to take it. Looked like we had more than one eye on next week, although if everyone is fit, Hauraki should miss out after that performance.

Losing one centre before the game, and another having to play on the wing due to injury didn't help, but unless your forwards go forward, it's always going to be tough. Our kicking game was poor, highlighted by Clarke after the game, and the two things combined with a lack of aggression undid us tonight. It was also tough to see what the game plan was, but maybe that was down to the other points I've already identified.

Totally agree with you.

I dare say Smith wouldn't have ended up being tackled quite as hard resulting in the injury he sustained had he not been intent on sticking late knees into Charnley. Legitimate retribution was certainly swift and precise.

Was Smith really tackled that hard? It didn't look like it to me, and I've had broken ribs from a tackle on a rugby field, so would suggest I know.

I have to say that Smith had been disappointing prior to his injury. I expect BJB to play on the right wing next week.

Don't think so at all. Didn't appear to be hit that hard in the tackle

Despite the performance my lads loved the experience they had today, especially walking on with the players, and being surprised with a new kit on the coach over. We were really looked after by the Wigan club.

It was a hard tackle by Goulding's standards. It was the contact area of the tackle rather than its force that seemed to cause the injury.

And if you're not going to use your interchange hooker you may as well have a 3/4 on the bench to cover for injuries without rejigging your whole formation.

The reduced number of interchanges explanation is bull as well. One interchange with McShane on for one of the backrows with Burrow to 7, Sinfield to 13. As it was we still had enough interchanges to bring Kylie on for the last 4 minutes.

It was a fair result and Wigan out played Leeds in pretty much every area. With Watkins out and a backline consisting of Sinfield, Smith, Ablett and Hall we lacked a player or two who can produce something from nothing, and the pace to score from deep. Lee Smith seems to have lost the aggresion, power and that yard of place that made him a very dangerous player and a great kick returner (pre union). I think he's done as a top 4 SL player.

I know we were beaten in the forwards but we did create a few chances but liked the cutting edge to finish them off. Next week I'd like to see BJB and Watkins come back into the side and Moore to come in for Huraki.

We were very poor around the ruck I thought both in attack and defense. We didn't slow the ptb down enough and Wigan made so many cheap yards on the back of it. We in contrast were very slow in regaining our feet (partly due to Wigan's good defense) and thus made it easier for Wigan to get their line set.

So much in this game revolves around winning the ruck. If you dominate in the tackle, then you either get the extra second in attack to punish the slow retreating defence, or you find yourselves as that slow retreating defence if you lose the ruck. This is the primary reason why some players have made such a name as a scooting hooker.

I thought the better team won they took their chances and scrambled well enough to stop any situations that could of lead to us scoring.
I do think some of our ball movement was pedestrian and whilst i'm far from calling for Brian Mc's head why put Mcshane on the bench and not use him??
I also think we didn't adjust to the line -up re-shuffle as we could/should of done it's not as if the new positions were alien to them.
On a positive note i thought Griffin added some decent go forward and nothing happened tonight that can't be fixed up and improved upon.

Well said

JJB,Burrow and Griffin for me.
Hall has started to run sideways and I wish he would stop doing that stupid little half jump in the air before impact.
If you have lost your pace run through the man not sideways.
As for the rest of the team the backs especially were crap.
Burrow tried but is not the starting hooker FFS.
Let`s hope we did have one eye on next week as that was not good enough.
Time will tell I guess.

Can always rely on you to be the eternal optimist . i do hope you're right, but I must be one of the few that has so little faith in our illustrious coaching staff. The selections are baffling.

Can but hope he see Hood as our starting hooker. Feel sorry for McShane: what has he actually done wrong ? Give the guy a bluddy chance at least.