The last three meetings between the teams have shown that there is little to choose between them. Most Wigan fans recognise this and rate Leeds as the strongest competitors.

But the way the competition is structured surely any of the top 5 or 6 can win it as coming first gives you no advantage in the playoffs. I reckon Wigan are better away from home anyway, so playing for a home tie seems pointless.

Even Saints in 7th or 8th can't be discounted the way they played at Leeds the other week and with Roby to add, they will compete.

It's kind of sad that coming first after playing every team home and away seems to count for so little. Leeds are SL champions and fair play to you but did you really think you were the best team in the competition last year?

That's not sour grapes by the way...it's just that the competition isn't designed to find the best team, just to find the winners of an end of season knockout. Of course if we reverted to just a league competition who's to say that Leeds wouldn't have come top last year anyway...it's just that there weren't any games when they noticeably failed to try their best.

Rugby isn't like football, it's not a game that you can coast in for a few weeks, not really trying (I remember Ben Westwood's testimonial game this year in January when Wire nilled Wigan, the tackiling was absolutely ferocious. The fans cleared the pitch then watched as both team battered each other in a friendly!!!))

The way the league and competition is structured you dont have to be the best team throughout the year, just the last handful of games, which Leeds were.

When the game really mattered, Leeds were the best team and won more knockout games last year than anyone else (CC and playoffs / GF).

I know what your saying though, consistancy isnt rewarded with the current structure so much.

Wigan's home attendances are currently 5.81% down compared to last season.

You are right Leeds won when it mattered. Did you come away from the DW after the play off thinking that you were the best team or that you'd got away with it (Wigan were without the best player in Super League - the players vote, not mine - yet lost by one point)?

My point is that I think that the two teams are evenly matched as this season's two games illustrate perfectly (you missed JP at the Etihad, we missed Sam at Headingley). Winning a cup game is down to bottle certainly, but there are other factors, for example luck, the refereeing decsions etc which can mean that not always the best team wins in a cup competition, but in the league over the season these things tend to even out (injuries/supensions/refs decsions etc).

I'm at pains to point out this is not sour grapes. Leeds won the competition fair and square. But debate about who is the best is open to discussion in Super League's present structure.

No doubt saving themselves for the play-offs.

Hardly any fans of any clubs will be saving themselves for the play-off's unless there's an £8 ticket offer

You have to laugh at these Wigan plebs!!!! Really you do!! "Full of gifted players" ??
Sam Tomkins - Too scared to play probably v Widnes in case Ah Van cracked him one or he got a bruise on his precious thumb from the artificial pitch! Achilles injury my a@$e
O'Loughlin - the Superleague's very own Mr cheap shot merchant and 1 trick pony extraordinaire.
And thats just 2 of your "stars"!!

Quote Aboveusonlypie="Aboveusonlypie"You are right Leeds won when it mattered. Did you come away from the DW after the play off thinking that you were the best team or that you'd got away with it (Wigan were without the best player in Super League - the players vote, not mine - yet lost by one point)?'" After the game I seem to remember Wane saying we were the better team, perhaps he is a better judge than either of us. As for winning by one point and you missing Tomkins, so what? That's what your squad is there for, we were mising McGuire.....its swings and roundabouts. www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/ma ... 24,00.html "Jack's a good player," said Wane. "He'll play again next year and the year after. Losing Sam Tomkins is not the reason we lost the game. "It's a tough one. It's a really disappointed dressing room. We were not at our 100% best and we needed to be. "If you play 40 minutes like we did in that first half against a team like Leeds it leaves you with too much to do. "Our last plays weren't the best and I think that's where Leeds out-played us. They deserved to win. Kevin Sinfield is one of the best players there is and he burned us again. "In the second half we showed what we can do but, at the end of the day, Leeds know how to win games. "I knew when we were one point in front that, if we were not careful, it would come back and bite us."

Quote Aboveusonlypie="Aboveusonlypie"You are right Leeds won when it mattered. Did you come away from the DW after the play off thinking that you were the best team or that you'd got away with it (Wigan were without the best player in Super League - the players vote, not mine - yet lost by one point)?'" After the game I seem to remember Wane saying we were the better team, perhaps he is a better judge than either of us. As for winning by one point and you missing Tomkins, so what? That's what your squad is there for, we were mising McGuire.....its swings and roundabouts. www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/ma ... 24,00.html "Jack's a good player," said Wane. "He'll play again next year and the year after. Losing Sam Tomkins is not the reason we lost the game. "It's a tough one. It's a really disappointed dressing room. We were not at our 100% best and we needed to be. "If you play 40 minutes like we did in that first half against a team like Leeds it leaves you with too much to do. "Our last plays weren't the best and I think that's where Leeds out-played us. They deserved to win. Kevin Sinfield is one of the best players there is and he burned us again. "In the second half we showed what we can do but, at the end of the day, Leeds know how to win games. "I knew when we were one point in front that, if we were not careful, it would come back and bite us."

Everyone knows the requirement for becoming Champions before a ball is kicked in February and will no doubt plan their season accordingly to reach that ultimate goal.

Whether it is the correct system (especially in terms of maintaining the integrity of the Regular Rounds) is open to debate - as is the suitability of the current Play-Off system where it's arguably better to finish in 5th than 4th or perhaps even 3rd, IMO.

Correct



The best teams win things. End of.

I have a lot of admiration for the way Wigan have adapted to the loss of some key players from last season. You have some big, strong, confident and aggressive lads coming though who are certainly battering the majority of the rest of SL.
Based on the way you are playing I see no reason to not have you as favourites for the playoffs at the moment (injuries etc. can effect any team and they cannot be predicted).
However, the one point win last year to knock you out of the playoffs was thoroughly deserved. It was closer than it should have been, Leeds turned up and did the job. One point or 20 points, it doesn't matter.
As for the LLS of the GF deciding who is the seasons best? Surely after over a decade we have finally put this to bed. The ultimate objective is to win the GF, all the teams know this and the crushing disappointment of your own coach and players last year would also suggest that the GF was their primary objective also.
For me, there should be no trophy for finishing 1st after the regular season, I'm sick of this bullcrap non- debate. Having said that the playoff system is rubbish with the top 8 system we have. There should be a significant advantage to finishing 1st and then 2nd and the only playoff system that really gave this was the top 5 system. Could a team win from 5th in that system? That would be a real challenge IMO.

Quote RossRhino="RossRhino"After the game I seem to remember Wane saying we were the better team, perhaps he is a better judge than either of us. As for winning by one point and you missing Tomkins, so what? That's what your squad is there for, we were mising McGuire.....its swings and roundabouts. www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/ma ... 24,00.html "Jack's a good player," said Wane. "He'll play again next year and the year after. Losing Sam Tomkins is not the reason we lost the game. "It's a tough one. It's a really disappointed dressing room. We were not at our 100% best and we needed to be. "If you play 40 minutes like we did in that first half against a team like Leeds it leaves you with too much to do. "Our last plays weren't the best and I think that's where Leeds out-played us. They deserved to win. Kevin Sinfield is one of the best players there is and he burned us again. "In the second half we showed what we can do but, at the end of the day, Leeds know how to win games. "I knew when we were one point in front that, if we were not careful, it would come back and bite us."'" Good post. I think that it is obvious that Shaun Wane was at pains not to blame Murphy as his error cost the game. He hasn't played him again, and I doubt he will tbh. The point is he picked Murphy to replace Tomkins and it cost us the game, which was his call and his error. I suppose the unfairness of the playoffs will only come to light for many of you when you are similarly affected. When Wigan won in 2010 we were also top of the table. The previous year the last under the old system Saints absolutely murdered Leeds at Knowsley Rd having won the league then lost the GF, again I would argue that it was debatable who the best team was. Yes, I know that all the teams know in February what the rules are, doesn't make it fair though does it? Most people reckon the league leaders shield is worth something - after all why bother turning up at all? No-one ever accuses the players of not trying after the games, but could you point out to me which games Leeds didn't take seriously or try in last season - perhaps then the fans could have their money back?

Quote RossRhino="RossRhino"After the game I seem to remember Wane saying we were the better team, perhaps he is a better judge than either of us. As for winning by one point and you missing Tomkins, so what? That's what your squad is there for, we were mising McGuire.....its swings and roundabouts. www.skysports.com/rugbyleague/ma ... 24,00.html "Jack's a good player," said Wane. "He'll play again next year and the year after. Losing Sam Tomkins is not the reason we lost the game. "It's a tough one. It's a really disappointed dressing room. We were not at our 100% best and we needed to be. "If you play 40 minutes like we did in that first half against a team like Leeds it leaves you with too much to do. "Our last plays weren't the best and I think that's where Leeds out-played us. They deserved to win. Kevin Sinfield is one of the best players there is and he burned us again. "In the second half we showed what we can do but, at the end of the day, Leeds know how to win games. "I knew when we were one point in front that, if we were not careful, it would come back and bite us."'" Good post. I think that it is obvious that Shaun Wane was at pains not to blame Murphy as his error cost the game. He hasn't played him again, and I doubt he will tbh. The point is he picked Murphy to replace Tomkins and it cost us the game, which was his call and his error. I suppose the unfairness of the playoffs will only come to light for many of you when you are similarly affected. When Wigan won in 2010 we were also top of the table. The previous year the last under the old system Saints absolutely murdered Leeds at Knowsley Rd having won the league then lost the GF, again I would argue that it was debatable who the best team was. Yes, I know that all the teams know in February what the rules are, doesn't make it fair though does it? Most people reckon the league leaders shield is worth something - after all why bother turning up at all? No-one ever accuses the players of not trying after the games, but could you point out to me which games Leeds didn't take seriously or try in last season - perhaps then the fans could have their money back?