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.

Really? Must be nice to have such simple view on life.

So winning the league isn't that important, so that's Wigan out of the argument. Ok, if we accept that then obviously winning 'things' like cups does count. So who was the best last season you or Warrington?

So which games did Leeds plan to lose last season then?

Not at all but "best" is subjective. "Champions" is not. The Champions are the ones who achieve the pre-determined goal.

There's no doubt the Grand Final is one of the greatest things to happen to our modern game. I wouldn't devalue that in any way and would scrap the League Leaders shield all together, like DHM says.

FWIW two out of my three most satisfying Grand Final Wins came when Leeds didn't finish top (2007 and 2011). Of course, 2004 was the most satisfying but not because we finished top. We all remember our first time fondly don't we ?I'm seriously not fussed about the League leadership in any way shape or form. If Leeds get it, nice, if they don't, lets go out and be champions.

Well that's nicely argued.

Ask Jamie Peacock what HE thinks of Sean O'Loughlin then.

If finishing top floats your boat, enjoy it mate.

You won't change the views of the more enlightened posters who have left 1996 and all before it in the past.

We've won it from top. Winning it was great, finshing top was nice but "meh".

It's a consilation for fans whose team blow it from top. Sorry, that's not a dig but it just is.

That's ok, but you haven't answered my question "Who do you think was the better team, you or Warrington?"

It isn’t necessarily about planning to lose a game, its about planning your training and conditioning to peak at the right time. You cant be at 100% all the time, some teams try to get to a higher level for shorter periods, others a slightly lower level but for longer periods of the season. Wigan seem to try to be at a high level for most of the regular season, it could be argued that this disadvantages them come the end of the year because they are can’t peak at 100% as they haven’t left a lot in the tank, where as other teams haven’t been at as a high a level during the regular season so have a bit more left in the well come the end of the year. Similarly you could also argue that Wigans regular season form is a little misrepresentative as they are conditioned to be at a higher level that their opponents in that regular season.

We all know the score at the beginning of the year. If Wigans training and conditioning is asking too much of them during the regular season then they have only themselves to blame.

Of course I will, because they will BE champions. It cannot be argued either way. The team that wins the Grand Final ARE the Champions. This is fact. END OF.

Do you think the Australians hold such an obsession about where their champions finish the season?

I personally hope a team from 8th wins it. I'd like every team that enters the playoffs to do so with the goal if winning it and not just making up the numbers. I'd like the playoffs to become an intense competition in their own right rather than just a formality to whittle down the numbers to the top two playing each other in the Grand Final.

It's perfectly fair as was the old first past the post system, as was the even older top sixteen play-off system, as was whatever preceded that system just so long as before a ball is kicked in any given year the rules for becoming Champions are left unaltered for the duration of the campaign.

The League Leaders Shield is worth something to some - me included - but no doubt means little to some others but although I rate it as a worthwhile achievement it still doesn't greatly devalue the ultimate title of Champions as decided via the Play-Offs.



A number of the ones they failed to perform well in and no the fans cannot have their money back - in any circumstance as that would be to admit to failings - which will never happen.

Like I said "better" is subjective but if you want my opinion it was us because Champions is a bigger prize than Cup Winners.

I get you. Well argued. But it's not "end of" is it? It is in Football Cos Man U beat everyone else but in RL it's still open to debate WHO THE BEST TEAM ARE not who the Champions are.

I watch every Wigan game home and away, love Rugby League (came over for the WCC) and winning and losing means something to me.

Do you even bother going to the game? It sounds like you aren't much bothered about Leeds form during the season one way or the other. Maybe that's why attendances are down all over the country, nobody is bothered any more. Apart from the playoffs and GF. Actually have you seen the attendances at the playoffs? So it's just the GF then.