Challenge Cup Semi

Quote: Mugwump "LOL. There are some major league inferiority complexes in this thread. Almost like the Warrington-are-our-rivals-not-Wigan crowd.

We might have played poorly in the two previous encounters. But I don't have any respect for the argument that we were somehow "vastly inferior" to Leeds tonight. Given the fact we lost both second row forwards (one of which was making hay down the Leeds right channel from the first minute he was introduced, whilst the other is our most dangerous weapon close to the line) I think we played damned well. Walmsley, Sav and Vea (when he was on) were as good as any Leeds player tonight.

This huge gulf that fans seem to have convinced themselves of is ridiculous. Half of Leeds' points were a direct result of one man's inability (for whatever reason) to tackle whilst the other half were undoubtedly influenced by the fact that neither Walsh nor Burns together would equal the tactical maneuvering Jon Wilkin has exerted all season in the halves.

For God's sake - Leeds aren't coming up with anything new here. Offloading in the tackle isn't some near-magical revolution in tactical thinking the likes of which the game has never seen before. Like any tactic it has its weaknesses and its strengths. Don't tell me people's brains have atrophied so much that they've forgotten how you disrupt teams with an offload strategy? Any fool must know you just have to work harder and get bodies between the carrier and receiver and pressure ... [ipressure ... pressure. [/i

Leeds try to keep the ball in play because they know our big forwards burn up fuel fast (although if the opposition have two props over 35 you have to ask how much advantage should there be?). Now, bearing this in mind what is the ONE strategy any SANE person would NOT expect our playmaker to try ALL NIGHT LONG? Could it be the one, perhaps, which has him kicking the ball down the opposition fullback's throat which just so happens to KEEP THE BALL IN PLAY LONGEST!?!?!?!

What was Walsh THINKING? It's little wonder Alex Walmsley looked dead on his feet 5 mins after the half time break. His playmaker seemed to want to induce cardiac arrest in him! Got to say I agree with this post totally. In addition to the dumb kicking you refer to I would add the equally dumb errors, the most frustrating of which was lazy Mosoe's knock on just when we had all that momentum in the second half. That took it away and we never regained it.

If Wire and Wigan can beat Leeds while being below us in the league then we can beat Leeds but we need the execution, the enthusiasm and the nous in our playmakers to achieve it. Sadly we didn't have any of those things in the right quantity last night and we got what we deserved.