Psychologically, next weeks game is massive, and extends beyond the cup. If we win I reckon it will set us up nicely for tge rest of the season with the confidence that we can beat anyone in tge big games, no matter where we finish in the top eight. Lose, and we might as well hold the end of season party, because confidence will be shot, and I could see us taking a pasting in the next few difficult games, possibly even slipping back out of the top eight.

That's what I think as well.

I would also add I'm not as confident as Blobby in our defence. I don't think we look any different to how we looked under Simmons defensively and KC/Rush insist on letting Meli remain on the wing which, as we found out on Friday night, is an accident waiting to happen.

I am also still of the view that we are limited not by the coach but by the playing staff we have and that is why we are no more capable now of playing creatively when Robes is either absent or rendered ineffective than we were at the outset of the season. Our losses prior to Leeds were without Robes and we would go the same way again if he was out injured again.

We have missed Wilkin as an attacking threat and hopefully he will be back in the team on Saturday. He at least sometimes remembers that we have a right edge and chooses to use it. Robes/our halves seem incapable of passing anywhere other than to the left which is a great shame, especially while we have Makinson on the wing as he is pacey and a great finisher.

I'm going to stick with a top 4 finish and a win in the CC for the season.

I just think that whilst we maybe under performing we look at other teams and overate their capabilities. Leeds hammered Catalan a few weeks back and then got turned over by Hull. We got beaten by Hull then hammered Leeds. In the top 7 or 8 teams are more capable of overturning each other than they where previously.

I don't think we will lose as many games in the 2nd half of the year as we did at in the first half. We do look comfortable in defence, I think on Friday we looked a little uninterested at times. There was not the intensity I expected and maybe the draw with Wigan has wrongly distracted the players, when we are not focused, then our weak spots like Meli seam to go to sleep. He should have easly caught that kick and Wakey should have been niled. But then look at the Wigan game, they went a million miles an hour then lost their focus and let Hull KR come back at them, but never into a dangerous position.

We took Sia off and if he was not injured seriously that was the coach looking to next week with the game won.

Wigan are the club to beat, but I'd rather meet them now than at the back end of the year in a final.

It's a very even competition this year and although we've underperformed there isn't that much between being top of the tree and eighth in terms of ability. Consistency is an issue for many but I wonder if that's as much down to the cap continuing to bite than it is a reflection on teams' ability to back up.

The one thing that is a concern is something that others have often compared about but I get the feeling that it's just me having a moan this year and that's quick PTBs and the ruck area. I know Rogues, AP and a few others have often gone on about this being the basis of the British game but this year it's been non-stop. Every team does it now. When Wigoon beat us recently it was like watching Saints play against an Ian Millward team. If that's the way the competition is going to play out this year with little attention to the rucks then we're in with a very good shout because we have the best in the world at exploiting those spaces.

Hooray!!! Meli made a single error in a game which allows us members of the clueless, knee-jerk, one-eyed, braindead numpty brigade to reinforce our bizarrelly formed world view and have some kind of limited justification for blaming everything bad that's happened over the season so far on our designated scapegoat!!! Meanwhile we can continue to laud the mostly ineffective Makinson with similar lack of justification or reason. Let us rejoice brothers!!!

I think our pack, in terms of players, can handle the opposition packs.
For an example - even when we were playing badly, i thought we were out mucsling the Hull pack and it was only a couple of individual flashes that broke the game intheir favour.
The only problem with the pack is our forwards are a little one dimensionsal in terms of them ebing unspectacular toilers. Given how much we thrive on a quick PTB, I think even poor teams boss us around to much on the floor.

I'm not sure about Magennis. He looks like a tank, but sees to be dominated too easily. I wonder if Forster will be better long term. I'd get him (Magennis) out on loan and see what impact he can make on another squad.

We're also looking like we've got a pretty short play book. I complained loudly about us playing one up rugby under Royce, and when we got back those extra runners around the ruch I was delighted. Whilst its still working to a degree (Clough's inside ball to Wello for Friday's opening try), it seems like that's all we're running with, with Lomax not really seeming like he's got much up his sleeve.

Wigan are a hungry beast at the moment. They dominate us mainly by being up quick in defence. The effectiveness seemed to [iwane[/i as the season went on, perhaps as they became fatigued through their gruelling playing fashion,but at the moment they're still in full flight. If we are to beat them, we first of all need to match their commitment in defence and attack. They're also very slick out wide, so if we don't knock them down in the forwards they'll punish us.

As for the game - usual rules vs. Wigan apply. If we turn up, the forwards take the game to them and we can play to our potential then we have too much class for them overall and will win. If we have an off day (and/or they have another pet referee) then they'll rough us up and grind us down ugly again. Let's hope it's the former.

But we did have Eastmond and Wheeler on the pitch, so we did have two halfbacks. However, you did say 'working' halfbacks and Eastmond wasn't really working at that stage.


I don't think our halfbacks are the problem. I just think our lack of bash is. Bring back Jammer. He knew what to do with Wigan!

On the point about Lomax going off, on GF not only did we lose Lomax of course but we didn't have Wello or Laffranchi (our best prop by some distance) as both were banned. This time we should have them all plus Wilkin on the pitch, which is bound to help. However, I still think the game will be won or lost up front.

So far as Gaskell is concerned, hopefully the present coaching team have continued what Royce was doing in that hopefully he is still training with Lomax and Lance so that he will keep developing and be in a position to step in when needed/appropriate.

Defence will win this match, we need to get in there faces from play one. We,ve never this season played for 80 mins. Rush and KC needs to get inside there heads with believe that they can control and dominate this match. Putting lots of pressure (Soliola) onto Tomkins would severe the goons cutting edge.

I'm glad you noticed the working element. Also that first game against Wigan I think was Wheelers first game at halfback for the first team.

I forgot about the halves missing in the Final against Wigan.

I know forwards lay the platform, but without a potent attack there is no pressure applied to the other side.. You can have all the big running forwards you like but with no plays a decent defence with hold them out. A team like wigan can match the bash in defence, it makes the game easy for them, they don't get run off their feet and have plently left in the tank to charge down field. Run at them with creative attacking plays and then they will have some work to do.