Any coach worth their salt when looking at an overall average attacking side will tighten up the defence. And since the refs - bar Ganson - are allowing them to get away with slowing down the PTB, they are on to a winner.

But that still doesn't change the fact that we bottled it.

Mate, you keep saying "getting away with it". Getting away with what exactly? I invite you to time Saints, Leeds or anyone else's longest unpenalised control of the ruck and compare it to Wigan's. You'll find it's the same. The only difference is that Wigan are more able to control the ruck consistently. You can't complain that it's somehow against the rules because your own team isn't able to succeed in doing what they are undoubtably trying to do!

Controlling the ruck is just one aspect of the game which Wigan are currently doing very well. But to suggest that is the sole reason for Wigan's early season success is wide of the mark. Actually I am not bothered whether you get it or not and I hope it takes the other teams some while to cotton on as well. It is perhaps a good thing that the media is focusing on this one aspect of Wigan's play.

No matter what Wigan do the opposition are going to try to find a reason to complain about us. Wigan are currently better than most teams and thats why we are top of the league. Our opposition needs to improve their game, not complain about ours.

This current obsession with the way Wigan are controlling the ruck and suggesting comparisons with Huddersfield from last year are misguided. Huddersfield controlled the ruck well last year but their attack wasn't too exciting however their attack this year has improved by miles. They are good to watch. Wigan this year have played some brilliant attacking rugby and scored some memorable tries. To suggest that conrolling the ruck area is somehow negative is missing the point.

As I have said previously, the three in the tackle and peel is a risky ploy. If the likes of Harry Pinner et al were still playing they would love it. Three men in the tackle and ball away, try time.
it's called creativity and something that is sadly missing from the run hard, run fast, run straight forwards of today.

Oh, c'mon Rogues. Three men in a tackle is hardly creativity! It's just a lot of practice on the training field!

You're misunderstanding my post, the creativity is the ball playing forward like Pinner or McTigue who would revel in that type of tackle.

He seems to "misunderstand" a lot of what goes on at a Rugby game Brian!

It seems quite clear that you misunderstood Rogues' post or are you disagreeing with his point that 3 men in a tackle potentially creates an opportunity for a creative ball handling player to open up the defence with a good offload?

Rogues wasn't clear. He's now explained himself. And yes, a good offload can certainly help in attack. I'd still hardly call that creative though.

I hope you never coach at Wigan
Ask your family about the great Brian McTigue, ask them about Harry Pinner. Ask them if they were creative. If they say no then I'm afraid they know nothing about Rugby League.
It was clear enough from my original post what I meant, or it would be to someone who really knows their rugby league.

There is no 'getting away with it', every other team slows the ptb down as much as they do when they have three in the tackle, no one else gets three in the tackle as often as Wigan do. We slowed the ptb as much as they did on Friday.

He was perfectly clear, everyone else knew what he meant.