We are not playing a team near the bottom of the table. Leeds were in the final last year and won the league for the 3 years before our win at Old Trafford.

Our players will be taking this very seriously. I can see us being so up for it we might just get a good early lead like we did against Wire in the cup and Saints in the GF last year.

I'm liking all these predictions that the Loiners will be getting a thrashing on Bank Holiday Saturday. You all forget that this Leeds squad have probably the most big match experience in SL. Just ask Saints.

Totally agree, too many people on here thinking it will be a walk over for Wigan, I can assure you it wont. I do predict a Wigan win but they wont have it their own way, Leeds will make sure of that.

How about asking Wire?

Leeds were not totally written off by Wire. Recent history says you're a fool to write Leeds off in finals

I think this final could well be a 'one sided affair'.

The big wide pitch will be Leeds undoing I feel, and Wigans Sam Tomkins and speedster Josh Charnley could well be Leeds 'waterloo', especially in broken play.

Leeds have too many old players especially in the pack such as Peacock who has been woeful this season. Shame really, as I was always a great fan of Jamie Peacock as a front rower of international class.

Maguire seems too efficient to leave anything to chance, so expect a bit of a hammering for Leeds.

Having said that, I can recall a certain Shefffield Eagles doing a huge upset at Wembley.

True, but you've had a competent coach in recent finals too...

True, but we still have players like Sinfield, JP, Buderus, Webb, McGuire, Burrow etc...you cannot write those players off.
Personally I'm going to this final a bit more laid back and will enjoy the occasion more this time around. There is no pressure on Leeds. We'll just get down there and enjoy our day out, if we win its a huge bonus.

supreme arrogance from Wigan fans? Never! icon_smile.gif

Peacock had a few wobbly performances following his return from injury but has since improved and has played much better in the last half a dozen or so games.

Tomkins and Charnley are definitely a major threat, but we're hardly lacking pace in Watkins and Ben Jones-Bishop (who easily beat Pat Richards on the outside in our last meeting at the DW). As a Leeds fan, I'm more concerned about Carmont and Leuleui. These two probably don't get the praise they deserve and they always seem to go really well against us.

I've predicted a Wigan win but I don't think it will be anything like last year's trouncing. If Leeds want to win the cup they will need keep the penalty count down, target the Tomkins/Charnley flank and have an excellent short kicking game. Saints managed to do this in the semi but could not score off the back of it.

This being the same Josh Charnley who along with his centre let Meli and Foster run havoc in last quarter and nearly cost Wigan the semi?

Joel Tomkins and Charnley have the potential form a very good centre/wing partnership as both are very talented players but their defence needs to seriously improve. If Watkins and Jones-Bishop were attacking their side I would expect a few scores – it is fortunate for Wigan that the left centre/wing partnership is much more experienced and defensively sound

Leeds have some world class players in their team and it only takes them to click on the day and it is anybody’s game

I do expect Wigan to win (not least because Michael Maguire has a Super League winners ring and he will want a Challenge Cup winners medal to go with that as he heads back down under) but it will be no walk over

I thought Charnley's effort wasn't due to how poor he was but to how well Wellens had positioned himself, see the next time Wellens had positioned himself poorly for when Charnley did turn him in and out for his actual try.

1. Wembley Stadium has the exact same pitch dimensions as the DW and the Galpharm.

2. Jones-Bishop and Watkins are faster than Charnley.

3. Peacock, coming back to fitness, has been very good in the last month.

4. You're probably right about the coach.

Most sensible Wigan fans will be confident, but very wary of Leeds. Every Wigan-Leeds game this year has been tight as hell - Leeds should probably have won at Headingley and while I thought Wigan were the better side at the DW, it was a close affair.

Leeds have thrown everything at Wigan in this year's matches. They go for an aggresively physical approach (as Hull do against us) and try to out-muscle or bully us. They do everything they can to break up Wigan's game plan and momentum, and they look to off-load at every opportunity to test our normally disciplined defence (which for me, has been weaker this year than last). To be fair, that has (almost) worked.

I believe Wigan will be the stronger side, but it'll be close. If Wigan can play their game they'll take a early lead, but most likely will spend the remainder of the game defending that lead as Leeds fight back.

I support Saints and we've lost three finals against Leeds, but they are not what they once were.