No, but some of its fans are.

Is RL becoming soft? Well it's still the toughest ball sport on the planet by a distance.

As for 'third man in' yes, we do see some cheap shots (and not just from Wigan), but for me, the primary responsibility is with referees, who need to call 'held' in good time. That wouldn't solve every situation, but it would most of them.

Speaking of soft, anyone see Henderson rolling around on the floor then after a completely legitimate tackle? Embarrassing. I'd give him a one match ban for that.

He does stuff like that every game. Should be able to place bets on what minute he will go down with 'cramp'.

Yeah it's usually when his team concedes a drop-out.

Don't always agree with you HIM, but if someone hadn't stolen the 'Like' button i would be pressing it now.

Absolutely nailed it there.

Even I'm not a nobhead ALL the time

Barely any mention of Wilkins cheap headshot on Tomkins after he scored??? Funny that.
Thought the Sarginson hit was badly timed on his part, looked from the slow motion that Burns legs hadn't quite stopped when Sarginson started to move but he certainly had time to pull out. It was naughty but not illegal. The way to cut it out is for the ref to call held quicker although that is a difficult balancing act because offloads in the tackle are one of the more exciting parts of the game.
As pointed out though for all the moralising from Saints fans, they seemed to react differently when their 'Jammer' targeted Baileys ribs in '09.

The only surprising this is that anyone is surprised; Wane has this Wigan team so focused on aggression and dominating their opponents in any way possible, that the inevitable result is the continued evolution of his ugly brand of thugby league.

Horrible to watch, horrible to play against and I'd imagine, horrible to referee.

It needn't be horrible to referee. When I'm reffing, if there's team who've decided to be dirty, I find a fairly robust and rapid application of the rules sorts it out fast. By the time you've sinbinned the second man, and given ten penalties on the trot allowing the opposition to score a couple of times, the dirty team will be swearing blind at you (quietly, because that was what the second sin-binning was for), but they'll pack in the silly stuff.

Not the ref's job to be popular with both sides. It's the ref's job to police the game according to the rules, and also de facto to protect the players from those who think RL is an excuse for legalized GBH.

If O'Loughlin had seen a red card a few more times for his endless head shots; or if MM had been sent off a few more times for his lifting and kicking (and by the way, anyone who thinks that kick to Wilkin's head was accidental - I hope you're my trial judge when I rob a bank); and if Wilkin had found himself on the end of a few more penalties or yellows for aggressively challenging the referee; then none of them would do it as much.

Most of the Saints fans I've seen haven't been all that fussed about the Sarginson shot on Wilkin, bit scummy but not against the rules. We're more fussed about Sarginson tackling Percival in the air, O'Loughlin's high shot, McIlorum's late and dangerous tackle, McIlorum kneeing Wilkin....

I'm clearly biased but..... the Sarginson tackle in the air was IMO bad technique on Sarges part, penalty sufficient, should get an official telling off, Lockers high shot was lazy from him rather than malicious (player shifts inside and Lockers is too slow to bend his back) penalty was correct call, and I may be wrong but I saw the Mcilorum knee as a clumsy attempt to con the ref into giving a penalty than anything dirty although he should get a cautioning for lifting a player into a dangerous position.

Nothing on Wilkins cheap head shot on Tomkins after he scored?

You make Wigan's players sound like a bunch of over enthusiastic puppies and Saints as the nasty farmer with a shotgun over his arm.

In a shock, but totally predictable move, the RFL have revealed there are no charges against any player this round bar the spitting incident in the Huddersfield game at the weekend. Ridiculous.