Keeping hold of Burgess is vital, and if the NRL does come calling and he can't resist, then getting his replacement right is even more vital.

Peet is a brilliant coach, but he had a stronger hand than Burgess when he first got the job. Burgess has done what looked impossible a year ago in unifying a broken dressing room. I think he was only able to do that because there isn't a single person in rugby league who doesn't respect him.

I really hope we can win the big one with him, because if not then I fear another few steps backwards.

Nothing wrong with our work ethic, Burgess has made that the best it’s been for a long time. I think we need a bullocking second row, a classy centre (which we have), an impact prop and a kicking game. Wigan have all four of those things listed. Centre close to sorted….signings needed for the others which I’m not sure is on the cards.

I think we are quick to forget how Wigan fared when French was out injured. They got pummelled a few times, and scraped first place, after we all had expected them to blitz the league unchallenged at the start of this year.

We've had our own injury crisis during the course of this season, but never lost by more than 10 points, and have never been out of a game. We also finished as top scorers and top defenders. That isn't to take away anything from Wigan's achievements of course, but let's not brush over the fact that Burgess came into a totally broken system and turned it 180 degrees. Nothing to be sniffed at, and a reason to be far less worried going forward than if A.N.Other coach had let us limp out of the reckoning yet again. We also have some of the best developing talent coming through, tied up on long contracts.

I don't have a major issue with those comparisons. Philbin edges Byrne - more carries, more tackle busts, more metres, better discipline - so that would be one back for us.

What is clear is that we haven't had anyone making the sort of destructive runs Mago and Nsemba do, and Smith offers more of an attacking threat and a more telling kicking game than Drinkwater. Elsewhere I think you are dealing in pretty small margins.

I think it’s safe to say that if we improve, and that’s a biggish if, we should be Wigans main rival for silverware.