imo warrington were without a doubt the best and most dangerous side in the competition this season when they were on their game and you certainly did a number on us rhinos when you were red hot in attack in our play off game

however i don't go in for if's and but's in grand finals as i firmly believe that the best side come play off time always generally comes up trumps and wins the trophy despite where they finish on the league ladder

i cannot think of a club that has won a grand final as of yet that didn't deserve to?

i am nearly choking here saying this
but imo wigan were by far and away the best side come play off time,they looked far stronger and fitter than any other side they played, they also beat all of the top four sides to win the title and from the impossible finishing position of 4th too

the wolves will be back

Going to disagree here.
Of course the injuries to Monaghan and Ratchford played a part, the biggest injury factor to me, as a Wigan fan, was Ben Harrison only doing 15 mins or so.
Monaghan couldn't have done anything to prevent Wigan's trys apart from Richards when the game was over. Wigan attacked Riley's wing all night not Monaghan's. J Monas wouldn't have had an attacking option as his forwards couldn't get into the Wigan half. McIlorum and Green went straight through the Wire pack to score. Ratchford, IMO wasn't having a good game before going off. Was he fully fit? Myler didn't look fit and was poor.
Wire's problem was their pack.
Harrison was a massive miss. Long minutes from him might, just might have made a difference to the score but not the result. That along with being disjointed due to injuries was the downfall.
Smith would have known Myler was not fully fit which makes his decision not to have a back on the bench beyond understanding.

There are many reasons Wigan won, one of which was a sensational performance by our captain, the best player in SL now that Sam has left.

Lockers was a long way off full fitness and didn't manage the full 80. While he was on the pitch though he did a phenomenal amount of work, with the most carries and second biggest metres gained of any player. In fact with 23 carries he was not far off the total of the Wire bench (26). Only 3 players made more tackles than Lockers.

It's not just big dramatic events that win matches, Lockers wasn't spectacular in the GF (though he did put the pass in for Richards' try) but it was a fantastically hard working performance from a great leader overcoming his lack of fitness. I'm sure many people failed to notice Lockers' performance (I'm a huge fan and thought he'd done really well considering his lack of fitness but I will admit I was surprised when I saw the stats). I'm sure the Wigan players noticed the effort Lockers was putting in though (and I imagine the Wire players did too). It must have been a massive lift to the morale of the team, especially our young players, to have Lockers out there. I'm not criticising Wire's leadership, just pointing out that Wigan have an exceptional leader in Sean O'Loughlin and that his superb effort, commitment and will to win was a factor in the game going our way.

Just tried to respond to this but I've just got to go and vomit. What a plonker!

Everything he has said is true though.

a true Orrell lad would hate Wigan as a Leigther would!

Both Myler and Monas in for operations.

Just when I thought the standard of debate on the Wire board had improved a bit...

-great reply-

To say he's the best player in super league after sam is gaga.

Why was it nothing like last year?

because the score line was different, there was some injuries and bigger score swings?

The fundementals is what i'm talking about. The same fundemental fails from last year occured this year. Wire get in front, then keep gifting the opposition field position until they take advantage. Then once in front, the opposition do what warrington should have done and don't give them a sniff of getting back into the game. No mistakes, completed sets, good kicks, no penalties...'thou shalt not have field position to score'.

I wish we had some form of alternate reality calculator. Because I honestly believe without the warrington injuries, wigan would have still won. I just think once warrington went 16-2 up they mentally switched off, and that is fatal in a game of that magnitude.

The injuries simply give warrington a convenient excuse.

But, unfortunately for your argument, the injuries are a valid excuse - Of course, we have to deal with it hypothetically, but I just cannot imagine that a Wire side, without the injuries, would have managed to perform so badly as they did in that second half.... Wigan may well have still come out on top, but I'm pretty sure that Wire would have put up more resistance and given more threat in attack, than what transpired on the night - With that in mind, you then have to assume that Wigan would not have performed as well as they did?

As most of us agree, there are too many ifs and buts to ever get a definitive answer to this argument, and unfortunately for us Wire fans, we have to accept it just wasn't our day and Wigan got their reward for their efforts - In years to come, the record books will just show the result and that is all that matters, but to suggest Wire somehow bottled it (as you seem keen to infer), is a little insulting to them, and to Wigan.