I can only hope that, come September/October, we can look back at this debacle and laugh, and also rejoice that we learned from it. However, I won't hold my breath. I don't know how we can improve with that crop of players, many of whom are too small, too old or just not good enough to go toe to toe with the world champions.

I thought we were learning from the CC Final last year?  Or the SL Semi at Hull KR?  Some of our players have been learning for years - it's BS. 

The grim fact is Wigan have a far better squad, winning culture, recruit better and handle pressure games better. They were miles better than us on the day and thank goodness they took their foot off the gas. 

I just saw some posts on Warrington Facebook page saying "Well done Wire" - and meaning it. Sums us up. 

Be interesting to see how we respond against Wakefield. 

Well, exactly, it's the same every year. Rinse and repeat. 

I thought after Leigh rinsed Catalans when we struggled to put them away, Wigan would be a very difficult fixture. However, that was just embarrassing as we looked to have thrown in the towel with our poor tackling effort. I did the same, and switched off after Wigan's 7th unanswered try. I cannot remember the last time I did that.

I think it was one of the most disappointing game that we've been in for years. At the start of a season when there tends to be optimism we have been blown away. At one point I thought they might get over 60 points. The shadow of Wigan will hang over us. If we want silverware we will need to beat them and I'm afraid that looks unlikely. Give us wet, windy conditions with a fair bit of mud ... you never know but on an artificial track with the roof on and Bevan French and others skipping about we'd struggle again. Chins up.

One positive I can think of is that this was a huge wake up call to the players, Sam Burgess, performance Team and Director of Rugby that we are not good enough.  If they were thinking they were challengers for a SL title, they won't be now. A humbling battering in front of millions. We looked like the championship sides look when they play a SL side in the challenge cup. 

Better to find out now that we are way off the pace than later in the season. This at least gives us some time to address the issues so we can at least make a better fist of the season. I hope we can pick up some mid season signings to the pack. 

The Wakefield game will show if Sam has managed to change our resolve and culture as it would be absolute classic Warrington to compound that sh#t show in Vegas with a home defeat to Wakefield on Sunday. 

karetaker:

On that would be interesting to know when both teams arrive back in UK

According to WG the Warrington side flew out from Vegas on Sunday morning which would mean the Virgin flight via JFK to MAN which landed at 7am today. 

No doubt some Facebook imbeciles were at T2 to give them a heroes reception. 

Smiffy27:

Yes we can't have any illusions about the task ahead. Reality is though that according to the league rankings (at the end of last year) & betting odds we are thought of as the second/third/fourth best team ... at least. I have my doubts though that sheer hard work & an extra player or two can bridge the gap. But of course ... you never know and we have all been wrong many times before and that's why we keep watching & supporting. In the next game v Wigan the score starts at 0-0 and we might get that early lead.

Yeah I was trying to put a positive spin on it. We should have recruited better over the last 2 years to give Sam half a chance. 

We cant be surprised really. 

Agreed. What worries me the most is not just the game in isolation, but the damage it could do to us psychologically in the longer term. On the evidence I have seen so far this season, we not only appear to be a long way behind Wigan, but also inferior to Hull KR, Saints and Leigh. I would currently put us in the bracket of teams that will finish somewhere between fifth and ninth. Of course, it's still early days and we have scope to improve greatly over the coming months. In my heart, though, I feel it's unlikely that we will be serious challengers this season, and we are going to need some impressive recruitment for 2026 and beyond. Wigan are hugely impressive and are going to set the benchmark for the foreseeable future, so our owners and management need to ask themselves the question - are we seriously up for the challenge of trying to match and surpass them?