I wanted to compare the 2024 GF winning side, with our side that lost at Hull KR. In bold are those players I believe are more effective in their position.

So maybe we are not that far off in playing talent after all.

Dufty Field - very close, but edging Dufty on the basis of this season.
Thewlis, Miski - I have these equal. Solid wingers.
Tai, Keighran - Solid centre if not great but good kicker. Some attacking skills.
King, Wardle - No contest for overall centre play and can do everything King can.
Ashton; Marshall - Raw pace and finishing. He would be leading try scorer playing for Wigan.
Williams, French - A freak of RL one of the best players in the World currently, against our best player
Drinkwater; Smith - No contest
Vaughan, Havard - Vaughan when he is not having a titty lip.
Walker, Leeming - Edge towards Walker for work rate and kicking.
Harrison, Thompson - He was superb last night, played all first half.
Bateman, Farrell - I have these level.
Nicholson, Nsemba - Nsemba is going to be an absolute star.
Currie. Ellis - Currie has had a great season.

Powell, Forber
Yates Dupree - Defensive titan. A really good signing.
Crowther, Byrne - Size
Philbin Mago - Real impact.


It backs up my view we need to strengthen right centre (Lindop?), scrum half and 2nd row.

Shows we struggle up front does that.

Then again if we can get Fitzgibbon through a season that would help but I’m not convinced

It's a risk for sure.

I think you're being generous giving us seven players there, especially with two draws meaning you're only giving Wigan eight. They're more than that better than us, let's be honest.

Yeah maybe a little generous. So are we on a hiding to nothing then? If individually they are better and then in terms of collective winning mentality they are better also?

Maybe we need to hope for them going stale, losing the desire and a few players retiring ...

Ellis does everything currie does but better. Which is frustrating as he came over as s bit part middle.

Miles better in the 13 shirt than smithies was

That's pretty much what I'm hoping for, yeah!

In reality, things are cyclical. It was less than two years ago that Saints were the ones looking invincible. Now it's Wigan.

The key essentially is for us to get things right at the right time, rather than when one team is head and shoulders above the rest. I do realise that's much easier said than done.

I have spoken a lot with some about mentality. The whole team have to buy into it. No disrespect intended here but you look at Salford not exactly a team of superstars but they have played way above expectations. Yes that is a lot to do with Rowley getting them to play his way and that’s down to right mental attitude.

It’s all well and good having top class players but you have to buy into the mentality of the coach and club. I like to think we are now going in that direction.

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.