Quote: Dougy "Hudds are certain to win their next 3 games IMO meaning they will finish top.
I think we'll lose to Catalans.
Leeds will win thier next 2 league games.
This will set up a final game of the season showdown with us and Leeds at the DW for who finishes 3rd/4th.
If we win, we are likely to play Wire away, lose and it Hudds away.
I think we'll rest players, lose the game, finish 4th and play Hudds away in week 1 with the winners of that going straight through to a home semi final.
With a bit of clever thinking and tinkering we can take advantage of the shocking playoff system.
We could have the Challenge Cup in the cabinet and have a home semi final coming up with all our best players having had a nice rest in the final 6 weeks or so of the system.
IMO it's wrong that this could happen but this is the system that the RFL have given us. I'm glad it's top 6 or top 4 again from 2015.'"
Yeah, when wigan were 5 points clear at the top i'm sure they thought, let's start losing games so we can finish 4th.
The moment you start trying to get too clever and thinking we'll try and finish lower as we fancy our chances against x team more, it will only blow up in your face. This isn't the CC where you can win it without playing a single top 4 team (what wigan may do this season). You're going to have to beat some good teams to win it regardless.
Let's say wigan lose to leeds and get the 4th place finish. Hudds lose to bradford who are battling to get into the playoffs, wolves steal top spot and whoops....wigan are playing warrington, the team they wanted to avoid.
Resting players in the run in isn't a beneficial thing either like you suggest. If possible going into the playoffs the team needs to be finely tuned to each other and battle hardened. So the best 17 should play together as much as possible in the final months of the season. Wigan have rested their players god knows how many times this season. They should be going with the top 17 week in week out from here on in.
Considering how good wigan were in the early season and how they've dropped off somewhat now, it's natural to think it's some kind of plan, but the reality is that so far, wigan have made a bit of a pigs ear of the run in.
What [ishould[/i have happened is that they should have had top spot pretty much sewn up now, so their big guns could avoid a bruising encounter in france the week before the final, win the CC, have a rest against hull then bring them all back for a nice battle hardner against leeds, the week before the playoffs, 2 home games away from old trafford.
If there ever was a ''plan'' for the run in, that would have been it.
