How seriously do we take the WCC? I really like the idea of the best sides in each competition going head to head but do the NRL sides even play their best available 17 these days? If not then it loses its importance IMO and just becomes an interesting friendly.

It's not the be all and end all and it certainly doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things.

Just nice to play a different team and see some of our lads go against the best in the world. We rightly talk some of the Wigan lads up, but how will Faz do Vs Martin etc.

Penrith included it as part of the preseason challenge and rested 2 of their key players (Edwards and Martin) last week. Crowd was about 10k.

Hopefully they play a full team this year.

They were injured not rested, just as Batchelor was injured for us, so basically they had one more injury than us from playing a full team.

No doubt if its played in Australia and Wigan win it will be the greatest achievement in the history of British Sport. If Penrith win its because they've taken it "seriously"

Its a win win for Wigan.

Question for you Stu- Do you think Penrith took that Saints game as seriously as they did the Grand Final just gone against Brisbane?

I’ve no issue admitting that for us to beat them, we’ll need them to take the game lightly and be off their best. It would still be an immense achievement beating a team spending 4 times as much as us on players, just as it was for Saints.

Didn’t a challenge by Kierghan get put on report? If he gets banned we go in the season a player down for an incident that went against us.

I think he can use 1 in a friendly. I’d imagine he’ll get a game ir two for that KPP spear tackle.

“The Panthers decided on Tuesday not to risk the pair ahead of the NRL season, with Edwards managing a minor niggle and Martin out with a shoulder injury.

Both are not expected to be in any doubt for the club's round-one clash with Brisbane, but officials have opted to play it safe with the duo.“

They’d have played if it was a big game to them.

So they were injured. Cheers

I think they under-estimated us and obviously they wouldn't have treated it like a GF. However I'm sure any SL side would be more serious about a GF than a WCC.

I'm also under no illusions that were we to play them 10 times over there, they would win considerably more than we would especially if it was mid-season. However as you allude to when they can spend so much on the cap and have the quality of players that they have you would expect it.

Its just annoying that to some Wigan fans its as though they played like it was a testimonial and. I think you only have to see Cleary's ice in the veins celebration after his conversion took it to Golden Point and the reaction of their players at full-time to see what it meant.

The semi final and final sum us up.

We are the entertainers of superleague, throw the ball about, amazing pace and skill and score the best tries. Marshall, Wardle, Field and French.

But we are also the toughest team in the league in a dog fight.

On the back of Harry’s kicking game, our defence can hardly be broken and we can grind out arm wrestle wins.


All hail Matty Peet and the coaching staff.