Interesting discussion, this. I can see why the penalty stats would make you feel aggrieved but perhaps it really is just an anomaly. One thought that occurred to me is that maybe your opponents have a strong focus on maintaining their discipline when they play against you, simply because they have to. You can't afford to be giving away penalties when you play the champions, so perhaps that's something that gets drilled into players before they play Wigan? But then again, Hull KR are leading the way this season and they get nearly twice as many penalties as you, so who knows?! Trying to work out what goes on with RL referees is probably the road to madness.

The most sensible opposition fan response I've seen on it and it could well be a factor. An interesting point from Matty Peet was that it isn't something they've only just noticed and that the stats over the last 5 years see us sit comfortably at the bottom of the penalties received table. This time 5 years ago we weren't anywhere near as good/dominant as we are currently though, so I doubt teams would've felt the need to be squeaky clean back then. I also found Peet's line that 'maybe it's just an anomaly' amusing. I got the feeling that was a bit tongue in cheek and he does think there are some factors behind it. 

Maybe it is something to do with the no. of Wigan refs who've joined the senior panel over the last few years and even if it's just subconsciously they don't want to be thought of as favouring Wigan.
I honestly don't think it's that big of an issue because the stats show we're the least penalised team in the league, if we were getting caned every week whilst receiving next to nothing then that would be a different matter.

Sums it up well. 

As I said earlier in the thread though it can't be considered an 'anomaly' really, considering the extreme differences between penalty counts. It's actually clear how consistently our games are refereed differently to every other.

Whether we need it or not we should be given a fair crack of the whip as no team can be at their best every week and it definitely matters when you're even slightly off form. Uneven penalty counts could have been the difference in all 3 losses so far this season as they were all within a couple of points (1, 2 & 4). Referees decisions change momentum (a point that was being made very vociferously last night) and any momentum swing in all of those games could quite easily have lead to a different outcome. 

It's not about whether we're getting caned or not. That would only make the imbalance worse. It doesn't negate the fact that there is an imbalance in the first place. 

We lost by two at Leeds with the pen count 5-1 in favour of the Rhinos and six agains 3-0 top the home team.
That's 8 sets to 1 the referee decided to award Leeds. If there had been an even split I reckon Wigan would have won. Should the sets have been 8-1 in favour of Wigan we'd have won by 14+. I do admit that refs giving any away team 8 sets to 1 at Headingly is pure fantasy. 8-1 in favour of Leeds at Headingly though is reality 

Updated Leeds' penalty conceding run.

Leeds
vs. Wakey  - 4 pens conceded
vs. Salford - 3 pens conceded
vs. Cas - 2 pens conceded
vs. Catalans - 5 pens conceded
vs. Wigan - 1 pen conceded (5 given against us)
vs. Warrington - 7 pens conceded
vs. Salford - 7 pens conceded
vs. Hudds - 6 pens conceded
vs. Hull KR - 5 pens conceded


So on average Leeds concede almost 5 penalties a game, yet somehow against us were so disciplined that they only gave away 1 penalty.


An 80% improvement from the week before, and then the next 3 games they conceded 7, 7 and 6?


Someone make it make sense.

48 tackles busts for Wigan today and 6 clean breaks, verses 29 tackle busts and 3 clean breaks for Hull. Wigan made around 400 metres more in the match and won the game by 24 points.


Penalties received-


Hull 9


Wigan 4


The mystery continues.....




Praise da lord for the six agains though! 

Out of interest NK, where did you find the penalties received figure? Are you able to update them following this weekend?s matches.