rlRugby league players in aggressive tackling shocker - shows how prepared we are compared to the rest. As it's Andy Wilson he makes sure he stirs things a bit as well.rl

Don't let Micky Monas know.

Another pathetic article.

I don't think there is much wrong with the article itself as long as the things wrote in it are true.

Andy Wilson seems to give a fair account there with very little bias either way.

More pathetic poop-stirring from the worst enemy Wigan have in the Rugby League press (and that's saying something).

Wilson makes yet another gallant effort to build a case against us being worthy winners of last year's Grand Final.

I particularly like the bit about levels of aggression 'never previously seen in this country'. You don't have to be my age, and remember players like Jim Mills and Frank Collier, to know what a blatant lie that is, but then I increasingly feel that Andy Wilson's grasp on reality is more suspect than his employers could ever guess. I still laugh when I think about his confident prediction that Wigan would be nothing in last year's play-offs and that Warrington were the team to watch.

You can't beat a journalist who knows his stuff.

No, there is no doubt that we are more aggressive in the tackle than we have ever been (in terms of overall intensity).

HOWEVER, don't knock MM for looking at the rules of the game and exploiting them to ensure the best advantage. He should be applauded for such efforts.

Equally spurious interpretation of existing rules to try and dampen down such intenstity (e.g. the now boring Lima citations) are pathetic. If the RFL don't want such behaviour then change the rules, do not penalise those who exploit them to the full.

Reminds me of the commentary when Wigan played at the Middlesex Sevens a few years back. A tackle went in and our friend Nigel Starmer Smith said something like "Oh that's a bit rough".

It's within the rules guys. Live with it.

The most telling thing is Wilson's insistance on talking about this as if it's the major issue in the game. Meanwhile, the Hull KR registering/deregistering saga goes on with barely a comment. And why? Because it would yet again reveal what a bunch of spineless, gutless Yaaarkshire jellyfish run the RFL.

Wilson is as big a phoney as Hetherington. Though in fact he's worse, because at least you could argue that Hetherington isn't supposed to be neutral.

It's a disappointing read, and not for Andy Wilson's journalism skills. I want us to win and win well. What I don't want is players in the famous cherry and White going out there with the intention of injuring fellow players.

They are not, they play the game hard and agressively, not with the intention of injuring players but with the intention of beating their opponents in to submission with defensive integrity.

An outstanding tactic. We need to be ruthless anfd uncompromising in defence. I think that is partly down to Waney. He is also tough and uncompromising.

Surely if it said on these so-called tip sheets that the intention was to injure the opposition players' joints, that would be the headlline, or at the very least would be quoted.

Wigan say that haven't done this. Who do you believe, them or John Kear?

Another nice article about us.. Hating us will not defeat us.

I've heard Wilson couldn't actually write some of the stuff on these sheets either due to lawyers at the Guardian. There was no way of 100 percent proving it came from Wigan, but some of the language on it was horrendous and a bit disturbing.

Hearsay is as worthless in this situation as it would be in a court of law.

Court of law? Deary me.
Enjoy the game hope the weather stays nice.

You're the one who introduce the reference to lawyers.

If there's evidence they should present it.

I've seen or heard of no players being injured by Wigan's defensive techniques.

And for the record, when I was playing it was quite common to use choice language when firing the team up before a game. Phrases like "Kill the bast***s, rip their heads off, rip their knackers off, etc!" were the least you used to hear. Anyone who thinks that has no place in competitive rugby league is watching the wrong game.