Firstly, well done to Stains who played very very well yesterday. The best team won, and no arguments from me. However,


When will coaches learn that the SL competition is all about peaking at the right time?

Warrington and Wigan clearly did not, despite being the two best teams over the rounds.
This means VERY LITTLE in the competition.


The Good Friday win against Stains was totally and utterly irrelevant. Frankly, the question of what exactly IS the point of the "regular season" is a seperate topic, but the coincidence of the result begs the question.

My issue with Madge is that he knew that the SL comp was all about the last 6 games, yet his tactics went out 100% on day 1 and we have spent the last month looking totally shot.

Funny how Leeds have done the opposite, now who do you think Brian Mc learned that approach from?

The reality is that if Leeds win on Saturday then they will have had a more successful season than Wigan. Go back 2 months and you would have likely been committed for such a statement. Proof if you ever needed it that it's not how you start, it's how you finish.

Why can't some coaches grasp that basic point?

It very much depends on what coaches target.

Madge, and IFL targeted the cup this year.

It will take an amazing team to do the double. We have many flaws but are a very good team, not an amazing one, we came close with our secondary goal but came up short mainly because we ran out of forwards, and Joel dropped a sitter that would have sent us home in my opinion.

So Aussies aren't necessarily the best coaches afterall?

I think we proved last year that 'peaking too soon' is no excuse. We played consistent brilliant rugby all throughout the season and we're unlucky to be knocked out the cup in the last 30 seconds, and won everything else. Those are the standards we set and up untill Warrington away in the League we maintaned those standards aswell.

i find it hard to believe that the head coach and board targeted the cup and the league was somewhat of an afterthought, poor excuse and silly mentality imo

Wigan had the best coach for this, Ian Millward, but you got rid of him.

Millward was never afraid to be a bit controversial remember picking second string teams against Bradford and winning Gleeson and Long a few bob down the bookies. Then he wasn't afraid to let Wigan get slapped by Leeds and Saints in league matches, he knew it was what happened at the end of the season that was important.

I think Wigan got rid of Millward too early in 2006. He might have been saving Wigan's form for the playoffs?

Beacuse you need to fall victim of it before it sinks in.

Leeds were in 2005, and since then they have always picked up form going into the playoffs.

At the end of the day in our last 11 matches we faced Warrington twice, St Helens three times and played in the Wembley Cup Final. 6 huge games and only one of them was at DW Stadium. It was just simply too much to contend with and Warrington, St Helens or Leeds would have failed in my view taking on that run with no rest in between.

Yet in 2010 we won the league and the Grand Final under the same play off system as we have now which blows your tired old stance right out of the water.

The idea Leeds or Saints planned their season to finish fifth and third to save themselves for the play offs is a joke. If it were not HKR would be in the GF.

Poor decison by Wigan get rid of a coach when you are stuck at the bottom of SL then steady the ship under Noble then bring in an unknown coach give him a three year plan win the CC and then the SL. So what happens the fools win the SL in year one and the CC in year two!

Here's an idea. Instead of petty name calling and personal insults, why don't you answer the post?

Why the heck citing 2010 is relevant is beyond me.

There is no doubt that MM brought with him tactics, conditioning and a team ethos that was a step above that incumbent within SL at the time. Arguably this was more important than "peaking".

It's 2011 and the other teams are aware of the tactics.

The real issue here is that the regular season is pointless, and certainly the "key" matches vs the likely top 4 are.

So DaveO, what IS your argument? That finishing the season strongly is MORE important than playing well during the season?

Take your point re the run in being difficult Bilko, but that should have been planned for.

For me it was not a peaking time issue more a combination of not resting enough players at the back end of the season - the Crusaders game was a perfect example - we should have had a second string team out for that I do think that was a big mistake. Going into the play-offs some players looked knackered/injured - and you can't get away with players not 100% in games of that intensity - maybe in one game but not over three games

Then losing Mossop, Cross and Hock left the squad lightweight as well and had a major impact.

Still a good season - a CC win and semi-final play-off, hardly a failure.

The regular season is certainly being watered down as each year passes. As Schoey tweeted 'pretty soon its just gonna be 27 pre-season friendlies'.

Next season play the u20s for the first 15 games then just put the first team out from then onwards, we will walk it