But I'll settle for the two points, with a week off to work on handling skills! Must have bombed about 8 easy tries with wayward passes and knock-ons.

On the plus side, Pat looked fully fit and raring to go, and not wearing any strapping, which has to be a good sign.

Salford are the worst side I've seen this year. If they played like that against us when we were playing well, we'd have put 100 on them. As it stood we were poor, again.

On the plus side I thought Pat played well. Some of the refs decisions baffled me but fair play to him for picking up the forward passes.

Awful game, can't even truthfully say our defence was good because Salford threw nothing at it. Woeful in attack 80% of the time also.

Didn't see why Matty Smith got MOM. I thought SOL strolled it with his brutal tackles.

Very scrappy

BUT

Some positives including Pat looking hungry and sharp plus Lockers and Hansen putting in some good shifts.

What we need to see is a full strength side getting more game time together.

Tommy back for the next game as well.

I'm happy where we are at.

You've taken the words out of my mouth. Just said to my OH that it was scrappy but we won.

Great to see Pat back. When he missed that first conversion there was someone further behind me who came out with "Bring Josh back" that did make me chuckle

It was another worrying performance for Wigan and the superleague.

From Wigan's point of view we look lost at times and it's hard to see how we're going to get back to that form we were showing a couple of months back.

From superleagues point of view Wigan beat Salford 38-6 whilst playing very poorly and that can't be right.

Agreed, I'd picked out Lockers too, though he rather spoiled it with a few loose passes (not that he was the only one doing that!)

yeah, i'll remember when we win the league leaders shield and go into the playoffs on the back of a few good scorelines like tonight that we won it after playing poorly - because thats just not fair is it

warrington and leeds share the CC final next week yet they both lost poorly at the weekend. some folk are never satisfied i will say that!

all that tonight was about was the 2 points which will more or less secure top spot as long as we don't slip up before the final game against saints. we have said 2 points and a 3 point lead in the league.

bit of optimism please guys!!

i think people consider some sort of form and consistency important come this end of the season as im assuming we still want to win the grand final and teams tend to be far more confident of such achievements when they have have shown 2-3 good performances rather 8-9 poor and average ones.

That's the point, really. Our last four games, we've had very poor completion rates, and only won two of them because the opposition was so weak. Lots of improvements needed for the playoffs.

It was tough viewing tonight from a rugby league fan's point of view.

There's all sorts of things that need sorting out at the minute but the first one and most pressing issue is that theres at least two too many sides in the league and the talent is being spread too thin amongst the sides.

At the game, my mate said "If that was on the tele I'd have switched it off"

But to look on the bright side. If, at the beginning of the season, anyone offered any of the fourteen Super League clubs the position of being three points clear with two games to go they would have snatched your hand off.

Two poor sides playing in a match that lacked any real intensity.

Pat Richards slotted in like he'd never been gone and I thought both Goulding and Carmont were excellent in attack. Two awesome centres with top class wingers outside of them. Sean O'Loughlin & Harrison Hansen were ferocious in defence. Sam Tomkins does the things that only Sam can do.

The team have a lot to work on though. There needs to be a renewed hunger amongst the group. That drive and burning desire to win and get back to Old Trafford has to start taking fruition with the game at Hull KR (hopefully) wrapping up the League Leaders Shield.

I think having Leuluai and Fielden back in the side will help. Both players will be desperate to hit the ground running and will be a lift to the team. I hope that seeing Wire and Leeds contest the final next week while we have a week off spurs us on towards raising our game for the play offs.

Overall I'm at a paradox with being grateful for the two points but disappointed with the performance. A week off, refresh, regroup with Leuluai/Fielden to return and hit the ground running with wrapping up the LLS at Hull KR & a big derby win in front of our home fans is what's required to generate some momentum towards the play offs.