How good was we under Monie in 98. We only let in more than 18 points on one occasion throughout the year in both competitions and we still won the game and other than the Wembley blip we only lost 2 games all year which were both against Leeds who we beat when it mattered in the play offs and Grand Final.

Can you believe that idiot Peter Norbury sacked Monie the next season?

I believe the first thing Maurice Lindsay did when he took over for the second time is offer Monie his job back but Monie refused.

Given there's a thread about fitness, it's interesting to note that just 18 players had more than 10 appearances that season, which perhaps underlined the relative lack of depth we had that would come back to bite us in future seasons.

Can anyone explain how the hell this team lost to Sheffield? Just complacency?

sheffield played well and we didnt

Partly yes. Looking back on it we seemed too arrogant in the tunnel as opposed to being "switched on".

Sheffield were excellent that day though there is no denying.

My first proper season as kid, went to every game that season including Wembley - imagine how gutted I was on the way home at 7!

The biggest mystery in RL. We hammered Sheffield the week after in the league. I suppose it can happen that we just turned up thinking it would be easy and Sheffield had a day were everything just went right for them but i dont buy it and never have. Some players made errors that you would expect from primary school kids..... make of that what you will.

We had lots of depth. When Monie came in at the end of the 97 season, he had to trim the squad down because we had far too many player on the books and many of them were gash such as Paul Koloi and Lee Hansen.

I think it was this season that Nigel Wright played his last game for Wigan

Another question that still baffles me to this day...

How did the 2000 side win nothing?

because saints were so good, plus we did finish top of the league (counted for nothing back then) we had an excellent team then, but the league was full of class players then

Counts for nothing now tbh

Wasnt that the year Endacott did his famous last minute rejig of the whole back line because of an injury to Connolly?

Was it 2001 when Bradford hammered us at OT and we had a team that looked unbeatable on paper? That is an even bigger mystery.

Yes to both. Rads was moved to centre to nullify Newlove. 2001 was a shocker. 2003 we win if Carney stays on.

Peter Norbury or should I say Whelans Stooge would never had been in position to sack Monie, if it had not been for the Shareholders in 1997 selling out the club out by accepting Whelan's offer of £125 for each £1 share which led led to him getting 79% of the shares and ownership of the club.

What took place in 1997 was the darkest day in the club's history and was reflected in the way the team performed for the next season or so including the way they played so bad in the 1998 Challenge Cup Final against Sheffield Eagles.