Disappointing season. The team was quite clearly capable of being a very good side and one capable of winning the Grand Final but they showed that ability at completely the wrong time.

They failed in the challenge cup semi final by lacking composure and playing some dumb rugby.

They failed in the playoff semi final by lacking composure and playing some dumb rugby.

The team also seemed to pick up too many knocks towards the end of the year, players lost form and some just looked jaded quite possibly because Shaun Wane set his sights on winning the most pointless and meaningless trophy on offer rather than concentrating on having a fully fit team and good form what it really matters.

The season has been a disappointment as the team failed miserably when it mattered most.

We have gone backwards.

Failed in the 'crunch games' this season, and that is not Wigans way at all.

Losing the players we are, is downgrading the teams overall quality and 'hoping' we get better signings is just 'pie in the sky' I am afraid.

Not optimistic for next season I am afraid

A good season on the whole for us with us continuing to handle the transition to a more largely home grown squad well and finishing top of the league, but with a disappointing end. Unfortunately despite being very consistent over the year we have lost the two games that held any real importance that we were involved in (both to Leeds).

We as a club have for a few years had a tendency to struggle in semi finals, often due to a poor performance, such as in the CC this year and the first half tonight. Even when a mid table side under Noble we made quite a few semi finals but always missed out after failing to handle the pressure and often not being at the races in those semi finals. Madge did manage to buck the trend twice (but lost on the 3rd occasion) and in both cases we won the subsequent finals. We still in general though can't win in semi finals whilst the team that beat us in both this year generally don't lose in them. Some people are being harsh in attributing semi final failures this year to Shaun Wane. Even if he hasn't managed to get the players to get over their semi final stumbling block this year the problem is a fairly long standing one and hasn't only occurred under his tenure. We also came up against what is probably the best knockout rugby team in the northern hemisphere at the moment in both knockout competitions this year.

With regards to the use of a playoff system to determine who are the champions (as it has been discussed a lot lately). I think that fewer people would decry whatever system was in place if everyone didn't play everyone else twice (the extra fixture at Magic makes no real difference). With an (almost completely) even fixture list as we use now then the team in 1st position at the end of the league competition has been the top side when faced against the same criteria faced by all other sides. So they and (a proportion of) their fans are always going to feel aggrieved should they then not end the season as champions, having lost one game in a knockout competition after finishing top of the league. If, like in the NRL (and also I believe the NFL in America) each team did not play everyone twice but instead played some teams only once and some twice then fixture lists would not be even and the team that was top of the league it could be argued had got there by virtue of a slightly easier schedule than the team in 2nd (or 3rd, or 4th, or 5th). Where fixture lists are not uniform then league position alone cannot be used to determine who are the premier team and playoffs are necessary. With everyone playing everyone home and away in the league the teams have already been exhaustively ranked in order of strength prior to the playoffs. So people can hardly be surprised if some fans consider the playoffs (in whatever form they take) to be an unnecessary tacked on competition and would rather see the league table determine the championship. Yes, the playoff system needs a rethink, but the format of the league does too in order to make playoffs necessary as something other than a way of getting a TV audience.

Welcome to the world of the Saints fan when Leeds where winning GF's and got the glory even though we finished top of the pile. The issue is that when you do finish top and lose or get knocked out, everyone else just says that you are bitter, or just not ready at the right part of the year, or it's tough.

Well now all 3 sides in Lancashire have experienced finishing top with little or no reward, but the system will not change as the money is just too much to turn down.

Not good enough...

Not in 2009 you didn't

Although disapointed about not getting to final, I would rather say it has been a good season. I think overall last night we were the better team and the major difference was Sinfields kicking, the only try Leeds scored was a long distance try from a mistake from ourselves and the CC semi final they were the better team out of two poor perforamnces on that day. And in both occasions a bit more luck and composure we could have been in two finals.

Hopefully SW and his team will learn from this season. Such as not flogging the players to half to death, possibly resting players in meaningless matches (although not wholesale changes ala Widnes).

Next year will be a year in transition especailly with the quality of players leaving. I think if we finish top 4 it will be a good season and get to two semi finals.

Better still finish 5th and go on to win the Grand final

A good season that came to a frustrating end with a loss of form and a key injury/suspension. The cup semi wasn't that disappointing because we just didn't turn up. Last night was there for the taking though and we managed to do a Wire. On the whole though, hopefully it can be put down as a lesson learned. Next season will be about building the foundation for future succeess, looking forward to it already.

My main gripe this season - and nothing to do with last night's result - is the overall ineptitude shown by the RFL. The playoff system could once again produce a 3rd v 5th final. While some might say that's just how the cookie crumbles, I think it's ludicrous that there is no guarantee at least one of 1st or 2nd will make the final. Bring back the top 5/6.

Then there's the purchase of Odsal and the shambolic collapse of Bradford that followed.

McNamara - just





The weekly refereeing controversies and the sanitisation of the game.

The Stobart 'deal', Millennium Tragic, inconsistent disciplinaries, an International series they've done their best to hide, I could go on.

Hopefully someone with bolllocks takes over at the top and runs the game as it deserves to be.

Buchanan should miss the final for his shot on Tommy but he won't. 4 weeks in a row now that contact with the head has been ruled upon differently. That is my main gripe. If you're trying to enforce something then you have to at least see it through.

Well done Wigan. The best team of the 2012 season overall by far. Finished top of the league with a vastly superior points difference in a competition which is easily the best attended of the three.

The 'grand' final contrivance can be won after a handful of poorly attended games with an end of season flourish.

Sadly the history books will call Leeds, Saints or Wire the 2012 'champions'. It is nonsensical.

Wigan were the best team up to around August, after that some of your performances have been below par. Unfortunately the superleague competition goes on until October, by that end date you will theoretically be demoted to 3rd place behind the grand final contenders.