Ian Smith should have been VR at the GF. He's been doing well as VR.
As soon as Bentham was announced I said he'd mess up.
The Smith try was ludicrous, he was well in front when the ball was kicked.
Why didn't Bentham give Saints a penalty try when Webb went in knees first to stop Gardner? It was Webb's foul play that stopped Gardner from scoring so why not a pen try?

There were certainly a couple of incidents that massively helped Leeds out, and yet Wilson's article implies that, because Ganson was the referee, the officials were assisting Saints.

That said, I agree with him that appointing Ganson to control a match like that was fraught with danger - for Ganson's credibility as much as for the game's. I don't know whether the worst referee there's ever been - i.e. Cummins - was behind the decision to stop worrying about a ref's place of origin, but it was a bloody stupid one, and it would have been very typical of a man who [idid[/i appear to favour St Helens whenever he was in charge of Wigan v Saints fixtures.

I also thought he was level. However, things like this even themselves out don't they?

It's just that saints have a long way to go before they are anywhere near equal on the dodgy decision front. IMO of course.

Actually the constant you say of Wigan having won more than anyone else only occured some 60 years after RL was born.
Uptil then Huddersfield were the most successful RL team.

What you say willis!

Who bloody asked you?

There was a great quote from Eddie during the match
"Looks like Sean Long will end his Saint Helens career as a loser"

Just on those two understudy's you've mentioned, for me Eastmond is a completely different type of player to Long, there's no doubting he's a game breaker and a great individual but he lacks the kicking game and organizational skills that Saints will miss by loosing Long.

Moore while a good player isn't in the class of Cunningham and nothing he's shown me says he ever will be, so while they do have replacements they're not in the same ilk of the one's there loosing. I personally though that Lunt was the better hooker of the two at the Giants.

I will only say its over if they have a poor season next year.

Speaking to loads of Leeds and Saints fans on the train yesterday and they all thought that Wigan were the team to be feared next year and that we would be the next team to have a dominant few years

Then lets hope they're right. I'm a little more optimistic of that becoming a reality now than I would've been a few weeks ago.

I love all this oh we can just play Wellens at SR, what makes anyone think Wellens can play SR?

Meli should go in the pack, he runs the ball up really well and being in the pack he wouldn't have to deal with kicks and his mistakes which ruin his game would be cut out.

I read some Saints fan today talking about Wellens/Roby sharing the 13 shirt next season

Simply put, Wellens just doesn't have the pace to play 11, 12 or 13. Silly scousers.