The Masterplan

Quote: FlexWheeler "Yeah, when wigan were 5 points clear at the top i'm sure they thought, let's start losing games so we can finish 4th. '"

No they weren't and you missed the point. Now it looks unlikely we will finish top people are speculating where is best to finish and it's no necessarily second. If a team can't finish top the best place is 5th IMO.

Quote: FlexWheeler "The moment you start trying to get too clever and thinking we'll try and finish lower as we fancy our chances against x team more, it will only blow up in your face. This isn't the CC where you can win it without playing a single top 4 team (what wigan may do this season). You're going to have to beat some good teams to win it regardless.'"

Certain fixtures [iare[/i impossible but whether a team finishes first or fourth we already know it must play another top four side at least once.

Quote: FlexWheeler "Resting players in the run in isn't a beneficial thing either like you suggest. If possible going into the playoffs the team needs to be finely tuned to each other and battle hardened. So the best 17 should play together as much as possible in the final months of the season. Wigan have rested their players god knows how many times this season. They should be going with the top 17 week in week out from here on in.'"

I'd agree with that provided it doesn't involve pushing players who are carrying knocks to play. I don't think we have rested players as often as you suggest anyway. Moat of the time they have been injured. The only time I think players may have been rested when fit in the last few weeks was v Saints and even then I am sure injuries were mentioned for some.

Quote: FlexWheeler "Considering how good wigan were in the early season and how they've dropped off somewhat now, it's natural to think it's some kind of plan, but the reality is that so far, wigan have made a bit of a pigs ear of the run in.
'"

I don't disagree with that either. While there have been injuries and players have not been rested as often as you suggest I think Wane has experimented too much and rotated the younger players virtually every week. He probably thinks this is wise so as not to burn them out but my view is he should have picked the "best of the rest" when senior players were actually injured. For example every time Lockers is out Burke should play 13. That means less disruption than the half backs having to work with a different loose forward. Same kind of thing when the half backs have been out.

Quote: FlexWheeler "What [ishould[/i have happened is that they should have had top spot pretty much sewn up now, so their big guns could avoid a bruising encounter in france the week before the final, win the CC, have a rest against hull then bring them all back for a nice battle hardner against leeds, the week before the playoffs, 2 home games away from old trafford.

If there ever was a ''plan'' for the run in, that would have been it.'"

I agree that we should have ideally been playing our best team and thus hopefully this would have won us some of the games lost such as Cas at home and allowed us to rest payers for the final this week but apart from the odd occasion I don't think resting players has been as prevalent as you think. So we have ended up here only partially by design. Genuine injuries are as much to blame as anything and we have a had a bit of a shocker with those this season.