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.

I think people are concerned about the future of the sport more than anything else.

Myself included - I can't believe how far standards have slumped over the last few years. Rugby league in this country is in a terrible state.

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.

You know things are bad when the one driving in with the most passion and enthusiasm is the bloke who's been missing for four months.

Could have and should have been 70+ tonight.

Much work to do Shaun.

The timing is slightly off, for whatever reason. We must have "bombed" at least six tries tonight.

The award for most bizarre ref decision of the month goes to Sean Gleeson hacking at the ball with his foot being deemed a knockon!

Within 5 years you will be looking at this match and thinking fondly about the level of skill on display.

If it carries on going downhill like it has been doing the likelihood is I won't be watching at all within 2 years, never mind 5.

I used to be a fanatical supporter of RL and couldn't get enough of it. Now its an afterthought for me and I'm very sad to say that.

Well I didn't go over to the DW Stadium tonight, so I'm not going to pass comment on the game... but I do agree that it is a worry looking at the state of SL and RL right now.

Salford had very little to play for tonight... in fact... they had less than that. A ton of injuries, and players destined to leave the club give the them nothing to play for... and pride can't even come into that... as I've not seen any pride in those shirts for weeks. At times this season, Salford have played some superb rugby league... at a time when they had a goal and when players were in the shop window. The contract system has a lot to answer for. Players announcing they are leaving before the end of a season needs changing. They shouldn't even be able to speak to anybody until the season is well over. But we all know that will never happen as back handers have always existed in the game, and would just continue to do so. Salford players will play for 3/4 of the season, and as soon as they can start talking to other clubs... they will. We have players in the squad who have been touting for other clubs for weeks... then it leaves games like this just being a damp squib. Not even sure why players had to put themselves out tonight. People are paying good money to watch a game of rugby league that is one step short of the badminton farce in the Olympics.

I didn't go for those reasons... people question loyalty... well everybody has a breaking point and mine was months ago... possibly before the start of this season. Watching Salford recently has become a chore. Yes... we have had a good few performances... but in the main... it's a nightmare....and it's no necessarily Salford's fault... it's those who run the game and make the rules.

I wouldn't knock the Salford players for effort, tonight, I thought they tried hard right to the end, just didn't have the creative spark to break down our pretty good defence.

I don't think they helped themsleves though, by going constantly for intercepts rather than concentrating on tackling the man with the ball, and thus repeatedly knocking on, gifting us repeated back-to-back sets.

That said, we were pretty pedestrian in attack.

The worrying thing with the Wigan performance was the way in which the Salford defensive tactics which were to get up into the faces of the opposition quickly caused Wigan problems. The half backs just shunted the ball out wide even when the Salford players were in the line. No taking the defence on or short kicks to stop the rush defence. It was basic stuff yet still caused Wigan problems. The set moves were easily spotted and better teams than Salford would have seized the opportunity to take advantage of a Wigan team that performed like it was a pre season fixture.

Highlights now up on SLTV

[urlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/sltv/SLHighlights#[/url

Smith got MoM because we were playing Salford. Can't think of any other reason given Lockers was indeed the best player on the park by some distance and his tackles were as you say brutal.

I agree a little with that. Never used to miss a televised game but now I couldn't care less unless it's along the lines of Wigan/Wire/Leeds/Saints/Catalans v Wigan/Wire/Leeds/Saints/Catalans.