The way we’re playing has led to 13 wins from 15 games. Some of the wins have been scrappy and some have been gritty. Some have been largely down to poor opposition but the fact stands. We’ve seen glimpses of great attacking rugby and seen some outstanding defence. We’re no longer an easy team to beat and I think you’ll be proved wrong this week. Even if we don’t win, it’ll be a hard, close game and we’ll not be far off.

We have been winning yes, but my post is referring to the void between Saints, us and Wire. Do I think we're capable of beating most teams? Yes, just miles behind the top two, with Saints far in front.
I agree with some of your post, we've seen 'glimpses' of great attacking rugby, which for me is no where near good enough, it supports my point, we need to see consistent great attacking rugby. Additionally you say we've seen 'some' outstanding defence, we have, but again 'some is not good enough to be a GF winning team. We need to consistently good, in a single game for the 80 and then outstanding to beat the top two.

If Wire field half a team we should be putting 40-50 points on them, if it's a close game with a half strength Wire what will a full strength Wire do to us?

Our overall play this season has significantly dropped, it's so visible week-in-week-out. I personally think we have the personal this season to be better than we are.

I pray I'm proven wrong, I pray this is the game we click and run riot, but lets be honest, it would be one giant leap from what we've seen this season.

Don't let the happy clappers rewrite history. We've beaten one team above us all season and been spanked by most of the people we'll need to beat at the business end.

I started to get carried away with our results, but Hull KR brought me back down with a bump. We're a level below a full strength Wire.

There’s a huge gap between Saints and the rest but hardly any gap if any between Wire and the likes of Hull, Wigan and co. In the only real meaningful game we’ve played this year we should’ve beaten them and were the better sides for long periods. To say luck wasn’t on our side in that cup tie would be an understatement and that was a Wigan side going in to the game in horrendous form and looking pretty clueless.

I’ve not bought in to this theory thrown around in parts that it’s Saints, Wire and then the rest. It’s Saints and then the rest of us scrapping around to see who’ll play them (and more than likely lose) in finals.

I agree completely NK. Saints have clearly set the standard and there isn’t much between the chasing pack. Of course, I’m a happy clapper so my views are always wrong and count for less than everybody else’s.
You know, like when we were 9th and I said we wouldn’t lose a game in June and that we’d go on a winning run into a good play off place? Oh hang on...... (this is where I’d put a smiley or a winking emoji if I knew how)!

Flower out for 4-6 weeks with a knee issue!

Burgess with a pec might not play

Hardaker
Marshall
Sarginson
Gildart
French
Williams
Leaulai
Partington
Powell
Clubb
Farrell
Isa
Smithies

Hankinson
Bryne
Greenwood
Naverette

I was exactly the same.
I'm not a happy clapper or captain doom and gloom. I just call it as I see it. Like I say, I do think we're good enough to beat most teams, but a way off Wire and Saints. More importantly if I'm honest, I couldn't possibly say we're anything close to what we were last season.

I expected us to start clicking after the CC weekend, but we didn't.

I guess after years under Wane that's what happened, we got stronger when it mattered, performances started to click, by the business end of the season we were the strongest team.

But we're not a Shaun Wane team anymore.
I'm still not impressed with Wigan under Lam. We're way behind. And people say we play more attacking better rugby under Lam? Baffling, we're streets behind in terms of style attractiveness and effectiveness.

Flower out with a knee injury - another 4-6 weeks out. Everyone over 30 at Wigan seem to be having real injury issues at the moment.

Looks like French will replace Burgess as well.

Was just asking about Flower on another thread.
Not what I wanted to hear but thanks for the update.

Looking forward to Partington vs Westwood

Saints yes (although I'd like to see what our first 17 can do against them) but Warrington's best 17 hasn't exactly hammered us at any point this season especially considering the teams we have had out against them. It's been little moments of brilliance from Austin (magic for example, albeit the pass was forward) that has got them over the line in most cases.

We're 4th in the table with a decent chance of finishing 3rd and haven't once had our best side out. Granted the best 17 we currently have isn't the same as it was at the start of the season with Hamlin going but we still can't get our best 17 out due to injury and probably won't. The sides above us (Saints especially) have played it for the majority of the season and in Saints case will do so in the playoffs. They're currently doing what we did in 2013 by resting players but whereas we lost games, the standard of the Super League nowadays means they're actually winning them.

How’s the weather in Wigan, are we in for an old fashioned mud lark.

It's cleared up a bit in the last couple of hours, not raining now, and hopefully will stay dry for the game.

Thanks