The common factor in both is the use of the elbow, yes under different circumstances but nonetheless.

Think Lineham deserves a 3-4 game ban. Striking the head when a player is especially not looking needs to be cut out regardless. Flower felt the wrath and deservedly, Singleton has been dealt with accordingly. Lineham should be punished and Stewart should get a 1-2 game ban. He made contact with the head but it was a swinging arm not an elbow to the back of the head.

I hope that they didnt give Cooper a big contract, he looked small for a prop, a trier put not a top level prop for me.

To be honest, I hope they have.

I still remember an RL phone-in on the radio when Wigan were facing relegation, and it was ram-jammed with cock-a-hoop Wire fans.

So frankly, I couldn't care less about their plight and have no concerns whatsoever about their poor recruitment and bad coaching.

The only pity is that, with the current SL set-up, the likes of Wire, Saints and Leeds will never be relegated via a system like the Qualifiers, no matter how richly their form during the season means they deserve it.

Indeed. I can't imagine many Wigan fans will feel sorry for them. I actually didn't mind Wire until 2007 when a load of their numpty fans turned up to our CC Semi supporting Catalan.

Their lack of local talent coming through is hard to believe when they actually have a decent academy team. Which of their academy players have made it in the last 10 years? The only one I can think of is Currie! Mike Cooper and Brad Dwyer maybe at a push but it shows how much they rely on recruitment to build a team. When the market dries up (resorting to Brown), you get a bit of bad luck (Dodds) or a few poor investments (Sandow, Wheeler, Asotasi etc.) you end up with an average team that has generally over-performed. Last year they were carried by Hill, Clark and Westerman with a sprinkling of Sandow that were high on confidence. Put them on the ropes and they'll always disappoint.

Currie was a wigan academy player

He only played U16s didn't he? Don't think we can take too much credit for him.

I thought the interview with Hill post match was telling, he looked and sound dumbfounded, as though when he'd been watching from the sidelines it hadn't seemed too bad, nothing that couldn't be turned around.
Only when he's been on the pitch with his team mates has he realised what a state they're in.

They do have a few coming through, though none that one would call top-class. I like Declan Patton, but Smith doesn't seem to rate him. Played well against us in that Academy final about 3 years ago, that we almost lost, and looked good in the reserve game last week.

I've always likes Rhys Evans and honestly believe that if he'd come through the Wigan system would have been a class centre by now. Livett looks good and Toby King could be an excellent player if he can stay clear of any further injuries.

i was impressed with Lineham last night, first time I have ever seen a player make more yards at the play ball than in actual open play. Moved about 10 yards from the mark the ref sent him back to play it then he penalised Leigh twice in second half for moving off the mark.

And probably not going to see him again for a few weeks once the disciplinary have their say.