just wanna say, what a guy. well spoken and fully remorseful. hats off. lets put it past us and move on! (promise you the next game you have v saints sky drag it up)

Did no one else find it embarrassing that he got a standing ovation? I'm glad to see him back but that was totally over the top IMO. I guarantee Lockers won't get a standing ovation when he comes back!

It was spot on imo.

For me he was slightly let down by the club and hung out to dry by others in the game. Last night was the fans getting behind him and giving him much needed support.

Not at all.

If he was a muppet like Hock then fair enough I'd want to get rid but he's a good guy and you can tell he's been through a tough time.

Like Wane said 'we look after our own'. He's been fantastic for this club and that night will haunt him forever. He's had his punishment but last night was just the fans chance to say as a collective that they forgive him.

And to be fair with the emotion of that night I'd have sacked him but you soon wise up and realise everyone makes mistakes.

I found the cheesy announcement of sam by IL at half time more embarrassing than the applause ben deservedly got upon his return to the field.

on the flip side, it was good management by wigan to get the announcement and signing sorted to take some of the media limelight away from the whole "6 months ago ben did this" thing, whether it was intentional or not.

more so, I actually felt a little sorry for rocky, who has been almost dynamite since his return to the team.

It was a natural reaction from the fans to say to Ben that we forgive him and we're happy that he's back. I thought it was quite emotional and I reckon it lifted Ben no end.

would you have preferred the fans to do nothing and let the Wire fans Boo's get to him instead.

I think we (the sport, supporters etc) learned a lot from the Terry Newton tragedy. You don't hang people out to dry for one mistake without any support or make sure they know they're wanted and appreciated when it's necessary. I was on my feet, not embarrassed at all, no way was it excessive.

Personally, I don't blame the club for taking the opp to tell the fans their side of the story. They got a lot of flak for not putting up enough of a fight to keep these players originally. I think it's fair enough that they celebrate the fact their tactic worked in the face of a big home crowd.

An absolute natural reaction imo. Great to see.

I thought he performed very well all things considered. Great to have him back.

Having Ben back will make a massive difference to the pack.
In fact I thought we only got on top of the Wire pack from the point at which he came on.

He's a very good prop and the club should secure his and the pack's future by giving him a new contract. I'd say 5 years but 4 years seem the fav time of the club so I'd go along with that.

To be honest Ben made no impact, to be specific he was poor. People got carried away with the hype and forgot he isn't really that good, out of our props he's the least talented and if he's with us next season I'd be shocked.
It was a nice return for him but that's it, people will start remembering he's crap

Let down by the club? Hung out to dry? Are you serious ?

HE let the club down! HE let the game down! You make out like he was wrongly accused of something. He practically asaulted a player on the pitch with a act that's never been seen on a pro rugby pitch EVER! You do that in the street and you go down.

Imo wigan backed him to the hilt. Lance Hohaia didn't make a big deal of it even tho it totally ruined his grand final. Saints offered him all the support in the world.

I think it was pretty embarrassing the standing ovation he got. He's back from a ban and not a injury.

I can get it, if you lot do it when Sam returns to the club but FFS Flower was back from a 6 month ban

Calm down a bit. By today's standards I agree the club backed him but he still had to do the sackcloth and ashes routine demanded by the outraged classes such as yourself.