We've lost Thomas Leuluai, George Carmont, Jeff Lima, Gareth Hock and Brett Finch just from last seasons side. That is a serious amount of top quality we've lost and in the main replaced with young talent.
All this negativity about Wigan is crazy, we've absorbed the losses and look a genuinely top class team and that is an absolute credit to Wane, the rest of the staff and the players who have stepped up.

I ,for one, am really proud of how they're doing and i think we've got a great chance this year to win the Grand Final.

We definitely missed Green's smart play, although Powell had a very good game. Our attack is predictable at times, the key is to keep reinventing it throughout the season. Correct me if I'm wrong but the move to set up tomkins try was new to me, Vickery rushed up to cut out tomkins which left a gap for thornley. We need to keep using Sam as a decoy, a great tactic IMO. Wane is doing a great job with our attack.

It was more of a goal than Pat's first two!

Amazing how people can be negative of the team so far. Having lost the quality players last year and starting with a new half back partnership, and suffering the injuries to Hansen, Prescott, Lauaki, Mossop, I'm very happy to be top four, let alone top. Yes, Leeds made us work hard, but let's not forget they are the Grand Final winners, and have great pedigree in winning the competition.

Most of the constructive comments on this thread have not been negative, all some posters are trying to point out is that is another arrow in your bow to be able to change things if plan A is not working.

I'm fine with how we are playing at the moment. We will win nothing by trying to peak in May. So what if there are areas for improvement, maybe SW has learned some lessons from last year and is preparing the side to hit top form when it really matters. I think we have a great chance of silverware this season.

Good post, and I totally agree. Some people miss the point of a forum and discussion, unless you shout from the rooftops that Wigan are the greatest thing in the world today you're being negative, this in term gives people an excuse to start an argument rather than a discussion.

So, if you are negative, its a discussion, but if someone disagrees with you, its an argument?

People are not being negative in this thread.

Theres a difference in disagreeing with someone compared to having a pop at them by accusing them (or people in general) of being negative. A valid point of disagreement would be how significant Green's absence was. But for example prefacing any opinions on that by accusing people who don't think it would have made a great deal of difference with accusations of negativity isn't a discussion because it has nothing to do with the topic.

Here are my thoughts having re watched the game a couple of times:
- I am not concerned about our ability to score points in the backs as long as Sam is fit. Without him, I can't see us winning the big games;
- we have already shown we have a plan B if the opposition rush up. Blake and Smith broke down Saints by taking the line on or giving short passes when they tried the same thing the week after our wide plays had destroyed Widnes;
- we could have scored at least one other try, from Powell's run and Josh's wonderful break. With our defence 24 points will pretty much always win us the big games;
- this was wonderful preparation for us. We closed out the game in very professional style, compared with the panic which has set in at times over the last 2 years;
- my concerns are with the pack. I think we need bigger props against Leeds and Wire. I would have played Taylor. I also think that Hansen's lack of threat with ball in hand limits one side of the field, as he doesn't ask any questions of anyone. Burke or Hughes will very soon be a better bet;
- people are concerned about us winning things, but with 2 of Wire, the Giants and Leeds out of the semis we could reasonably only have to perform once to win the second most prestigious trophy (which of course makes the down playing of the league where you have to play everyone without any luck of the draw even more absurd). We can certainly do that;
- so, for mine it's not so much a Plan B as getting more out of our pack, which in turn will allow the backs to work their magic.

Is being able to grind out a result, like we did last Sunday, a plan B ?

If someone posts "I hate some of our fans" I would call that argumentative and therefore worthy of a verbal slap down.