So were you expecting us to go backwards? Which we have.

At the start of the season Shaun Wane said he felt Wigan could improve in 2012 over 2011. He said he wanted to cut out the stupid losses and win the games we lost by the odd point. He meant it to and was very clear about what he was out to achieve. It wasn't bravado and he said he was going to do this by adopting a different approach.

He has failed to deliver that. He has clearly failed to meet his own targets.

Impressive i agree, the team was inherited and the rugby played early on was awesome..but we only finished top because Warrington fluffed the London game otherwise it would have been a pretty underachieving season for the previous Cup winners and Champions the year before.

Next season no Tommy (our best player..inc Sam) no Finch, no Lima although he ain't been the same but he showed the same problems at Melbourne just before he left for England..and no Georgy..all in all for me it was a great start and a sad end, no doubt IL with give Wane more time and hopefully Wane will get a top notch front row in place rather than ones that shy away from the big games.

I dont buy the Burnout theory. We have just lost to a side who have played every week since February, whereas we have had two blank weekends in the past 5 weeks. Its all about what's in the mind come playoff time, and Leeds are clearly ahead of all the others when it comes to mental toughness.

I did a course at Leeds Uni on change management last April, and one of the days involved a visit to Headingley where Gary Hetherington & Brian McDermott gave us three hours of their time. It was fascinating chatting to Brian about how they adopt a siege mentality come playoff time, and are clearly far more mentally tough than any other side - they also have the advantage of knowing it can be done from 5th, and I wouldnt be surprised to see them taking the trophy back again.

1. Wane is nowhere near a SL coach. There is no point hammering teams in March and leaving nothing in the tank for the playoffs. Sorry, I like SW but he hasn't the intellect to be a coach.


Five pages and counting - but the OP got it right - good set of players at Wigan but Wane gave Leeds every incentive to kick your bums this week - dumb coaching - as a Leeds fan - thank you very much

I wish people would stop using finishing top of the league as an excuse for Shaun Wane. It means nothing. It's obvious to see that we went all guns blazing to finish top but who's to say that had the league leaders actually meant anything that other teams wouldn't of finished above us? Truth is all teams know that the champions are those who win at OT. Had the league leaders meant anything then I suspect we wouldn't of trampled over teams as easily earlier in the year eg. Leeds away.

You know the rules of the competition at the start of the season. Finish top of the pile and you win a hub cap. Peak at the end of the season and you get to the Grand Final.

Wane coached to win the hub cap. I hope you enjoy it.

Well said SS -

Completely agree from a Wigan fan. McDermott obviously learned a lot from Brian Noble that its not a sprint it's a marathon.

Fact is you are playing in a competition that only matters over a three/four week period. Are you all serious that you enjoy playoff rugby to decide the "Champions" in my eyes the team who ends top of the pile are the best team and should be recognised as champions. But you all enjoy the closed shop you now play in so you have to abide by the rules which you all knew at the start. Super League I'd rather not.

Get over it nobber

I love the play offs. It's an exciting way to bring the season to an end. Full credit to those that understand it and shame on those that think winning by cricket scores in feb/march/April means anything. From a Wigan fan.

Yep agreed, it does kind of make a mockery of the notion of our Super 'League'.
The current playoff system is completely disconnected from deciding who is the best team in the league.......And the Whino's are living proof of that.
Its about money for the RFL and thats it.
Anyone who would seriously suggest Leeds deserve to be champs, in comparison to Wire last year and us this year, is just a wee bit delusional IMHO.
Most non-RL people think the playoff sytem is just plain bizarre. And its hard to justify it when a distinctly average team (over a full regular season) can end-up as league champions via 3 one-off games.
BUT, try to argue against it....Especially after losing a semi final......And you're cast as being just plain bitter.
Methinks some people really need to unplug from the Sky/RFL matrix b@llox thats being fed to us these days.
Done nothing for our game, cept make it even more of a laughing stock to non-RL people.

Moan over - That is all.

What if fans started picking and choosing games like the teams do?
If fans only bothered for the last 3 games of the year, you would soon see clubs voting against a playoff system as their main source of income, the season ticket drains away.

It's a catch 22 though as fans will never turn their backs on the clubs and will still turn up week in and week out even if the coaches and the players do not.

It's a dangerous game though that RL is playing. But if it pays off then it does mean more money overall for the game, but fans have to live with the best not nessasarily being champions. The CC is a knockout competition but includes all teams not just the top 8 of SL. If the playoffs are valid to justify a champion team, then the CC is more so as it includes all teams from all divisions, so is a better measure of a team.

If this gamble does not payoff, fans could become disallusioned with the regular season and then clubs would really feel the pain.

Never forget though the entire system is voted for by the clubs right down to club call that most people deride, yet when the clubs voted on it only one club voted against.

Sorry for the spelling but it's late.

It's hardly SW's fault that being the most consistent team over an entire season counts for nothing. He did his job during the regular season to the best of his ability, just failed in losing two semi-finals.

Repeat sets! I'd like to see us try this at least once. Last tackle options were shocking throughout the whole game!