My main gripe is with the forwards. An error-ridden, ill-disciplined display was summed up by Dudson, which is unusual for him, losing the plot on a few occassions. The forwards were more interested in niggling than doing the hard yards. I do have a feeling it is to do with complacency with us mullering them in the forwards the last few times. In addition, Wane's comments of "the points can be picked up later in the season" gave the impression he was willing to lose this one, which I can understand with saturday coming up.

Also, Matty Smith needs to get back to form very quickly. His pass selection last night was shocking and he did not trust Hampshire at all, the attack continually broke down with him.

All will be probably forgotten on saturday if we win which is most likely, however if we play like that London will push us.

You can throw what you want at it, but the fact of the matter is our coach has great difficulty getting our team winning and playing well without Sam Tomkins, it's a fact.

It's very worrying to think Wane has such massive issues minus Sam. Yes Lockers was missing, but there's been times he's played when Sam didn't when we lost.

Blame the pack, whatever, but the one man who we really miss is Sam Tomkins, the record speaks for itself.

Yes we miss Sam but he played at Wire and we lost there without Lockers.
That midfield trio of 6,7 & 13 are all over the place.
Green isn't on form and some distance away but he has played alongside Tuson, Burke, Farrel and Lockers in the 13 shirt since he returned from injury.
Smith at times seems to be trying to hard doing everything, playmaking, taking on the line, field kicking. The whole lot needs sorting out.
Overall, what we need most is a settled team.
There are six SL games left,
At most two Cup games,
Then 3-4 play off games.
That's a maximum of 12 games provided to make the two finals.
To gain enough form to win those we need a settled spine of 1,6,7,9 & 13.
Get them playing even if one isn't 100% fit and we can match anyone.
Play without 2-3 of them and we really struggle.
End this rotation or resting players, they now have to play the season out, injuries permitting, to regain the form which could win us trophies.
One question I asked of those stood around me behind the sticks at Saints was "If this had been a Cup Tie do you think Sam, Lockers and HH would have played"?
Those asked all said yes, which prompted my question in the first place.

Well, wigan's modus operandi since 2010 has been to blitz the opposition in the first 20 minutes and kill the game, then maintain on auto pilot for the remaining 60. I think phil clarke had a stat that of the 4 games this season wigan haven't scored first, they've lost 3 and drawn 1.

Only a few teams in the league have the ability to deal with this intensity so what happens is you get a team like salford, the game will be over after 20 and they're gone, and you'll either get a big big score from wigan, or a scrappy low intensity game like 40 - 10 where it looks like a good win but the performance for 3/4 of the game has been scrappy.

We've seen in the first half of the season especially wigan putting on alot of big big scores, but when they come up against a decent team who start well, they can lack the brains and stomach for the fight. I suppose you could class wigan as they currently are, [iflat track bullies[/i

Will we ever recover from the Warrington game? Its still in the system and the mental fatigue is evident. Physically the players are all carrying niggles and playing on dry rock hard summer pitches isnt helping, somehow Wane has got to inflate the confidence bubble again before the business end of the season, I think he can do it, last nights game was a massive lesson for a lot of players. Better that happened last night and not at Wembley

Says the guy who spends all day laughing at Huddersfield's small crowds rather than offering admiration for their vastly better league performances than his beloved Leeds.

What ... suddenly we're not talking about bullies anymore?

I wonder why that is.

Because you got defensive?

Excellent defence mechanisms.

Nah. Just sussed you.

Say what you like people...

We'll play London, Sam will feature and Lockers, everyone will click, people will praise other players performances and all will be forgotten.

However the next time Sam doesn't play....

Not really the case though, was it. We were without our two main strike players in Roby and Soliola, and Lomax only just scraped past a fitness test. We played without a Half-Back for 20 minutes. That's not to mention the other five we've had missing long term.

Both teams had players out, but Saints were the better side on the day.

Lost it because yet again the team allowed themselves to be wound up by McCarthy Scarsbrook, Wellans and Wilkin.

Time we cotton on to it.

Yes, but the difference is that we [ichose[/i to leave our best players out, knowing that we had a semi final 6 days later. As I've already said, I'd take losing on Monday if it meant that we win on Saturday.

Possibly - and that is to my way of thinking a sign of inexperience (Dudson and Flower esp), it was noticable that our better forwards on the day (Farrell and possibly Crosby) didn't get dragged in. That is where I think we missed Lockers and Hansen to calm things down and get stuck in without getting too wound up.