At least the 14

January

It would seem that Christian Woolf is being burned on this years St Helens municipal bonfire according to RedVee.

There's been a lot of complaints on here about the lack of fitness of the squad. Tonight they looked very fit indeed. Saints probably edged the first half on the field and scoreboard but the second half was as dominant a Wigan performance as we'll see. That in a large part was due to the game plan but also due to a much higher level of fitness.

Well played Wigan with great credit to the coaching and fitness staff.

From redvee lol

Originally Posted by Webbo Again 

Our forwards were dominated largely because it's so easy to read who's going to receive the ball. We barely use dummy runners, we barely attack as a group/pack, we barely vary the distribution beyond either the DH or 1st receiver topping it onto the player that's going to drive it in, we barely offload, our half backs lack the skillset to make magic passes to pick out players running a great line.

We have the best 17 and best overall squad in the competition, yet were soundly beaten by a team containing Sam Powell, Willie Isa, Ben Flower, Tony Clubb, that failure Singleton and a handful of over-enthusiastic kids.

The stale, one-dimensional tactics are killing us.

I wouldn't be surprised if some players like Knowles and Bentkey are looking elsewhere, where they won't just be cannon fodder.

Although I have defended Club and Flower as great servants of the club, I do think that one them should make way on the bench for Harry Smith.

Far better to have the extra playmaker in the squad than two props on the bench, especially with Partington in the squad in addition to Bullock and Singleton.

Fully agree. The only other way of doing it would be to leave Smithies out instead because you can’t dump Greenwood after last night. We’ve also got to factor in that Lockers will be back and will be selected (rightly or wrongly), so if you want Smith in then 2 players need to make way. I can’t see Clubb making way, the players and coach love him. I saw Leuluai, Lam and Gildart all mention how brilliant he’d been last week. He did ok and I’ve said before when he’s got the right head on he can offer something but it was hardly brilliant.

There will be some interesting selection decisions over the next few weeks.

This is a good postThis lad needs to realise he is coaching the biggest club in Super Leagueand he isn't getting it. Greenwood and Singleton need to be targeted next time we play them.

Well I think we got the answer about the packs without Walmsley . . . very tight up front for the most part but Wigan's greater intensity certainly told in the end, with some really poor defensive efforts and errors from Saints. And boy did LMS have an absolute stinker, with Paulo awful but we already knew that.

Looking forward to (dreading?!) seeing the stats. Fair play Wigan - richly deserved, there's no arguing with 4 tries to 1.

If the teams meet again in the play-offs it will be a stonker.

Statistically Lees, Amor, Partington and Singleton were very much of a muchness. Only around 40 metres each. That surprised me with Partington but what you can’t put a stat on the intensity he put in to his defence or how quick he played the ball and it was those factors that really impressed me. Joe Bullock and Graham made the most metres of the props, with Bullock in the 90’s and Graham mid 80’s. Ultimately Walmsley is twice the player of any of them at the minute and once he’s back in it’s a different game. We’ll need to find more once Walmsley is back in but last night was a confidence booster.

One player who got very little chatter after last night was Liam Farrell. He has to be 10/10 to get much praise because he’s 8 or 9/10 most weeks. He made 166 metres last night and 58 tackles. It’s staggering stuff but it’s pretty much standard for him. If there’s a better second rower knocking about superleague I’ve not seen him.

He will improve them there's no doubting that, but does he improve them by 3 tries?

Farrell is quality, I've never understood people who think otherwise. Cracking player.

Thought Wigan just handled the big moments better. Felt we were pretty dominant most of first half, particularly early, and should have tidied up the kick try but Lomax was struggling a little at that point.

Second half we made way too many errors, includign some really horrible simple ones. Forcing the drop out then Grace's error was a big point in the match IMO. Grace was great first half but lost his nerve second half. Plus some pretty uncharancteristic sloppy defence through the middle, LMS and Paulo missed a couple of really poor ones.

So tough to quantify. I did worry after 25/30 mins that we were getting pinned in our 40, a bit like that Leeds semi and had that happened with Walmsley in their side, I don’t think we get out of it just 6 points down. Do you then have the energy and belief to get back? I’m not so sure but it’s all if’s and but’s, he didn’t play, we did find the energy to get on top and we’ll take confidence out of the game. I’d love to put Havard in to our side the next time we play them. It’s unlikely with his injury but he’d bring that go forward alongside Bullock to get us off our line. It’s something you can’t rely on most of our props from last night doing. As great as Partington and Singleton were, they’re not making much ground and the two old boys off the bench don’t bring that ability either.