Ask the players which they would rather win, GF wins hands down.

Is it possible that Shaun Wane being a native son and a Wigan supporter meant that he has wanted his team to be firing on all cylinders every week?. For example, Widnes being a 'revenge game', when Wane sounded more like a fan in his view that Widnes were owed one.

It is impossible to put the same level of emotion and meaning into every weekly round. There will be peaks and valleys throughout a long season and the best coaches know how to select when to ramp it up. Hell, the best coaches know when a loss is not a bad thing, and use them to their advantage. These things come with experience.

We were bloody awful in attack and defence. Playing like that going into the business end of the season is a big worry. For me we are way Behind Warrington and also Leeds . I can see the grand final being the same 2 as the challenge cup .

Simple - there are a few players in the squad who need to be dropped (NOT rested) and this should be done publically so they are in no doubt that they have been dropped. For me it seems that some players performances have dropped a lot recently and they are still selected every week. IF we have to play younger players then fine at least they will put in 100% effort unlike some latley.

Plus playing unfit players is a big mistake - Wane needs to get this into his head NOW.

The SEETHING is strong with this one

Actually think this is the most rational post on this thread. I was going to post something similar. Gutted with the way we played but it's not the doom and gloom some folk have been saying. This was a big game, but so was the saints away game earlier this season and we did ok in that with some injuries too.

One halfback unfit to play and one still new to the team. Many stupid mistakes early on and defending for ages in our own half on a hot day took its toll. Always chasing after that and simply weren't good enough on the day. Sure we need to be better and soon, but we can do it. A week off will actually do us a lot of good for play-offs with regards to injuries, although would rather be at Wembley.

Also, saying the youngsters should be embarrassed is embarrassing. Wane has debuted about 11-12 this year which is great for the future. Thought thornley did ok considering his experience. Many old pros would have been mugged by Monaghan in that match. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and is free to criticise but just think there has been some over-reaction.

I agree that Thornley did well up against Monaghan. At the moment Monaghan is the best in the league when it comes to catching cross field kicks and yet Thornley did exactly what he had to do and prevented him from catching them.
One of them he was unlucky that he landed on his arm and lost control, but he prevented a try in a situation where the attacking player has an advantage which is what a defending winger needs to do.

Yesterday was one of the worst performances I've seen from Wigan in a very long time - that includes the Leeds SF CC game.

Forwards
Bottled it. Pure and simple. Mossop, Hansen, Micky Mac, Prescott, Lima and Farrell need to take a long hard look at themselves after yesterday. Did Prescott even play? He was non-existant. The only way I knew Mossop was playing was because of that attempted hug on Chris Hill.

It's a worry for me that in 2 big games this season, CCSF and yesterday, our forwards haven't been there. Does Wane need to keep his mouth shut about our forwards bullying the other pack? Jury's out on that for me, because in every game whether its a big game or a normal league game - the pack should go out there with the sole intention of bullying and dominating the other pack. Do we need another prop or two? Definately. Another hooker to compete with Micky Mac? Worth considering.

Backs
Carmont - the only player I can hand on heart say had a decent game. Thornley did OK, his inexperience showed but I didn't think he did too much wrong against Joel Monaghan. Finch should of been nowhere near that team today, it was clear from the warm-up that he wasn't fully fit, and in a massive game such as this going into it at less than 100% is asking for trouble. He was at fault for a few mistakes but he wasn't alone - Matty Smith was woeful.

Our backs needed to play behind a dominant forward pack. Our pack weren't dominant, they were getting bullied. The backs therefore had little to play with - that doesn't excuse the amateur mistakes though - but Finch and Smith looked beaten by the 3rd tackle of our attacks. I'll be interested to see who Wane see's fit to replace Finch at the end of the season.

Shaun Wane
Was his tactical nous called into question yesterday? Does his tough training regime look like its taken it's toll? Its a YES from me on those two. I credit the bloke on wanting to be tough and wanting to get the 'fighting spirit and tough mental attitude' into the players, nothing wrong with that - BUT is he going about it the wrong way? The players looked fatigued out there. Prescott, Hansen, Finch you just had to look at them to know they shouldn't be playing.

I think he has worked wonders at the club this season and therefore I'm reluctant to criticize too much, but the showing in huge games needs to improve. Its all well and good hammering London, Wakefield, Widnes and Hull but when the team can't perform against a top team [ahem]Wire[ahem] it is worrying.

I had faith that we'd make OT and win the GF. I am starting to doubt that faith after yesterday.

Good post and agree with vast majority of it. One does wonder about whether the players are being flogged too hard in training. I'm also concerned about the number of injuries incurred in training too - Lima was out for a few weeks because of an injury that happened in training and is one of the players who has not been as impressive since June.

SW has said that Sam Powell was unavailable owing to injury yesterday - I didn't notice him pick up any knock against Hull, so was this another injury that happened in training?

I do think all the players should be given a break at some stage in the next 3 weeks and hopefully they'll come back mentally as well as physically refreshed. Only 1 game in the next 20 days.

I'd like to see something along those line's too. We look fatigued to me at present. But have the chance and time to get the players fit and ready for the play-off should Wane choose to do so.

Don;t know why people are saying we have lost our 2 biggest games of the season so far. Our biggest game was Leeds in the SF and we lost, after that it was Saints in the QF which we won, then Saints at Standish-with-Langtree Park which we won, then Saints in Manchester. Then i would say it was yesterdays game. Thats 3 out of 5 victories, plus beat Leeds home and away and Catalans home and away. OK we lost at home to Wire but that was only on kicks and Pat was injured. Also beat Hudds away when they were top or 2nd and certainly in form.

The worry yesterday is that our players looked like the team going to Wembley and worried about injury. Our ball retention was awful aswell, and that's a basic. Should we play them in the playoffs we'll be a lot better, i'm sure.

The semi final and Saturdays match were our biggest games this season.

We lost them both !

We won't win trophies playing like that.

They'll get a natural break with the cup final but other then that I think we need to get as settled a side as possible out there and try to build some momentum. We seem to have a minimum of 2 or 3 changes a week at the moment and it's doing nothing to help build players match fitness, form or an ability to play as a cohesive unit.

I cant help feeling there is a bit of an over-reaction to this defeat. Defensively we were pretty good but when you continually turn the ball over in your own half points will be conceded. Our attack was lame but look at the swapping and changing over the last few weeks just in the halves. We had Finch/Tommy then Finch/Lockers then Finch/Smith the Smith/Powell then Finch/Smith again. Add to that several of the team clearly werent fit and we played who I think are the best team in the comp fighting for cup final jerseys, the writing was on the wall before a ball was kicked. I still think we'll get to Old Trafford but we need some consistency in that team. Maybe knocking the full contact training on the head might be start so we arent injuring each other.

I don't understand why this game is being regarded as one of the two biggest all year, it was no more vital than any other league game. I would have said the first game in the season should have been a critical one to set the way that Wigan wanted to go on.

Given the turn over in the halves the last few weeks it's understandable that the disruption will have had an impact. Finch was well off the mark and I don't think should have played, he seemed to avoid taking on anyone all day.