Sun 24 Feb: SL: Wigan Warriors v Hull FC KO 3pm

[EagleEyePie]

Biggest difference between the two sides was Danny Houghton. He was running the show throughout the game and caused Wigan so many problems. Top quality hooker.

The end result was the right one. I'm not a fan of golden point but it would have been incredibly harsh on Hull if Wigan had snatched a win at the end.

Defensively Wigan were all over the place at times. The aggression and line speed seems to have disappeared except for a handful of individuals who are trying to keep the standards high.

Flower, Bullock and Hamlin were once again excellent for Wigan and the team is so much stronger when they are on the field, but get past that and the front row is weak. We've had Clubb and Navarrete starting the season in poor form and when Tautai got his chance today he got sin binned pretty much straight away. With Isa also offering nothing in Farrell's absence the Wigan pack is looking a little bit weak, and not for the first time.

[Rupert Prince]

Don't worry, EagleEye Pie, according to the recent BBC latest results on line, Wigan and Hull did not play today,  so maybe we still have a chance.

Other than that, it's hard to criticise Tony Clubb for losing form because he was not in the squad, recovering from a face injury in R1.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Cheshire Setter said:

George Williams accused of lacking last tackle options...   when was the last time GB produced an all-round great half-back? (I’m not counting Widdop due the fact he didn’t develop his professional game here).

Sean Long?

Garry Schofield.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, muckymunksy said:

Wigan be lucky to finish in top 6 this season the coke head doesn’t look half the player he was at Cas. 

He ain't got a half back in front of him capable of linking with him when he chimes in from the back, Williams, Luleui and Powell are just not ball players of the class of Gale or McGuire when at Leeds.

[shrek]

Thought Gareth Ellis was an absolute legend, great to see one of my all time favourite players back in action.

[Padge]

Hull deserved the win, by a long way,  golden is no way to end a regular league game though. 

Liked the fact that  some HFC fans enjoyed our great hospitality and others chose to drive past.

[Ullman]

3 hours ago, Cheshire Setter said:

Radford needs you as the team Psychologist! 

If Private Frazer did team talks...

[Davc1h]

Well done Hull.

Genuinely pleased for you that the run has been halted..

As for Wigan, last week had to have had its effect, they will be back.

[MZH]

Just seen the highlights. Connors pass for Ratu's first was outrageous. How can you get the ball in and out of your hands that quickly with that distance and accuracy? 

He might be a bit of a ######, but I don't think I have ever seen another player with his natural ability wearing the black and white during my time. 

[Rupert Prince]

4 hours ago, Cheshire Setter said:

George Williams accused of lacking last tackle options...   when was the last time GB produced an all-round great half-back? (I’m not counting Widdop due the fact he didn’t develop his professional game here).

Sean Long?

Williams is a stand off. Widdop is a stand off.  Long a scrum half. 

[Cheshire Setter]

17 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

Williams is a stand off. Widdop is a stand off.  Long a scrum half. 

Did Wane always keep him at stand-off half for every play?   I could have sworn I’ve seen Wane interchange the two halves left and right?

Apologies if that’s not the case but I do think he’s inconsistent on the last play.   Short kicking game is unmatchable though.

[Jinking Jimmy]

1 hour ago, Cheshire Setter said:

Did Wane always keep him at stand-off half for every play?   I could have sworn I’ve seen Wane interchange the two halves left and right?

Apologies if that’s not the case but I do think he’s inconsistent on the last play.   Short kicking game is unmatchable though.

Short kicking game today was awful and he has little else in his locker. Most overrated player Wigan have had in years.

[briggyq]

I dont like the golden point concept, its not needed in a league game, but credit to Hull they deserved the win,Wigan where very poor.

[Old Frightful]

3 hours ago, Padge said:

Hull deserved the win, by a long way,  golden is no way to end a regular league game though. 

Liked the fact that  some HFC fans enjoyed our great hospitality and others chose to drive past.

I was on a bloody coach, I had little choice.

Up yours. 

[Sparse Attendance]

Never mind the Wigan walk because  by the look of the attendance, they didn’t bother getting out of their armchairs. Must be worrying for the Wigun board. 

[faithfulbyname]

9 hours ago, MZH said:

Just seen the highlights. Connors pass for Ratu's first was outrageous. How can you get the ball in and out of your hands that quickly with that distance and accuracy? 

He might be a bit of a ######, but I don't think I have ever seen another player with his natural ability wearing the black and white during my time. 

Paul Cooke is another who springs to mind. A lot of a ****head, but supremely skilful. 

[Old Frightful]

Bit disappointed with the Wigan fans booing Shaul when he went down after a bad knock under his own posts. They booed him from the time he went down until the time he was helped off with concussion.

I know there's a lot of gamesmanship in our game nowadays but Hull FC can't do without Shaul's presence on the field so for him to have to go off, it must have been a bad 'un.

 

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

The gate, incidentally, was 10971.

[MZH]

15 minutes ago, Chronicler of Chiswick said:

The gate, incidentally, was 10971.

The likes of Salford and Huddersfield (sometimes rightly) get stick for their crowds, but one of the more worrying attendance related trends in recent times is the way Wigan's have fallen off a cliff.

How many Hull were there? Judging from the clip of Sneyds DG I would guess it was approaching 1000. For Wigan to only attract 10,000 of their own fans to a Sunday afternoon game a week after their side has given a real good account of themselves in the WCC. That is a concern.

[Rupert Prince]

12 hours ago, Jinking Jimmy said:

Short kicking game today was awful and he has little else in his locker. Most overrated player Wigan have had in years.

Ignorant rubbish.  

[Lowdesert]

Continued gossip of Williams to the NRL again.  Wouldn't surprise me if he got his nose in at Canberra.

[MZH]

18 hours ago, EagleEyePie said:

Biggest difference between the two sides was Danny Houghton. He was running the show throughout the game and caused Wigan so many problems. Top quality hooker.

The end result was the right one. I'm not a fan of golden point but it would have been incredibly harsh on Hull if Wigan had snatched a win at the end.

Defensively Wigan were all over the place at times. The aggression and line speed seems to have disappeared except for a handful of individuals who are trying to keep the standards high.

Flower, Bullock and Hamlin were once again excellent for Wigan and the team is so much stronger when they are on the field, but get past that and the front row is weak. We've had Clubb and Navarrete starting the season in poor form and when Tautai got his chance today he got sin binned pretty much straight away. With Isa also offering nothing in Farrell's absence the Wigan pack is looking a little bit weak, and not for the first time.

Glad you mentioned Houghton.

Because he makes so many tackles people often dismiss him as a grafter with not much else to his game. But if his forwards are giving him a bit to work with he is more than capable of running the show.

I think it was Westerman when he got his England call up a few years ago that said going away with the train on squad gave him a new appreciation of Houghton. He said you don't realise just how good his distribution is until you go away and train/play with other guys and you find yourself checking your runs or reaching for passes. Houghton just knows where you want the ball and he puts it there.

[Old Frightful]

2 hours ago, MZH said:

How many Hull were there? 

I think about a thousand is somewhere near. That end stand probably holds 3K plus and I'd say we at least filled a third of it.

Great to be part of it.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Old Frightful said:

I think about a thousand is somewhere near. That end stand probably holds 3K plus and I'd say we at least filled a third of it.

Great to be part of it.

The North stand holds around 5400. I would have guessed roughly 1000 Hull fans where there.

[Rupert Prince]

28 minutes ago, 7723 said:

The North stand holds around 5400. I would have guessed roughly 1000 Hull fans where there.

I'm curious how many Leeds fans travelled this weekend. 

I note that apart from Cats and London everybody else scored a minimum 4 tries. Most games were fairly close.  Bearing in mind this thread is leaning towards criticism of Wigan, and fair doos to FC, Wigan themselves are in fact in fairly good company.

All of which points to winning teams seizing the moment when opportunity knocks.