WN83

All feels pretty familiar with Lam in a knock out game. We’d have games like this under him, where we’d go in to it in good form and then the wheels would come off when it mattered most. I can’t say I’m hoping for Saints to get York in a cup semi but it would be some story.

Absolutely sensational! The lad is such a good player but I don’t think he knows himself just how good he is and how good he could become. If he realises, believes in himself and really pushes himself, he can be anything.

I see more and more of those knocking around, especially ones who support Saints. I can never work out if they're Wiganers, who support St Helens in rugby or they're from St Helens and support Wigan in football but I suspect they're more in the first bracket. There seem to be a few who knock about together and watch Saints all over the place, including in Australia and France. I find it amusing they've decided to do that, as though they're sticking 2 fingers up at Wigan Rugby. I couldn't care less who anybody supports in Rugby League, as long as they're following the game, so more power to them. Hopefully they continue to bring more friends to games.

The clubs will be more closely aligned, I'm absolutely sure of that. Ian Lenagan won't be front and centre of it but I'm convinced he will be playing a pretty big part in the background. All you hear about Danson is that he doesn't want any sort of publicity and wants to remain private and I think he fully trusts people like Lenagan and Radlinski to run the rugby club and he will get somebody in charge of the football club that not only he trusts but who will work with Lenagan/Radlinski and help bring the clubs together. I'm absolutely chuffed tbh. I think it's brilliant news for the town and both clubs. A joint owner (which he will be at some point) will put an end to a lot of the mud fans of both the clubs like to throw at each other.

It's been something I've desperately wanted to see since I was a child. I watch both clubs (but can't lie-rugby league is my first love) and the ridiculous rivalry has been as damaging, as it is pointless. We are a small town, who has had 2 successful sporting clubs but the town is not big enough for in fighting and it needs to end. I really hope this takeover can help to start a process that leads to it being a thing of the past. People don't need to support both clubs but the hate from both sides is pretty pathetic. I get the feeling in time that Danson will fully own both clubs and there will be a drive to push a one town approach and it can't come soon enough.

Saints will win pretty comfortably I’d imagine but we’ve got reasons (excuses) and I’m confident we’ll be there or thereabouts when the big games come around. We can’t get any momentum in to the season at the minute but all being well, there is time to find that.

Game of the weekend potentially. Two clubs making strides, with good coaching and good players. I have a feeling Salford might get it done. Tim Lafai makes a big difference for them. Salford by 4

Saints to do enough for the 2 points I reckon. They’re not at their best but Huddersfield play too safe to really panic them. Saints by 10

Expecting a tight one. The lack of options in the forwards for Wigan will hurt more in some games, than others and this could be one. If I was being honest I’d go Catalans by 4.

Suppose it depends on HKR’s thoughts on it being at Hull FC if it were to play out that way. If they’d be comfortable with that, happy days. You’d like to think there would be a 20k+ crowd on.

Wherever the games are played, I’d expect decent crowds if clubs like Leigh and HKR are involved. The feel good factor around those clubs is something that can really help drive the attendances. Looking at the gap between the quarters and the semis, I think there is 5 weeks and that’s enough time IMO to hold off making a decision on semi final venues until they know who is in them. If it’s a Hull club vs a club on this side of the Pennines, you’d probably take it to Headingley. A Hull Derby would probably need to be at Headingley as well or maybe Doncaster. A game involving 2 of Wigan, Saints, Wire, Leigh, Salford etc should be easy to arrange locally.

Seems like a fair old licence to me. He came in and went on a signing spree and that’s carried on ever since. He isn’t building the club by blooding youth or working to build on what was there when he turned in. It’s been a bit like Powell at Wire-come in, tear the squad up, keep the few you’re happy with and get your own guys in. He’s made nearly 20 signings by my reckoning since he came in, including some guys well in to their 30’s. He has the deepest squad in the league in terms of first team experience. If that squad isn’t costing as much as anyones in the league I’d be surprised and with that comes expectation to produce ‘now’. It just feels like an extremely easy ride for Watson if a really poor season to date is just brushed under the carpet because there is a plan to maybe win something within 5 years. He’s got a better squad on paper than HKR, Leigh and Salford IMO and and those 3 clubs/coaches are comfortably out performing his side.

The game doesn’t help itself. It was Jack Smith, as pointed out above but he is also a Wiganer. There are a massive percentage of the refs from Wigan, so maybe we have to have one at times but it happens too often for me and it leaves the refs open to accusations of bias. You say he was bias because he was a Wiganer but Wigan fans will say he’s biased against them, as he wants to prove he’s not leaning towards his town team. We always seem to get Liam Moore for Saints games and it irritates the life out of me. I do feel like he goes out of his way to show he’s not a bias Wiganer in that fixture but realistically I’m just being a cynical fan and the refs are professional and just call games as they see fit, without any bias either way. The game should be doing better in avoiding the issue though.

No way in the world Huddersfield can be comfortable with where they sit, 5 year plans or not. When you get free reign, like Watson has been given, to build a side, let players go, bring your own in and your carrying the deepest squad in the league and I presume one of the most expensive, being so low in the table can’t be acceptable. You add in the dour style of play and if it is a long term plan, I’m struggling to see what he’s building.

The time has come to give somebody else a go. Harry Smith has lost confidence with it and it feels like it’s starting to impact on his general game. Thanks for the info.

If he fancies coming back to Wigan, we’ll take him.

Question for you, based on how bad we have been at kicking goals for a decade now! How does Wardle look kicking? Thought I recalled him having a go at some point, so checked his record and he’s kicked 10 in his career. That’s 10 more than we look like booting over currently! Presume he looks like a young Mal Maninga?

Golden point is pathetic. Two great games, this last two nights have been taken in to a drop goal contest and it’s shambolic. HKR, Wigan, Leeds and Saints all derserved a point each, without a shadow of a doubt.

Don’t want to over work the young Australians. That would kill their development, tire them out, not be a duty of care blah blah blah.

I find it sad at times that there is so much focus on decisions after a game like that. It was a superb advert for the sport last night and it's easy for me to say that when my side came out on the right side of the result but even as we were losing in the dying moment, I messaged a couple of mates and just said 'that's been a brilliant game' presuming we were done for. There were a couple of decisions I wasn't massively happy with during the game but that is the game in general.

Fantastic game. HKR gave us more problems tonight than anybody else all season. We needed to play on the break and thankfully we’re ok with that. We need more games like that and it’s really pleasing to see a club like HKR pushing hard to break the usual Saints, Wigan, Leeds etc traditional top sides.

In fairness Huddersfield weren’t picking him last season, to the point he was loaned out, so people weren’t going to be shouting from the rooftops during that period. Prior to that I’ve seen his name mentioned in parts but he was young and some injuries held him back. I’ll be honest, before Saturday I wouldn’t have been shouting to get him in the England team. He’s had what I’d call a ‘decent’ start for us but that was his first exceptional game and it’s left me wanting to see more of that. He’s all class for sure and has a bit of everything about him and I think it’s just confidence really that needs building, so the standard from Saturday becomes the norm. He seems a really quiet lad, so hopefully he can have that belief about him.

Newman all day for me (if fit). Wardle ways superb on Saturday and he's been 'pretty good' this season but that was the first game where he's been at that level and he'll need more of those to push for a starting place. I saw a mention of Toby King above but he's not at that level IMO. Again he has been good for us this season and I'm pleased with how he's going but I don't think he has the pace for top level international rugby league. Newman got absolutely battered for incident on Saturday and maybe that is fair enough (he did get away with one in the first half after all) but I think the contribution of Bevan French has been underplayed. I was at the game and hadn't noticed it and even in the replay I didn't notice it myself but somebody on social media pointed out the feint French made, to make it look to Newman like he was committing to tackling Myler. It was absolutely sensational fullback play and it's not been given the credit it deserves due to the focus being on Newman and him not passing the ball.

Definitely need start giving that bag more of a shake and save us from yet another Wigan/Wire cup tie. I think fans of both clubs must be sick of each other by now (5th tie in 7 years).

He’s a cracking player Newman but clearly there seems to be some attitude issues. It’s a tough one because the aggression and attitude he plays with, makes him the player he is. He’s been unbelievable against us this past 12 months and at times it’s felt like he’s bullied us and you don’t see that very often from a back. He went after Field and French in the game at Headingley last season and totally put them off their game. I’d breathe easier if he wasn’t in the Leeds team, that’s for sure. I bet Newman wishes we had a goal kicker. His brain fade at the end should not have mattered.