Fri 27 Nov: SL Grand Final: Wigan Warriors v St Helens KO 8pm (Sky)

[dkw]

3 minutes ago, Padge said:

There is a WN7 connection to the naysayers.

Isnt there always?

[Toby Chopra]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

OK, this post is sound crazy to start with but hear me out.

For those criticizing the the full game but praising the finale and its drama.

That Welsby try is like the final scene of An Officer And A Gentlemen when the Richard Gere character walks through the factory in his Navy whites and picks up his girlfriend and carries her out to a new life.

In isolation that scene is just cheesy and people watching it consider the movie to be soppy and romantic.  But in actuality, the whole movie is gritty and hard hitting and the final scene has impact because of what has gone before.

In isolation, Welsby's try will be seen as a bit of a fluke play with a drop goal attempt hitting the post but at the end of a game as absorbing and brutal and tense as that was it becomes a moment for the ages.  The finale has meaning because of what has gone before and you cannot judge one without consideration of the other.

Spot on. I actually jumped up and ran around the room to the hilarity of my family when Welsby appeared to have scored. Not because I support Saints or even particularly wanted them to win, but because the tension and intensity of the preceeding two hours was such that I just couldn't help it when something so unexpectedly sublime happenned. It was a visceral response. 

[LeeF]

Just to add to the drama of what was a fantastic game of RL the posts used last night were not those belonging to Hull FC but were the RFL ones which are significantly taller and without which Makinson’s drop goal attempt wouldn’t have hit and bounced etc. On such small things

[Davo5]

2 minutes ago, LeeF said:

Just to add to the drama of what was a fantastic game of RL the posts used last night were not those belonging to Hull FC but were the RFL ones which are significantly taller and without which Makinson’s drop goal attempt wouldn’t have hit and bounced etc. On such small things

Oh thanks Lee,makes me feel a whole lot better !!!

[LeeF]

Just now, Davo5 said:

Oh thanks Lee,makes me feel a whole lot better !!!

Sorry Marra. Mind you the decision would then have been down to the ref to make a decision on the drop goal

[my missus]

lets say the ball misses the post and goes dead, we get get golden point and makinson drops a goal in the first set.

as a wigan fan i would take the first scenario every time.

[Hela Wigmen]

2 minutes ago, my missus said:

lets say the ball misses the post and goes dead, we get get golden point and makinson drops a goal in the first set.

as a wigan fan i would take the first scenario every time.

I’d rather have lost to Wigan doing to us what we did to them in that last few seconds than take the chance of the game being decided by a coin toss. 

[Liverpool Rover]

After watching the first half last night just for the TV to be taken over by the eldest to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show on DVD   I had to watch the full game again today and wow what a game, proper old school Rugby League.

Saints could have been further ahead at half time if they had shown some imagination in Wigans 20 and if Wigan took the chance to use the penalty at the end to run down the clock and go for the DG there would have been no time for Saints to go down field. Still what an amazing finish to what was a great game.

[FearTheVee]

2 hours ago, Rupert Prince said:

Saints are a flat track bully

Flat track back to back bully to you, thank you very much

[Futtocks]

It's gonna be a long Winter, isn't it?

[Dunbar]

9 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

It's gonna be a long Winter, isn't it?

Nah, we can make this conversation last till March at least.

[DavidM]

The game is getting a great reaction overall and rightly so . I thought it was an outstanding game , as intense a game as you’ll see and fitting of a grand final . Indeed it was one of the best . You don’t need a shedload of points , you just need two teams going hammer and tongs at each other , giving everything and giving away nothing . It was a titanic slog with a dramatic ending they’ll be talking about for a long time . After everything that’s gone before it was a classic end to the season and summed up in 80 minutes everything great about our game . Roll on 2021 , when hopefully and fingers crossed crossed the rest of us can see our teams play ... even live !

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, LeeF said:

Just to add to the drama of what was a fantastic game of RL the posts used last night were not those belonging to Hull FC but were the RFL ones which are significantly taller and without which Makinson’s drop goal attempt wouldn’t have hit and bounced etc. On such small things

See I knew it a RFL conspiracy, they know Hardaker is not a good kicker and could never get the ball that high no chance in getting any rebounds to exploit of his kicks.

[Padge]

My next door neighbour who never talks about sport was all over this game with me this morning, he had seen the news and picked up the buzz on-line. Another neighbour a bit later shouted over to me, what a game that was last night, Lorraine is not a massive sports fan but does watch sport on TV with her husband, she was absorbed by it.

[Hela Wigmen]

46 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

It's gonna be a long Winter, isn't it?

Nah, we’ll be back to despairing at the sport by 16th December when Marty McFly, sorry Robert Elstone, rewinds the clock to 1996 and promotes Bradford Bulls. 

[Moove]

Think I'm just about recovering now, what a game!!! Not the most open and attack minded you'll see but the intensity and quality of rugby on show was terrific, overall one of the best I've seen and with the sporting drama element at the end it's one I won't forget. Less than the width of a gnat's todger between the teams and it was perhaps inevitable that it came down to a bounce of the ball at the death.

Made up for Jammer in particular, his impact on the game over the years deserved more than a solitary GF win before retirement. The guard of honour for O'Loughlin at the end was a nice touch for another great servant of the game.

Hats off to both sets of players, coaches and supporting staff, superb entertainment and a great end to a bloody awful year.

Already looking interesting for next season though. Wigan will be stronger still for that experience in what is still a young team, plus the returning Bateman. Looking forward to battles between him and Bentley next year. More difficult to tell with Saints given the change in personnel. On paper our signings look decent, bring the age of the squad down and should take more of the load off Walmsley. Percival to come back in as well but I'd like to see a bit more creativity (hopefully more game time for Lewis Dodd). Not sure which other teams are ready to step up to the level on show last night though but that's the bar to aim for.

[Fevrover]

18 hours ago, Rupert Prince said:

Well what a really crazy finish.  bit of a joke really.  80 minutes all ended with a poor fluke.  But Wigan should have gone for touch with penalty, not for goal.. they then had a chance for a drop.

But a fluke.

Haven't Wigan ever won with a fluke ?

[redjonn]

3 hours ago, LeeF said:

Just to add to the drama of what was a fantastic game of RL the posts used last night were not those belonging to Hull FC but were the RFL ones which are significantly taller and without which Makinson’s drop goal attempt wouldn’t have hit and bounced etc. On such small things

then it may have been hard to say it missed, that is that it didn't go over...  so it may have been given... then a different talking point

[gingerjon]

20 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

Nah, we’ll be back to despairing at the sport by 16th December when Marty McFly, sorry Robert Elstone, rewinds the clock to 1996 and promotes Bradford Bulls. 

I am refusing to let anything puncture my euphoria so kindly desist

[billybell]

18 hours ago, snapski said:

Ha ha. Hardaker misses the kick to win it. Aaron Bower going on about redemption. That’s it. Now cost 2 clubs in a Grand Final.

Cas were all ready on the decline before the final. If Saints had a reliable goal kicker in the semi it would have been a Leeds v Saints final. After the elation of watching a game like last nights reading your post has brought me back down to earth.

[Ullman]

19 hours ago, ATLANTISMAN said:

Its around 900 miles from Hull to Perpignan:)

Needed a little help from The Proclaimers.

[Ullman]

18 hours ago, Padge said:

Congratulations to Hull for putting on such a great show.

Presentation was excellent.

The game was even better. Absolutely blown away by it. There was nothing between the teams and they were both outstanding. The only disappointment as a neutral was that it didn't go to golden point. I never wanted it to end.

[Ramon Rojo]

5 hours ago, George Watt said:

Capacity of the ground is only around 25,500 which would be a major downside compared to OT.

Unless you believe all the false optimism being spread by the spin doctors & media associates there won't be more than 5,000 let in Old Trafford anyway. Hull would be fine

[Ullman]

18 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

Back to back f bombs from Saints as well.

They dropped a couple of depth charges all right.

I blame Phil Clarke.

[Barca Mum]

5 hours ago, Loiner said:

My missus just said the same thing, it's about time they got rid