Thu 23 Sept: Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos KO 19:45 (TV)

[JohnM]

A muted and sarcastic "Well Done Leeds,  you really put us to the sword. The Grand Final beckons."

We had no idea what we were doing, how we were playing. No real attempt to beat the defence other than barging into them. Few attempts to beat the man. No structure to our attack. FFS this was Leeds we were playing. Who knows what the score would have been had we been up against one of the top teams. 

[FGB]

1 hour ago, JohnM said:

A muted and sarcastic "Well Done Leeds,  you really put us to the sword. The Grand Final beckons."

We had no idea what we were doing, how we were playing. No real attempt to beat the defence other than barging into them. Few attempts to beat the man. No structure to our attack. FFS this was Leeds we were playing. Who knows what the score would have been had we been up against one of the top teams. 

Dry your eyes mate

[M j M]

3 hours ago, JohnM said:

A muted and sarcastic "Well Done Leeds,  you really put us to the sword. The Grand Final beckons."

We had no idea what we were doing, how we were playing. No real attempt to beat the defence other than barging into them. Few attempts to beat the man. No structure to our attack. FFS this was Leeds we were playing. Who knows what the score would have been had we been up against one of the top teams. 

LOL.

[BrisbaneRhino]

I want Wigan to be strong and I want all teams to be far more entertaining than that.

Leeds' attack isn't great, but we're playing with one halfback who can barely run and a makeshift one. 

Wigan look like a team that can't wait for the season to end but they do put in a shift in defence, so its not just down to effort. They look absolutely shot in terms of confidence in attack. While their problems look bad, a good coach could make a heck of a difference.

[JohnM]

3 hours ago, FGB said:

Dry your eyes mate

I get my consolation from looking at our trophy cabinet.

[Just Browny]

1 hour ago, JohnM said:

I get my consolation from looking at our trophy cabinet.

Where do they keep it these days John? Presume Latics don't let you keep it on site; is it in one of those out of town lock-ups.

[fieldofclothofgold]

5 hours ago, JohnM said:

A muted and sarcastic "Well Done Leeds,  you really put us to the sword. The Grand Final beckons."

We had no idea what we were doing, how we were playing. No real attempt to beat the defence other than barging into them. Few attempts to beat the man. No structure to our attack. FFS this was Leeds we were playing. Who knows what the score would have been had we been up against one of the top teams. 

Always good natured banter 

[Kenilworth Tiger]

I enjoyed it and was surprised to see such negative comments on here and Twitter

 

Well done Leeds

[Live after death]

3 minutes ago, Kenilworth Tiger said:

I enjoyed it and was surprised to see such negative comments on here and Twitter

 

Well done Leeds

I thought it was a cracking tense play off game, was it thrilling attack no! But it was a real battle contest and tense.

[Tonka]

I’m all for a tense, low scoring affair, but not when it’s obvious Wigan in particular just had no clue in attack.  But Lenegan’s been down the Pound Shop again for next year’s new additions, so it’s not a great start.

[gavin7094]

24 minutes ago, Live after death said:

I thought it was a cracking tense play off game, was it thrilling attack no! But it was a real battle contest and tense.

Loved it.  Intense, bruising, physical. 

Watched it in a pub in Nottingham with some football fans. They were very impressed by the hits. 

Not every game has to be 36-34 to be exciting. 

[Harry Stottle]

9 hours ago, Gooleboy said:

When the rose tinted glasses are off, that was two bang average sides and one was slightly better than the other and deserved the win.

Yep two off the best club sides in this country and this is all they can serve up, very little imagination displayed by any player on the field, as I have said previously all the teams seem to be coached with the same tactics, stratergies and game plans just that some do it a little better than others, as a spectacle the game is going backwards.

Obviously my opinion and I keep trying to look for the reason(s) why I think this way, is it the rules that have been tampered about with so much that instead of improving the game are having a negative effect, could it be such a conservative coaching method, do the ref's have an influence of how a game plays out e.g. is there to much stop and starting, there doesn't seem to be any individuality amongst the refs these days but I will also say that I do have some sympathy in that they must be terrified of making any errors (human nature) in that they are under the microscope all the time they are on televised games, or could it be that, is it the error free tactics all coaches seem to be adopting, or are the player's collectively not as proficient as they once were not to long ago?

There are those who will completely disagree with what I suggest, and that is fair enough, but as is stated these pages are all about opinions, mine at the moment is that I do not get the same enjoyment from our (GB) rugby league as I once did.

[redjonn]

I was at the game and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yep it was no spectacular display of attacking prowess... Then again not many play-off games are.

Last week we had a very entertaining open game between Leeds and Hull KR, both teams trying to play expansive rugby.  No doubt that would have been different it was a must win game deciding the rest of season.

It was a play off game with two teams similar in ability. Both teams having a high injury ridden season, impacted by congestion of games just recently.  I think both teams have played the most games.

What the hell do people expect of the athletes playing... you could clearly see the tiredness in the payers.  

Given the circumstances and it was a play off cautious game I enjoyed watching... helped by having an interest in who won.

[Exiled Wiganer]

There is a danger in over thinking things. Wigan came into the season with a thin squad, lost their marquee prop, and then played every round. Why we didn’t play the COVID card to get some weeks off while everyone else pulled it off is beyond me. Madness. Lam compounded this because he didn’t trust the experienced big lads. We were also “unlucky” in that key strike players were injured for much of the year. We know this team can attack better than this. They were simply exhausted. However, they dug very deep indeed, to their immense credit. 

It has been a very odd couple of years, and tbh I feel a great sense of relief that Lam’s tenure and these times are now behind us. Wigan will be fine. 

As for Leeds, they have a lot of quality and Agar seems bizarrely to have become a decent coach somewhere along the way. The problem they face is that there is always a very clear advantage in a good team having a week off at this time of year, and so they will be clear underdogs in France. 

[Tommygilf]

12 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

This is true, it was obviously Agars game plan that’s why we had a big bench. The olan will have been take the chances (Wigan are a very good defensive side) and then defend the lead. Mind you we were so poor in attack it nearly backfired 

Tbh we only had a rare number of attacking chances. Was it maybe 4 sets we started in their half or even past our 40m?

Ultimately that was two teams willing to front up against eachother and grind eachother down. It was percentages rugby, but neither side is particularly high on confidence or attacking flair so that was a sensible move.

[redjonn]

12 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

This is true, it was obviously Agars game plan that’s why we had a big bench. The olan will have been take the chances (Wigan are a very good defensive side) and then defend the lead. Mind you we were so poor in attack it nearly backfired 

maybe but I thought Wigan contained Leeds after the first 10 mins such that Leeds hardly go to a good attacking position. Effectively having to kick from around the half way line, down to good defence from Wigan I guess.

For me their were no real opportunities to show attacking prowess as Wigan defended well forcing Leeds to play from deep.  Leeds certainly had no one able to break the defensive structure of Wigan and hence no breaks except I think One.

 

[Loiner]

I've just read somewhere the crowd was only 7300, with a decent Leeds support thats abysmal.

[Loiner]

12 hours ago, JohnM said:

A muted and sarcastic "Well Done Leeds,  you really put us to the sword. The Grand Final beckons."

We had no idea what we were doing, how we were playing. No real attempt to beat the defence other than barging into them. Few attempts to beat the man. No structure to our attack. FFS this was Leeds we were playing. Who knows what the score would have been had we been up against one of the top teams. 

You will have to stop sucking those lemons John.

[my missus]

13 minutes ago, Loiner said:

I've just read somewhere the crowd was only 7300, with a decent Leeds support thats abysmal.

it is very poor but ther was about 300 leeds fans hardly a decent support

[Loiner]

3 minutes ago, my missus said:

it is very poor but ther was about 300 leeds fans hardly a decent support

Could only watch on TV last night and they looked a lot more than 300 and made more noise than the Wigan fans.

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, Loiner said:

You will have to stop sucking those lemons John.

I've been to Leeds..used to work there.  Sucking lemons in MUCH more enjoyable.

[my missus]

1 hour ago, Loiner said:

Could only watch on TV last night and they looked a lot more than 300 and made more noise than the Wigan fans.

yawn

[fieldofclothofgold]

1. Back to normal again everyone slept since last nights game . A bit below the belt resorting to slagging off all of Leeds . Ok to denigrate Primley park  Alwoodley , Chapel Allerton, Bramhope ,Adel , there is nothing wrong with places like Gipton , Seacroft and Halton Moor and Broadleas etc 

[dkw]

54 minutes ago, my missus said:

yawn

Many of us were doing that last night during the game....

[Jonty58]

I have seen better games, that was very average.