Sat 7th May: CCSF: Wigan Warriors v St Helens KO 14:30 (BBC One)

[Damien]

21 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Didn’t think they much of Smith, myself. I can’t remember too many dangerous kicks from him bar the early Simm drop. I thought Cust run the show with his running game and anything good from Wigan come through him. 

I've been impressed with Cust this year. He may not have got the plaudits of someone like Field but he has organised things well and has a strong running game. He's strong as an ox too for a half.

[Futtocks]

Que sera, sera!
Whatever will be, will be.
We're going to (a stadium that's actually not all that far from the) River Lea!
Que sera, sera!

[Futtocks]

47 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Didn’t think they much of Smith, myself. I can’t remember too many dangerous kicks from him bar the early Simm drop. I thought Cust run the show with his running game and anything good from Wigan come through him. 

Plenty of Smith's long kicks landed on the grass, rather than in a defender's hands, turning St Helens players around and allowing the Wigan chase to be more effective. That helps a lot, especially against such a strong counter-attacking side.

Edited May 7, 2022 by Futtocks

[bobbruce]

1 minute ago, Futtocks said:

Plenty of Smith's long kicks landed on the grass, rather than in a defender's hands, turning St Helens players around and allowing the Wigan chase to be more effective. That helps a lot, especially against such a strong counter-attacking side.

Yeah I felt Wigan dealt with Saints outside backs really well in the first half and it stopped any momentum for Saints. A big part of that was Smiths kicking game. Once Hurrell scored the momentum changed completely and by the time Saints took the lead Wigan looked done. As someone said earlier Saints needed to manage the game better at that point but that’s sport. Wigan took their chance and that seemed to give them the boost they needed to control the game to the end. 

[andyscoot]

Just caught up with that. Happy with the result but not to get carried away; that clearly wasn't the best Saints have and they gave it a good go. Credit to Lomax if he's carrying a big injury.

Be nice to go to a "local" game too!

[Superb Chops]

1 hour ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

Got to say as a Saints fan that I have been guilty of calling Wigan as a one man/two man team, French and Field obviously, but a great performance in a great game across the park. 
 

Wigan don’t seem to lose anything from O’Neill coming in for Powell.

The Matty Peet story is a great one, to lead out your side in a Challenge Cup Final as a homegrown coach is just amazing. Seems a nice humble guy too.

Some smart and sportsmanlike comments, like this one from WBW, by the Saints supporters on here. Kudos all and Saints are still the team to beat in Super League.

On mention of Wigan’s hookers, I agree that O’Neill’s introduction has coincided with the team being more fluid ball-in-hand. When Powell and Leuluai return, I’m hoping it’s the latter who is used as hooker-interchange with O’Neill - rather than Powell or Shorrocks.

This, complemented by Smith and Cust in the halves and creative players like Field or French in the back line, is a pretty good mix of organising, passing, field-kicking and pace.

And, that is something Wigan haven’t had in quite some time.

[Futtocks]

Matt Peet's had a similar route to the top job as Shaun Wane, so the Wigan-developed players have known him and (hopefully) trusted him for years.

But his instincts are for a more open style of play than Wane's. With the pace of Marshall, French and Field to play with plus a youthful pack, this looks like a squad that's going to mature and improve over the next few seasons.

[WN83]

I’m so happy with that win, I just didn’t have us down as a chance. By the same token, Saints are a fantastic team and Huddersfield will give us one hell of a game. I’m more than convinced that Saints will go on and make it 4 on the spin but it’s been a good day for the game. 

[Chris22]

Thought that was an outstanding game and occasion. 

We made a few errors leading to Wigan points. Frustrating that we made them but Wigan were very ruthless and punished us.

The start to the second half by us was outstanding. Roby, as always, incredible. We're going to miss him so much next year. Wigan didn't look like scoring after that, but our play wasn't the smartest and opened the door.

We haven't worked out what our new spine should look like with Dodd's injury. By contrast, Wigan have coped very well with Leuluai's injury and Powell's ban.

We gave it all we had, but Wigan just a little better on the day. That's sport. You win some, you lose some and we're fortunate to have this team.

 

[Chris22]

Also, I really like Matty Peet. As a Saints fan, I find that a bit uncomfortable.

[del capo]

4 hours ago, Roy Haggerty said:

Good question because the ref blew. Don’t know. 

 

[Pie tries]

Fabulous advert for the sport. Both clubs, players and species came across very well indeed. Ours if TGG 

[Waynebennettswinger]

12 minutes ago, Pie tries said:

Fabulous advert for the sport. Both clubs, players and species came across very well indeed. Ours if TGG 

Species? I know what you mean and agree though mate

[JohnM]

14 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

Think living in Madrid makes it a bit difficult to get there tbh.  

Anyway,  been class from Wigan so far.  40 mins away from first challenge cup final in a fair few years. 

Call yourself a fan? Madrid difficult? . Pah! Feeble excuse! 

My point is that  free-to-air games tend to reduce  the number of paying spectators, though they do increase the number of people who see the game overall. Yesterday's fantastic Saints V Wigan game  must surely have re-enthused hundreds of thousands of  supporters.

Disclosure: for a number of reasons, I too was unable to get to the game... (nor the final... ) 

Apology: my comments really should have been on the "fewer than 20000 tickets" thread.

Edited May 8, 2022 by JohnM

[Harry Stottle]

12 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Matt Peet's had a similar route to the top job as Shaun Wane, so the Wigan-developed players have known him and (hopefully) trusted him for years.

But his instincts are for a more open style of play than Wane's. With the pace of Marshall, French and Field to play with plus a youthful pack, this looks like a squad that's going to mature and improve over the next few seasons.

Mentioning Wane, he is in the background at Wigan, and nobody at all is giving Briers any gongs, I should imagine both are a very influential in what Matty Peet is starting to acheive, it was very noticable at the end when the cameras panned into the Wigan coaching box it was Peet all over Briers not the other way round, but good luck to him it is he alone who sinks or swims.

[Old Frightful]

15 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Harry Smith MotM.

I think I might have given it to Marshall, and not just for the two tries. He worked his socks off.

My thoughts too, especially when faced with Konrad Hurrell only a few metres out, I nearly closed my eyes but not only did he stop him, Hurrell lost the ball as well.

Edit : Just reading early stuff in the thread, was that Field who stopped Hurrell then or did Marshall also perform the same effort later on?

At 14-0 and half time, I asked my bookies expert mate what odds Saints might be to win from there, he suggested around 5 or 6/1. I was sorely tempted and was gutted when Saints only took around ten minutes or so in a second half spell to sweep into the lead.

Thankfully, Marshall came to the rescue.

Well done to both teams on an exciting Cup SF, obvious congrats to the Pies on the result and commiserations to Saints who now must put all their efforts in to a fourth successive SL title. I wouldn't fancy meeting up with them next time out...

Oh sh*t...

Edited May 8, 2022 by Old Frightful

[hullste]

13 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Matt Peet's had a similar route to the top job as Shaun Wane, so the Wigan-developed players have known him and (hopefully) trusted him for years.

But his instincts are for a more open style of play than Wane's. With the pace of Marshall, French and Field to play with plus a youthful pack, this looks like a squad that's going to mature and improve over the next few seasons.

Peet is a breath of fresh air for Wigan when talking to the media, has a totally different approach to his predecessors. As a Saints fan Wigan will always be the arch enemy but with Lam or Wane in charge they added to the animosity due to the contempt they showed towards their opposition at times (especially Saints) and inability to hide it. Peet however speaks brilliantly and has showed a touch of class from day 1, hope he enjoys his day leading the team out for the final, he deserves it Still want Hudds to stuff them and think Saints will ultimately be Super League champions for the 4th time in a row

Edited May 8, 2022 by hullste

[hullste]

2 minutes ago, hullste said:

Peet is a breath of fresh air for Wigan when talking to the media, has a totally different approach to his predecessors. As a Saints fan Wigan will always be the arch enemy but with Lam or Wane in charge they added to the animosity due to the contempt they showed towards their opposition at times (especially Saints) and inability to hide it. Peet however speaks brilliantly and has showed a touch of class from day 1, hope he enjoys his day leading the team out for the final, he deserves it Still want Hudds to stuff them and think Saints will ultimately be Super League champions for the 4th time in a row

 

[Josef K]

Wigan deserved the win, it’s no good just turning up for 40mins. I would’ve chosen Farrell as Wigan’s mom, the try he scored was a cracker. For the neutral (if there are any about) it should’ve been a great watch on the TV. I enjoyed the game even though we lost as i do appreciate good tries whoever scores them. 

[WN83]

Absolutely delighted with that win. I wasn’t confident and Saints showed in that spell after half time why they’re so good but I felt we deserved it overall. The most pleasing thing of Peets time so far IMO is how he is getting the younger players, who’d stagnated a little, to kick on now and become class players in their own right. All of Smith, Byrne, Havard and Smithies have improved more in this past few months, then they did in 3 years under Lam. 
 

 

[Szymala]

22 hours ago, Just Browny said:

McCarthy-Scarsbrook saluting the heavens because someone knocked on. If there is a bigger w***** in the game I can't think of him.

He's got steadily worse at this sort of thing. And it's not a good look at all.

[lacuna1]

Quite a few backhanded compliments from the Saints fans. 'Wigan played well, congrats etc etc etc' and then chucking in comments like 'Wigan scored on the back of Saints mistakes'

 

I think a few St Helens fans need to go and watch the game back and see how they scored their try's and stop trying to find reasons as to how this super duper Melbourne Storm-esque side got beaten by also-rans like Wigan. Outplayed is the answer. Not because Saints were poor and Wigan upped their game but because you were purely and simply outplayed for the majority of the 80 mins by a side that was better on the day and is getting better by the day. The cycle is coming to an end especially with Roby retiring and Walmsley losing interest. Bar Welsby, the youth isn't all that good. Not for the top level anyway.

Edited May 8, 2022 by lacuna1

[Josef K]

Will there be anywhere were i can look at the player stats from yesterday, id love to see how many tackles Batchelor missed. 

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, Saint 1 said:

What a strange post. Did we not essentially give you two tries and a sinbinning off the back of us passing to the ground and you picking it up and going the length of the field? I seem to remember that happening.

Punishing mistakes is usually a sign of a good team,saints took advantage of a couple of gifts themselves 

[Exiled Wiganer]

Why wasn’t the Saints kick try chalked off for offside? Isn’t it pretty much standard now to check that sort of thing?