Fri 1st Sept: SL: Wigan Warriors v Salford Red Devils KO 20:00 (Sky)

[doc]

Has any of the commentators mentioned last weeks game at Catalans?

[WN83]

Happy with that. I’m not confident enough to think we’ll win at OT but I think we have a chance of doing that now. The lift in intensity from lads in the pack, like Byrne, KPP and Mago has been a major catalyst for us. Even a guy like Liam Farrell looks ‘on’ now. He’s not been at his best this season but even not at ‘his best’, he’s still one of the better back rowers in Superleague. 

[bamfordsbeans]

Another poor televised game.

The standard of recent Sky games hasn't been the best and probably partly explains our reduced funding.

[EagleEyePie]

10 hours ago, WN83 said:

Happy with that. I’m not confident enough to think we’ll win at OT but I think we have a chance of doing that now. The lift in intensity from lads in the pack, like Byrne, KPP and Mago has been a major catalyst for us. Even a guy like Liam Farrell looks ‘on’ now. He’s not been at his best this season but even not at ‘his best’, he’s still one of the better back rowers in Superleague. 

I think with Farrell it's been a deliberate effort not to go 100% right from the start of the year. It's what he usually does but he's had a history of picking up injuries towards the end of the year and that often costs us in the playoffs. I think he's been picking up form recently and is hopefully in good shape to play at his best.

Byrne and Mago have gone from being our weakest props to our strongest props and that's made a huge difference. Byrne in particular seems to be carrying the ball much better than he did even just a month or two ago. I think there were about 3 occasions where he went into contact and knocked the defender to the ground and is finally making the impact you'd expect for someone of his size.

Overall I thought it was a good performance from Wigan but the game was nothing special. Salford did defend quite well at times and their line speed was decent but they just didn't have enough quality in the pack. Hardly surprising when they line up with Singleton and Partington in the front row. Wigan fans are all too aware of their limitations and I thought Singleton in particular was just as poor as he has been for most of his time in Cherry and White.

There were some entertaining tries at least. The try on half time was a bit of a howler and just goes to show what can happen if you switch off. It was obviously just a kick and hope so 3 players in the middle of the field chased the kick and ended up overrunning it and no one was focused on defending a kick return. You'd never do that in any other situation but because it was the last play they lost the plot.

I understand why the rules are the way they are but I think I counted 3 penalties awarded for lifting a player into a dangerous position where the player was never actually in a dangerous position which is frustrating when watching.

All things considered a decent result for Wigan. Salford just seem a bit too inconsistent at present.

[idrewthehaggis]

Well just back from Wrexham and the second of hopefully three excellent days of watching the Tour of Britain. Tomorrow Notts.

A well run tournament.

Conversely back in RFL land, Friday went as expected for me. Have to say Wigan look marvellous. It was for me the best I have seen this season. Their defence was outstanding. Solly just added to the red mire with some woeful brainf@rts. I stopped Addy em up after half time. Surely the Title is for them now. Yup another Pies v Saints final kids.

I know we can't discuss referees anymore, but truly mystified that The King was not shown Red for that utterly shocking lunge (it was not a tackle). It was ###### and dangerous. 

And how French escaped at least a sin bin for that tip tackle? I hear he has just received a fine, which on his wedge isn't actually a punishment. (to digress should fines be fixed or proportional to a players salary?)

Seemingly also curiously at just at this exact time, the gremlins have flung bans at Partington and Watkins as well. Missed how -just as perhaps someone who can't be named did on the King and Bevan incidents.

But it was well deserved win for Wigan. 

I will say this-

the cheese pie was gorgeous

unlike two nearby big clubs, the staff at Wigan are great and polite

clearly success fatigue reigns at the DW as not a frisson of cheer was felt from the cherry red end on going top. We'd still be dining on that at Xmas if it was Salford.

And can someone tell whoever the DJ Piemeister is that tacky 80/90s Eurobeat house faded along time ago.

Next up the Wires. Truly big one of which apprehensive and comprehensive fatalism has took hold. 

Ah well onwards goes the People's Club.

[Futtocks]

6 minutes ago, idrewthehaggis said:

truly mystified that The King was not shown Red for that utterly shocking lunge

[Ullman]

2 hours ago, idrewthehaggis said:

Well just back from Wrexham and the second of hopefully three excellent days of watching the Tour of Britain. Tomorrow Notts.

A well run tournament.

Conversely back in RFL land, Friday went as expected for me. Have to say Wigan look marvellous. It was for me the best I have seen this season. Their defence was outstanding. Solly just added to the red mire with some woeful brainf@rts. I stopped Addy em up after half time. Surely the Title is for them now. Yup another Pies v Saints final kids.

I know we can't discuss referees anymore, but truly mystified that The King was not shown Red for that utterly shocking lunge (it was not a tackle). It was ###### and dangerous. 

And how French escaped at least a sin bin for that tip tackle? I hear he has just received a fine, which on his wedge isn't actually a punishment. (to digress should fines be fixed or proportional to a players salary?)

Seemingly also curiously at just at this exact time, the gremlins have flung bans at Partington and Watkins as well. Missed how -just as perhaps someone who can't be named did on the King and Bevan incidents.

But it was well deserved win for Wigan. 

I will say this-

the cheese pie was gorgeous

unlike two nearby big clubs, the staff at Wigan are great and polite

clearly success fatigue reigns at the DW as not a frisson of cheer was felt from the cherry red end on going top. We'd still be dining on that at Xmas if it was Salford.

And can someone tell whoever the DJ Piemeister is that tacky 80/90s Eurobeat house faded along time ago.

Next up the Wires. Truly big one of which apprehensive and comprehensive fatalism has took hold. 

Ah well onwards goes the People's Club.

Tour of Britain is in East Yorkshire tomorrow. Well it better be or there'll be a few of us hanging around in Beverley waiting for the non-arrival of the riders.

The Notts stage is on Wednesday.

[JohnM]

11 hours ago, idrewthehaggis said:

Well just back from Wrexham....

I know we can't discuss referees anymore, but truly mystified that The King was not shown Red for that utterly shocking lunge (it was not a tackle). It was ###### and dangerous. 

And how French escaped at least a sin bin for that tip tackle? I hear he has just received a fine, which on his wedge isn't actually a punishment. (to digress should fines be fixed or proportional to a players salary?)

Seemingly also curiously at just at this exact time, the gremlins have flung bans at Partington and Watkins as well. Missed how -just as perhaps someone who can't be named did on the King and Bevan incidents.

Ah well onwards goes the People's Club.

I know we can't discuss referees anymore,

To quote John Drake, "If someone says 'I think the ref got that wrong' or some (polite) variation on that theme, that's fine, it's just part of a natural discussion on any sporting contest."

[Saint Toppy]

I didn't think that was a particularly dirty game but then I realised Salford play Warrington next week so Cullen was always going to find plenty of Salford players to charge.

Saints play Wire the week after so you can pretty much guarantee that we'll get a good half dozen charges from this weeks game against Leigh