Awful news. He has been in tremendous form all year and would have strolled into the team for the Four Nations. Hope he recovers well and gets back to his best next year.

Sam Tomkins and Sean O'Loughlin to miss the rest of the season. Still think they'll have enough on current form to get past Hull.

Don't see any particular reason why Hull shouldn't win this tbh. Two sides better at defending than attacking with wigan seeming to suffer whenever Flanders misses games. They certainly shouldn't be looking at it as an insurmountable obstacle. Guess it's one of those games that defines a club: are they more like vintage Leeds or vintage Huddersfield?

Couldn't give a tuppenny 'you know what' who wins the GF.

However, if Wigan do make the GF, could Sky and the RFL do the sport a favour?

Just for once.

Avoid associating the sport with the patronage of Bradley Wiggins or any other drug cheat.

Thanks in anticipation.

Ooh, he might catch a few with this...

I took some paracetamol before I played golf on Sunday morning. It did improve my performance, my hangover was reduced so I could put without throwing up.

Also please no Sam Tomkins grovelling by all and sundry!!

we will likely get the double whammy with Sammy sat next his best pal Wiggo in the stands and panning in after every stoppage

There's nothing to catch.

Wiggins is a drug cheat.

And an officially sanctioned drug cheat at that.

Most competing cyclists are drug cheats.

It's a dirty sport.

I fully expect all those morons who are/were fans of Lance Armstrong to enter their latest state of denial, but this time with regard to Wiggins.

This makes no sense. I think you managed to catch yourself with your own bait.

We shouldn't get involved with any star from any other sport for fear of potential drug issues. We should instead line ourselves with someone who is now at coaching level to avoid such controversy......Sam Allardyce maybe?

Funny but I don't seem to recall you being so pious with your beloved NRL Do you honestly think that all those trips by Australian coaches to work with NFL sides in the late seventies only brought back advanced training techniques?

Only last year, there was a scandal surrounding pretty much the same thing - the excessive and uncontrolled or unnecessary use of prescription drugs - at Souths. Did you have anything to say on that particular matter?

I don't mind you getting on your soap box my good man but please, keep some consistency in your targeting.

Like to see hull v Warrington but would be surprised if Hull can beat Wigan. Hull have been struggling to score many tries in the last month or so. This task will be even harder at Wigan. Think they need a big start and to go ahead to give themselves a decent chance. I expect Wigan to have too much pace for them.
Toss a coin in wire v saints.

If it ends up Wigan v saints, not sure very good for the game given both have seemed way down on previous levels at times this year. Mind you not quite in our class for hitting a new high in lows to paraphrase the great Boss Hogg.

Bit of a joke this whole Allerdyce thing isn't it? Would be like us sacking Bennet for telling someone that you can exploit the salary cap through back ended contracts, its not as if its a big secret.

The FA just proving again that they would rather have a steady Eddie who would keep their head down, than a controversial figure who would do a better job. When we do poor in the next tournament, everyone will look back at this as a big mistake, just like sacking Hoddle.

Allerdyce "controversial"? He's a greedy c**k who, despite being paid the rediculous sum of £3 million a year, couldn't wait to use his new position to get his fat face in the trough.
His coaching credentials so far include mastering "mid table" and "avoiding relegation". His one game in charge saw him pick the same team, produce the same lack of structure or performance and nearly the same result as the predecessor he took the p1$$ out of.
The only mistake the FA made was appointing the graceless oaf in the first place.

I don't get the hype about Ratchford, he would bring exactly what Sutcliffe brings to the team but he would be on a significantly higher wage.

He is far superior to Sutcliffe in every single part of his game.

Sorry I meant to post in the Hardaker - Ratchford thread but wrote in the wrong tab. I've responded in there if you'd like to continue discussing this.

At the moment I'd agree, but he is at a more advanced stage in his career.

I want the Wolves to win as the lesser of two evils.
Gidley to be MoM

I try to be neutral ,but it's hard I keep having a look at last years GF and seeing some of Wigans niggling and I still like Tony Smith ,I would like Wire to win for him and put a new name on the SL trophy .I hope it's a good game and good crowd

70k - Warrington 21 -Wigan 14 - mom - Clark

As long as it goes down in the books as a good game and not a lie-on-a-thon I couldnt care less.

I think that Wigan will edge a close game and big games recently have been refereed to be close games. If the game opens up i think Wire run away with it.

If Wigan dont win it, surely that must be it for Wane. The last 3 years have seen a Leeds and Saints team in transition and a Wire team in fluctuation there has been opportunity for a period of dominance but they miss their window. I think Saints and Leeds will be much better next year, les Catalans are desperate to make that next step and Wire will be a different proposition if they get this monkey off their back.

But surely Wigan will also be very different with Burgess, Manfredi (at least by the end of the year), O'Loughlin and Tomkins? Particularly if Tomkins gets properly fit. That's just the ones I can remember.