If we give Wigan as much posession via penalties as Leeds did tonight we will deserve a monster rinsing.

Why did they just have to find some form [inow[/i? Since Hock was tested positive, everything seems to have clicked for the crust munchers.

Your joking? Idiots whoever think that! Our left wingers have combined to score 33 tries in 25 games this season. Carmont isn't high profile but trust me he sends his wingers in whilst chipping in himself. Superb, superb, superb signing for us that man! Thier was a lot of crowing when you lot signed Matt King but we got a top bargain in Carmont - probably half as cheap an all. Can't praise him highly enough!

I can't believe the criticisms on this thread of Carmont and Tomkins. Having a pop at Piggy is understandable (he is too fat and its ridiculous that Wigan are letting him and Feka carry way too much weight) and I don't think many Wigan fans would leap to Fielden's defence but in Carmont and Tomkins you've picked two players to criticise who would, in reality, strengthen any SL squad. As Leeds found out last night.

Carmont is a hard-working player whose contribution to the Wigan team in defence and attack is vital.

Tomkins is the best prospect Wigan have produced for many years. You'd have to go back to emergence of Robinson and Farrell to find young players who caused as much excitement amongst the Wigan fans. If he fulfils his potential he will be that rare thing - a truly world class British half back.

Anyway, you'll get a closer look at both players in the Semi!

Very impressive Wigan last night, defence was good and Tomkins finally shone against a big team, he needs to get rid of the petulance though. Wigans young guns are leading the way at the minute. I don't the=iink Bentham helped Leeds however as Wigan got some favourable 50/50's, although don't think that had any real bearing on the game.

You've just gave Wigan more credit in 5 mins than you have for us in 3 years.

Wigan were good last night, especially in defence but Leeds were awful. Absolutely awful. They just didn't handle the 'big game' pressure and made poor, panicky decisions throughout, especially when they were ahead and could/should have gained a winning lead. I can't see them playing so poorly 2 weeks on the bounce and certainly not at Headingley. Oh well....

Leeds didn't help Leeds. To give away two penalties in quick succession on your own line takes a special kind of stupid.

Leeds were poor.

If there were more youngsters coming through, British rugby league wouldn't be in the sad state its in at the moment. A great prospect, that I would have at this club in an instant.

Leeds were as good as wigan allowed them to be.

Do you think it's in a bad state ? I might be the minority like, but I don't think it is y'know. I know that the World Cup was crap, or the showing at the World Cup was crap I should say, but there seems to have been reasons for that. In terms of junior development, and kids in SL, I think it's as good as I can remember really, the stars of SL presently, are these kids, nobody is really focusing in too much on overseas guys anymore, the talk is all of juniors.

Top of my head, say you were trying to pick a junior side to pit against an experienced SL XIII, or Overseas or whatever, age limit of 24 say, I might be a bit out with odd age here but bare with me, you'd end up with something like ...

Smith
Hall
Atkins/Wheeler
Shenton
Owen/Ainscough/Penny
Eastmond
Myler/Tomkins
L.Burgess
Moore (?)
S.Burgess
Harrison
J.Tomkins
Westerman

You've not looked at Tom Briscoe, Lawrence, Cudjoe, Ferguson, Welham, Boyle, Ratchford, Adamson, Cooper and god knows how many more, you could go on.

I think it's pretty healthy. I also think the reliance on imports is slowly starting to fade.

Did Wigan decide when Leeds gave away penalties?

Yeah good point, I think my post was somewhat misjudged. The 'sad state' I was referring to was the performance in the World Cup when the team were embarrassed by Australia, beaten twice by NZ and almost humiliated by PNG.

There is definately a lot of good youngsters coming through at the moment as you have pointed out. Hopefully we will get more arriving on the scene who are at the level of Sam Tomkins, who is a top class prospect. It just annoys me to hear fans of this club criticising the very best of the young British talent just because they play for another club, despite them being better than anyone we have coming through.

Richie Myler is coming through.

Wigan pressure?

I'm pretty sure if we beat Leeds we will not be supporting an argument that they gave it to us on a plate by playing poorly, more so that we made them play poorly.

If Wigan play like that in the semi-final, we will lose. No doubt about it.

With regard to Leeds what a bunch of petulant mard- primadonnas they are. Never seen since a pathetic last five minutes when they gave away penalty after penalty.

all i can say is all winning streaks come to an end, hopefully this one will, on the 8th of August

With due respect can you tell me when was the last time that we kept a top 2 side scoreless for 55 mins and scored 28 unanswered points ?

As i said previously, Wigan`s defence and performance especially in that 2nd half was impressive last night.

Only pulling your leg Rob, Wigan were very, very impressive last night.

Yes I agree Wigan were very good considering a few weeks ago they were supposed to be busted up and the fans were for getting rid of Brian Noble.

Leeds didn't have to play poorly, they never had the ball in a position of threat. They gave away something like eight penalties in thirty minutes, that must equate to nearly every time Wigan had the ball.

On the rare occasions in the second half that Wigan had to defend, they did so. Their attack was suumed up when they got to the Wigan line, got to the lat tackle, got a decentish kick in, then gave a penalty away for offside.

I'm struggling to recall such a stupid half of RL by a team.

PS

If Leeds give away as many penalties in ine half as they did last night, I will be hard pressed to ignore it.

What has happened to Leeds ? Why are they so ill disciplined. They've become comfortably the most penalised side in SL.

I can't fathom out why.

Frustration ?

Maybe the Leeds team spirit and winning mentallity that has been with them for years is slowly dwindling away, they have a few ageing players in their side who are not the force they once were so maybe they are not getting as many big games from them these days as they used to do, Keith Senior came up with a few errors last night and Jamie Peacock is not the same player that he was when he earned the tag of being the worlds best forward.

Things like Lee Smith announcing mid season that he is leaving won`t help matters as he`s been a key player for them in recent years, missing Brent Webb who is key to a lot of the good things that Leeds do won`t help either as he gives them the X factor, a lot of plays would normally involve him.

They looked like they were struggling for big plays last night when inside the Wigan 20 and Brent Webb quite often gives them that, if you remember Rob Burrow ran round in circles quite a few times looking for an option and none arrived, more often than not Brent Webb will be their on the end of a cut out pass or a short kick into the in-goal which normally results in quite a few tries for Leeds.

They are not dominating games like they used too, quite a few times this year they have had to come from behind to snatch late wins, as a player when you have been used to having things your own way for such a long time like Leeds have done then its going to affect you in quite a few ways when things don`t go according to plan and the script that you have been used too for a few years now.

take them blinkers off. i wish we had him.