I like this bit....“I said to Stuart ‘I don’t want to embarrass James and he doesn’t know I’m ringing (but) he has had concussion for about four weeks in a row’.

I too would prefer my team's coach not to give interviews like this after a loss. However, the title of this thread could give the impression that he's saying Wigan did all the high tackles, whereas the following quotations suggest otherwise:

=#800080“I said to Stuart ‘I don’t want to embarrass James and he doesn’t know I’m ringing (but) he has had concussion for about four weeks in a row’.

Even the journalist says this:
=#800080The prop’s injury problems do appear to have eased this week and he is expected to take his place against Huddersfield.

Remind me - was this a winning or losing coach?

Hate to disappoint you, but nowhere there does he complain about Wigan's tackling, and he was already talking about Graham and head shots well before the wigan game even took place.

Who did Saints play last?? and why did Simmons not bring this up before the Wigan game?? the title says it as it is...complaints about tackles AFTER a Wigan game!

I said he complained after the Wigan game..not that he blamed them.

Agreed. Simmons is not complaining specifically about Wigan and I have heard Simmons singing the same song before.

But I am not sure that the concussions he has suffered are solely down to high shots.

The guy is a top class front rower and he takes the ball up in an aggressive way and so he is bound to suffer some knocks to the head that are not necessarily down to his opponents.

I don't remember a single high shot from either side in the SF to be honest. In fact I think Wigan have been pretty clean this year when it comes to high tackles. That maybe because we've found a more effective tactic of disposing of people causing us problems.

we do seem to aim a bit lower these days. if we're not careful, Locky will lose his 'Headhunter' tag

That's because, and I need to be careful with my wording here to avoid libel, your players are ALL on drugs.

The way Graham speaks to referee's i'm surprised that it's not the ref's that are hitting him with head high tackles

I did a proper lol on that.

I hadn't made my mind up on Simmons. I have now, it's a thumbs down. How bad does that article look?

Correct he doesn't but it seems a little stupid of him to bring it up after the cup semi defeat. Strangely it's something I mentioned a couple of weeks back after the moaning about Coleys tackle on Solomona. For a few weeks we have had about four or five Wigan players bleeding from head wounds and it hardly got a mention

Why? He was talking about it for weeks before the cup semi, and is still talking about it now. Why is that stupid?

He's looking to protect a player who is targeted pretty much every week for some "debatable" treatment and is suffering head injuries.

WHY
What has made him so important why does he deserve to be looked after by the ref anymore than the other 31 players playing that day.
It annoys the life out of me this alex fergie and wenger always saying it
Do you mean the better the player the more he should be looked after?
So in effect if a less competent player recevied a career endong injury it isnt as bad as a top line player because by your statement he doesnt need as much protecting?

And on a side note how can anyone say there players are being target when we mentioned the treatment sam gets(ablet and manu 2 examples) we get laughed at and abuse thrown how its all his own fault

I don't remember him making those accusations prior to the semi final, if he did fair enough.

But if Simmons is "so concerned" why is he playing him?

because they are even more f***ed without him

I'm far from a Tony Smith fan but he said the same thing about Morley.
Moz had been suffering from concussion for a number of weeks. Smith decided therefore not to play him. A massive decision not to play your best prop but Smith made it. Well done him for sticking to what he felt was best for the player's long term interests.
Simmons should talk to the Wire coach about the issue. A combined effort in talking to the RFL might acheive a lot more than complaining at the weekly press conf!

Well Graham may be very badly injured and near death.... But somehow he is playing, despite having had concussion for a month....

Funnily enough I almost started a thread after the semi highlighting Graham's technique of diving or dropping forward just before the tackle. At times it verges on a voluntary tackle and if opposition players where to hang back once he's committed himself it would be pretty funny watching him throw himself on the floor. I can only assume that he does this in order to "win the ruck" because when he does do it, more often than not it leads to a very quick PTB. The downside is he puts himself at risk of high shots.

Graham's just taken a big blow to the head from Robinson.

I imagine the Saints coach will be going beserk after the game over this cowardly attack on little Jammer by the large and vicious Luke Robinson!

Seriously though, bad clash of heads and Graham looked in a lot of pain.

They both did... But both up and running...

Proper sport, one of the reasons i fell out of love with football is feigning injuries, these 2 get the magic sponge then up again.

Fielden used to get his head taken off week in week out for Bradford and us but it was always blamed on an awkward upright running style. Get over it, no one complained when Stu was taking the hits. Props take shots, its not deliberate, its just part of the game

Bet McGilvary has a head ache this morn! Nice swinging foot to the head.

Not to mention Pryce expertese at being 3rd in with the knees!