Don't laugh to much, me being one of the older Wigan fans I have the experience to stand back and not get giddy with these early season results.

Saints have studied what has happened during the last few seasons, Wigan and Wire have got away from the rest and then Leeds have come up on the blind side and blown the rest out of the water.

Saints have a cunning plan, look crap most of season and then come roaring through.
They have even gone to the extreme of disguising Paul Whellens to look older than he is with that beard that makes him look like Kieser Bill.
All part of the plan.

Agreed, if the boot was on the other foot they would be making far more noise that we are, of that you can be sure... In fact, Wellens looked decidedly nippy, by comparison, in that back-line today...

or maybe the players wont ply for "agent Brown" ?
Huddersfield players switched off last year mid season?
Maybe its the coach?

Fielden had a very good game as did Kopczak, another signing. Huddersfield on the whole look a much stronger team this season and their new signings have added a lot to the team. They have a strong pack with pace and size in the backs and will take some beating on their day.

You can't help but feel we should have kept Fielden if for no other reason then him being an experienced head to play alongside guys like Mossop, Dudson and Taylor.

He looked very good tonight as did Kopzack and the whole Huddersfield team.

We could in no way justify matching Fielden what Huddersfield were offering him considering he had only played a couple of games in 2 years. Good luck to him though, hope he has a fantastic injury free season.

Why on earth not?

Unless we thought he was a crock which I am sure we didn't given the fact we let Lima leave early we needed an experienced player like him. Hudds just proved [upacks win matches[/u and their pack especially the front row looks considerably better than ours and Fielden is part of the reason why.

We on the other hand seem to think Prescott plus Laukai as senior props plus inexperienced players like Taylor and Dudson is the way to go. I haven't seem a weaker Wigan front row for some time and the galling thing is it is largely because we let Lima leave and couldn't be d with Fielden - both our players.

The past few seasons have shown that regular season form and league placing means little as long as you get into the play-offs in decent shape.

Agreed. I thought Saints' no-show appeared seemed to owe to more than just ring-rustiness.

You can't help wondering about Nathan Brown. His antics in the last couple of years at Huddersfield put a big question-mark against his judgement, as have certain comments he's made in public in the past.

Is he really a good coach, or is he all mouth?

Unfortunately this result means nothing to either team. With the playoff structure as it is, success is what happens in the last 8 weeks of the season. Last season Leeds were crap for the first 2/3 of the season, remember Wigan scored 50 points at Headingley in early season but it meant nothing, Then Leeds went on to be champions.
It's all about getting into the top 5 when it counts, remember Hudds beat Warrington and Wigan in their first games yet slumped badly when it counted.

I'm not sure they'll be consoling themselves with that thought in St Helens today. Or that McManus will be so dismissive of the result.

Teams have a duty to entertain their paying fans.

A few more performances like that, and the fans will start staying away. Try telling a club it doesn't matter then.

It's worrying that the RFL can't see how irrelevant the reg season has become. People have stopped going to games because of it and that is the most worrying thing of all

An amusing and accurate (and somewhat heartfelt) comment from a Saints fan about last night:

[iWello's not just over the hill, he's fallen down it into a ditch and his carcass is being chewed on by passing animals.[/i

A few more games like that might well see the return of Rush and KFC.

Another pearler, this concerning Josh Perry ...

[iThe only thing he will be remembered for his time at saints is being arrested for his naked run on mad Monday - bet that was easiest arrest police ever made and managed to drive him 10 yards back up the street before cuffing him!! [/i

Ouch...

The crowds were up last year during the regular season and down during the play-offs. How does that fit with your post above?

Pre season I couldnt look past either Leeds or Wire to win both major trophies. Wire are quality and have that all important stability in their squad and Leeds back line looks frightening. However youve got to give credit to Anderson. Hes got rid of the players that were alleged to be causing problems, bought wisely and bought quality players. If they stay fit and healthy the Giants should be up there pushing for the top 4. The squad looked to have a lot of grunt and more importantly that cohesion and togetherness. Was very impressed with Hudds last night. And whos that Fielden lad. Looks a real prospect

This may be so, but have Wigan learnt the lessons of recent SL seasons?

That's fantastic!

The crowds in the regular season were up last time and so the RFL and SL are very lucky that most of the fans do not see the regular season as irrelevant as it really is.

The RFL have to be very careful not to undermine the league as a competition as it pays the bills for most clubs. The clubs have to be careful as well. If it became obvious they didn't give a toss fans [iwould[/i stop going.

I think one way that could help is if the next time whoever finish first also wins the GF a great deal is made of it rather than the perverse situation we have now where you get more browney points for being rubbish for half a season, finishing 5th and winning the GF. Finish top and winning the GF should be considered a higher achievement and be marketed as such.

As a regular fan, (maybe not to the glory hunters) in my opinion Wigan's last 3 seasons (1 Grand Final win, 1 Challenge cup win, league placings of 1,2,1) are preferable to Leeds' (2 Grand Final wins, 1 World club challenge, league placings of 4,5,5).

Certainly Wigan have lessons to learn, as have Leeds (1 Challenge cup win in over 30 years) and Wire (last champs in 1955).

I watched Mrs Browns Boys Saturday night & P1553d myself laughing!
I'd heard a few people at work say that it was very funny but got to be honest it was funnier than expected!
That Perry and Wello were F-ing Hilarious!

As a Leeds fan since the 80's we'll have to differ over this. I would much rather be the Champions twice and the World Club Champions once over being the Champions once, the Challenge Cup winners once and the league leaders once.

It's a shame we haven't won the Challenge Cup since 1999, but being crowned the SL Champions 6 times in 9 years helps to alleviate the disapointment! (We're not greedy. It wouldn't be fair if we won everything.

)

Edited

And I think you missed the point he was making by saying finishing 1st 2nd 1st in the league over the last 3 years compared to 4th 5th 5th added to the trophy haul means in some peoples opinions Wigans record over the last 3 years is more preferable as their league position shows they've valued consistancy etc in the league over performing well in certain "One off" games (obviously not Wembley

) and personally I think he has a bit of a point.

My opinion is that the Play off strcuture needs to be changed to make finishing Higher in the league more profitable come play off time. i.e. the old Top5 or Top 6 play off with added advantage to those finishing 1&2 and busting a gut to do so.
I however completely undersatand that if the play offs were structured different that doesnt mean that Leeds wouldn't have won. They could very well have altered their perspective of the season and adapted to those rules and still won it.
To do this I think they would have had to win more league games and at least attained a top 3 position and IMO this would lead to more meaningful competitive games throughout the season to enable teams to do so.

I for one would not like my team to show the same form as Leeds regular seasons have for the last 3 seasons or so and the go on to win the GF. Mainly beacuse I dont belive long term it's condusive to long term success of the game as a whole.