It happened down the line as I viewed from the SS - a straight red should have been what the ref produced.

However, without sounding like the ref was to blame for the result, he was poor.

Both teams were not square 80% of the time and looked offside for a good 50%+ too.

If the Demetriou attempt at decapitating Feka is deemed as "acceptable" and not worthy of any card then we shouldnt see another player sent from the field in any game again this season. Sadly we will and look back to this incident and wonder why.

Maybe its because I have low expectations of Mathers but for me he wasn't our worst player. That "honour" would have to go to one of the Phelps/Roberts partnership (shockingly poor in attack and in the first half produced the worst 40 mins defensively of any Wigan centre/wing pairing for at least 20 years) or the dreadful Coley, closely followed by Smith, whose kicking was poor and who virtually ground to a halt in the second half.

Mathers offered nothing in attack but he didn't make all that many mistakes compared with a number of other Wigan players. I can't remember seeing a Wigan FB as exposed by his teammates, the number of times Mathers was the last line of defence due to missed tackles and kicks through where e.g. the winger had failed to drop back on the last tackle were astonishing. The guy isn't Radders, we can't expect him to pull off miracle tackles under that kind of pressure.

I'm not defending his actions in the incident that led to the sinbinning but yet again he was exposed - that incident took place on the right touchline.... where was Roberts?

Exactly, each player sent off this season should use that tackle in their appeal.

correct, halley had got past him, the ball had gone, it was a deliberate attempt to bring a player down. it was a disgrace, but it was typically mathers



if [uboth teams [/uwere not square 80% of the time and if [uboth teams [/ulooked offside a good 50% + of the time as well, surely thats still a level playing field? i sense you are suggesting that [uboth teams[/u cheated, if so, cheats never prosper - so something had to give ay?

the standards of refereeing will always be a talking point in every game and it is an easy way out to say " the ref was biased against us today "



demetrious tackle was high yes, but if you have any idea about the game you would have noticed that JD was comitted to the tackle, feka put a bit of nifty footwork together and JD caught him high - it was a grab more than a swinging arm, it wasnt mallicious and it wasnt off the ball in a last ditch attampt to stop a player scoring a try.

take the blinkers off for a second and admit you were second best today - some of us do it on a regular basis and can take it on the chin when we come out 2nd best.

I don't think a single Wigan fan has suggested anything but this

So now it is Feka's fault that Demetriou made the tackle illegally?

Probably. Given how we normally get shafted by the RFL



What was the penalty count today, not in any way an excuse, but a wondering I had after the game.

i wouldnt say fault, id say it was fekas actions that lead to JDs high tackle... and credit to him (feka that is), players put footwork on for a reason you know....to try and gain any advantage they can....and in this case, it caused JD to get his tackling technique wrong and it won wigan a penalty - carnt argue with that.

I have loads of respect for JD, he always does well for us, and his actions re Adam Watene are too decent for words. But, he should have gone for that tackle.

Well as a Wigan fan my view is as follows:-

1. The ref didn't have a great game.

2. Point 1 is relatively irrelevant because we were so poor that we were lucky not to lose by 20+ points, even if the ref had had a better game there were numerous occasions where Wakey were a bit unlucky not to capitalise on opportunities.

Full marks to an understrength Wakefield, a quality performance.

The word of caution I would have is that we were so bad that I wouldn't get too carried away

It was a calculated and selective tackle with the aim to stop Feka (since one on one he isn't often brought down) by going high and going illegal. Demetriou knew exactly what he was doing and was very very lucky not to be carded.

if JD should have gone for that tackle, mathers should be banned from any form of rugby for life for his actions today.

The tackle was high, but was a lazy arm after he was caught out by good footwork... it was a million miles away from a sending off. These tackles happen week in, week out especially in this weather. I personally thought that Coley's high tackle and grapple on Wilkes was worse. There was malice in it, as he didn't like being hit hard by Stosic.

You wont find a Wigan fan who disagrees



But that doesnt change the fact JD was very lucky not to be sent off.

The RFL have decided they would punish the Wigan club more by not handing down this ruling on Mathers.

This is exactly it he's got no bottle at all. He'd sooner trip a player up or tackle them off the ball than put his body on the line. He caught a few good high balls today but offers nothing at all going forward and often let simple kicks just roll past him about 10 yards further. Surley Richards or Roberts has to take his place.

Thats garbage, if youd watch JD week in week out you'd find he is not a malliscious player at all. Feka did him with great footwork. Also a massive rap to Feka, he didn't jump up and start fighting or anything daft and he didn't stay down on the floor trying to make it look worse than it was, he just got up dusted himself down and carried on with his game, great sportsmanship. I thought you wre totally lost without him and Fielden on the pitch, why does Noble play them both at the same time its glaringly obvious you need one of them on at all times in order for you to get any go forward. I think Nobby thought it was going to be easy and didn't take us seriously, just because our players aren't household names doesn't make them bad players, Nobles got to realise they're all full time players and he should treat each team with the respect they deserve. I've never rated Noble as a coach he had it easy at the Bulls inheriting a winning squad which he slowly turned in to a not so winning squad, as things got worse he jumped ship and went to you and a seemingly endless pot of money (lindsay days), so far he's done nothing at Wigan to suggest to me that he's a good coach.

players tend to go 'upstairs' when tackling anyway.one aspect of rugby league is about wining the collision - players tackle chest high week in week out - feka put some good footwork on and JD got his technique wrong. it was a high tackle and nothing more - even Mr Smith must have had that view as he didnt put the incident on report, there was no major flare up between the players, and Mr Smith just had a quick chat with JD and the game continued.

tackles like that go uncarded week in week out.

youre probing one player for one incident and using it as a point of focus for your posts.....try gettin your own house in order first!

I didn't suggest he was a malicious player at all. I don't regard JD as that sort of player. I said it was calculated and selective i.e. he planned to stop Feka with a high shot in that specific tackle (do not take "calculated" to mean "malicious"icon_wink.gif.

Feka doesn't step him he runs straight at him - so it wasn't the case where a player has been stepped and is "done by good footwork".

JD knew what he was doing, and knew it was worth the risk to stop him.

I commented on the incident as others have? I'm talking about the incident - so of course it is a point of focus for my posts!

And JD's tackle doesn't have anything to do with what is wrong with Wigan, our players, our coach and our work ethic. Those comments are for the plenty of other topics regarding just that.

I'm bored of Mathers threads.

Everybody and I mean EVERYBODY involved with Wigan RL thinks Mathers shouldn't be selected...Apart from those who do!!

Enough is enough.

Do you think he should play?

Maybe he's paying us to play him and we need the money. I really have no idea what Noble is thinking when he plays him.

i would say loan him out, but who in their right minds would take him?

Can we have all the JD high tackle debate in a different thread please.



Just to get the thread back on topic......

Superleague fullbacks -

Leeds - Webb or Smith
Saints - Wellens or Gidley
Catalans - Greenshields
Bradford - Platt or Sykes
Wire - Reardon or Hicks
Hull - Motu Tony or Todd Byrne
Hull KR - Briscoe or Cockayne
Wakefield - Blaymire or Martin
Huddersfield - Hodgson or Hodgson
Salford - Fitzpatrick
Celtic - Duggan
Quins - Dorn or Melling
Cas - Owen or McGoldrick

I would have all of that lot in our team before Mathers at this moment in time (yes, even Platt!).