I still can't understand the logic in a team winning a series of knockout rounds at the end of the season that could have come anywhere in the top 8 and be called the champions for the next year. I know it gets said all the time but i still just really can't see any logic in it, i'm not just saying it because Wigan will finish top this year, i've always thought that.

If it wasnt a big deal the sky people would be at a differant ground,would imagine IL handing the hub cap over to the team.

Onlt one team gets crowned the Champions at the end of the season. Coming top of the pile is a great achievement but if we don't win the GF it will be of little consolation to me

Completely agree. The GF system is a triumph of marketing over common sense.

It's also been diluted by including more teams in the playoffs over time so that diminishes any claim it had to be the real decider IMO.

It was also supposed to improve RL here as it was supposed to introduce pressure games and thus better place us internationally. Look at the international results since 1998. It has not worked.

It's all very noble to say we must win the GF but really when you see the effort all teams put into the league it's completely daft it is the minor trophy.

Hello from South Africa by the way which is where I am at the moment.

Dave

No you'll have someone from the sponsors handing it over. That's why they'll want to televise it, so the sponsors get exposure.

I don't think the game when we were given it was televised the other year, but they may be making a bigger deal of it because it's Wigan and it's been a while since you won anything

.

There's little that's more embarrassing than when fans of the team that have won the hubcap wail about being 'true champions' when someone else wins the GF. And I include Saints fans in that, it was cringe worthy last year.

I think that we should celebrate finishing top as a huge thank you to all the staff and players at the club, the effort this season has been outstanding and the turn around in 12 months has been incredible considering the disappointment of the last few seasons. I'm sure that, in reality, most fans are thrilled at us finishing top, despite the fact that winning the 'hubcap' is downplayed at every opportunity. The boys deserve to be cheered heartily and it will hopefully spur them on to glory in the play-offs.

Very much so. I don't think even the most optimistic fan would have expected us to be 6 points clear with 3 games to go, whatever happens in the playoffs.

I agree - if it was up to me the League Leaders Shield wouldn't even exist.

I disagree, IMO being the top of the league is the most significant achievement of the season. Everything else is just a bonus.

I hope we get the trophy against Huddersfield, lift it to the crowd come over for the usual end of match thank you then get it down the tunnel and dont over hype it!
Get it in Trophy room and forget about it! Start planning for the Play offs!

I've only been watching Wigan since 2004 so this will be the first piece of silverware I see them lift and for me it's a big deal


Yeah, I'd prefer to win the GF but this is still a big achievment.

I totally agree. It's not winning the Grand Final, but it is an acheivment (especially considering our recent history) and I think people are getting a bit uptight about enjoying that feeling incase we don't go all the way.
If we win the final I'll be extatic and if we don't i'll be gutted but still really proud of what we did this season in coming top!

Its a trophy after all

Isnt this a contradiction in terms ?????

Great. You make it sound like I've never seen us lift one before.

No, I was disagreeing with MadDogg and Billinge_Lump. Topping the league is the best indicator of a teams performance over the season. The playoffs are a necessity to generate cash, so for this reason it is my opinion that they should not be considered the highest accolade.

Well you celebrate it, whilst the Champions celebrate being Champions after winning the Grand Final.

I guess that's an attempt at petulance. I'll be happy when we get the shield, I'll also be happy should we win the final.

What the hell has everyone got against us celebrating the league leaders shield? We'll celebrate and then move on to the main focus which is the GF, hence why were hoping to have it done at the Huddersfield game. You seem to be deluded into thinking that we only want to win the league leaders shield. Off course we want to win the GF and we all know that they are considered the champions. So we'll celebrate winning this and hopefuly we'll then be celebrating the winning the GF.

Some people feel the need to polarise every issue. I'll be thrilled when we lift the trophy, it's a massive achievement and something that we haven't seen at Wigan for some time. That doesn't mean I'll ignore the GF.

Nothing, where have I said there is?

We celebrated it the first time we won it. I just wouldn't expect fireworks and the like.