Leuluai must get embarrassed when he makes a long kick because the whole crowd just groans.

Dont really watch much of the NRL so dont know what Finch's kicking is like? Hopefully he will bring that to the squad when he is fit.

Don't forget we will have Hock back for next year too

Maybe but a champion team can cope with injuries to key players. Do not forget that they had injuries as well.

Tommy's kicking is terrible. Never ever makes the FB work. FB's onh wingers run onto his kicks gaining yards putting more pressure on our def line before tackle one is made!

I think this was noticed as Sam seemed to be stepping up taking more kicks in the second half.

Overtime our line up could look different. Maybe:

Roberts
Pryce/Charnley Gleeson Carmont/ J Tomkins Richards
Sam Finch
Prescott McM Coley
Hoffman Hock
Lockers
-----------------
Mossop to replace a retiring Coley
Fielden
Lima
Tommy
Hansen/Farrell

Who?

I don't think you are being realistic and are being a bit glib with that statement. If one of their centres was as crocked as Gleeson was I doubt they have anyone to bring on such that their backline was unaffected. The loss of Fielden with Lima being suspended is also the kind of thing no fan would not rightly think their team would not miss those players, champion side or not.

Agreed

Any team in the world would miss the 4 we had out last night.

If Gleeson wasn't on one leg that cooper&morris combo would not have been so devastating.

Yes, I keep forgetting. But it's a nice surprise when I remember.

Spot on.

Wigan stood up and pushed the world champs with the man of steel missing, our two best props (Fielden and Lima) missing, a centre on one leg, and a squad of lads who haven't yet hit their peek.

No matter what, we did well. A performance to be proud of no matter of the score.

Fair point. I guess I am just taking into account the fact they have had to travel as well, probably giving them too much respect.

Take their best winger away in Morris before the game and then Gasnier during the game and yes we would have had a better chance.

Despite what the naysayers and trolls have been saying about the match we were very very close to pulling it off last night........ 1 try, that is all.

We are still a work in progress, still some players not back to their best Amos etc, missing some key men Pat, Finch, Lima, and dare I say it Hock.

Lets not forget just over 18 months ago were were up to our necks in schit & alligators.

Class performance from the lads last night which made me really proud, and I'm looking forward to bigger and better things........... I'm not so sure the naysayers and trolls are looking forward to it though......bring it on!

I could have said the same thing about the Grand Final - if only. Unfortunately you can only play with the hand you are dealt. The experience of appearing in the WCC will do wonders for your young players. It will make them strive to be better rather than let them think they are the best in the world.

Saints were well beaten in that final, the scoreline didn't quite reflect the game. There was only 1 try in this game, we even led at the break. Saints were never in the game at the GF.

I was refering to the poster when he said you would have won if you had had Pat and the other injured /banned players. If we had had our halfbacks etc for the GF then who knows we could have won.

Although you were missing some key players in the final, you were never in the game - unlike Wigan who could have so easily have won it.

However your last point I agree with. I was thinking last night, for players like Lee Mossop, Liam Farrell, Paul Prescott, Mike McIlorum etc this game will give them tremendous big match experience & for me give them the confidence in knowing they can perform in the big matches (all played very well IMO) and should give them the impetus to improve further as players to earn the opportunity to appear in matches like that again.

If I remember rightly. I think it was Phil Clarke who said that:

Wigan had planned for madges first season to be good, but without a trophy.

Then in his second season madge and Il had planned to reach/ win the GF. After the growth/ development of many junior players as well as new recruits. Plus they thought it would take Madge a year to settle in.

However our form last year shocked everyone and we actually achieved year 2's plan in year 1. So maybe there is potential for even more improvement?

I agree with this.

IL more or less said the same at the Pre-season dinner.

Strangely I wasn't too gutted last night. To reiterate on my initial post we came close to matching the best club team with key players missing, but also with a young promising squad. Just look at the ages of some of our already quality players.

Sam 22
McM 23
Joel 24
Mossop 22
Farrell 21
Tuson 21
Marsh 21
Charnley 20
Davies 22
Hansen 26
Tommy 26

I think this is simply the start of a new era of Wigan dominance.

Wish FM's commentary highlights worth a listen if only to hear commentator Mark Wilson describing Carmont 2nd Try - [url=http://www.wishfm.net/blog?id=10501=#FF0000www.wishfm.net/blog?id=10501[/url

Class

very impressed with all the Wish FM commentaries i have heard this year.

Thats the problem when you go into a massive game with a few key injuries. If you lose no matter by what margin theres always the "what if" element and its an awful feeling. At least if you lose with a near enough full strength team you can rest easy and know that it wasnt meant to be.

Indeed. Top Marks to Craig Beck at Wish FM for bringing local sport commentary back to the station. Sadly they can only do updates on Friday at Salford though.

I don't think anyone didn't think Saints were weakened by the loss of those players but are you telling me you didn't wonder how the game would have gone had they been fit? Maybe you don't think it would have made any difference

as Saints were not ever really in the game?

Wigan pushed SGI all the way without the current MoS who plays in a position where they were the biggest threat. We also had two experienced props out and that is before we talk about Gleeson being crocked and Finch not being available either. We have just been unlucky with too many injuries to too many players before a game like that. One or two you expect to have out each week but had Saints been missing Graham, another prop and Meli as well I doubt you would have been anywhere near close enough to think with one or two of those missing back in and you might have pinched it. I think we were close enough to rue the fact Richards and one of the props were missing.

I forget Leuluai is still quite young. World Cup Winner, Four Nations Winner, Super League Grand Final Winner and Harry Sunderland Trophy Winner already and he's only about half-way through his career. Not bad for a guy who you would never really talk about as world class or even a Wigan great. He might need two trophy cabinets by the time he retires!