I just read the first few replies quite incredulous, how you can say their players in ANY position are p1ss poor is beyond me. This kind of attitude will get us nowhere. They're backs may be the weak link as shown in the Hudds game in parts.

Let's be honest though, as "poor" as these players are supposed to be, they have experience playing at OT effectively year in year out. This is invaluable going into such a big game.

That being said if we shut Cunningham down I think with Eastmond seemingly not fully fit we should be able to get a roll on their forwards. We need to go with 4 props and try and run through them early on to put pressure on Matty Smith to produce something when playing behind a fairly unfamiliar pack and more importantly one that's being beaten.

We've have shown we're not invincible against Leeds at home even with their injuries, so let's not start off on the basis of their players being p1ss poor.

What are these documented problems and how are they different to any problems which Wigan have had over the season?

Having their 4 first choice half backs out throughout the playoffs is probably one of the main ones.

You must be a hard man with a name like cruncher.A hard man with not much grey matter.If you think that injuries havent played a big part in leeds and saints being behind you in the table it is you thats the idiot .Saints finished all of 4 points behind you and did remarkably well in doing so with so many key player out for so long.You had amos roberts out for a long spell and a few of your fringe players,but your key players in the main have been luckily injury free.

I think we've had our fair share of problems as well. Our first choice full back at the start of the year was Phelps, he got injured so we shuffled Roberts to full back. He was in unbelieveable form then he got injured so we moved Sam from the halves and had a new half back combo with LuLu and Deacs. Deacs was injured for a fair bit of the season so we moved Lockers to SO. We have shuffled our team about quite a bit through the season with very little fuss.

That's true to an extent, but I'm starting to wonder just how much a first choice Kyle Eastmond should be. He seems to be injured all the time. I'm starting to regard him in the same way I regard Amos Roberts - a very useful player when he's available, which isn't often.

Determined to perpetuate this myth, aren't you?

What you mean is we haven't made any fuss about our injuries in the same way Leeds & Saints have, and also we have had better youngsters to come in and cover for them (in many cases good enough that our first choices couldn't get their places back after their injuries).

First half of the year he was quality. Just had a couple of long term injuries.

I'd say he's different to Amos in the respect that Amos is fit just isn't in form.

I think if Kyle's fit then he definately improves saints.

Wheeler and Lomax are also big losses, I think both (but especially Wheeler) would have nailed down first team spots if fit, Wheeler was supposed to take the other centre position wasn't he?

Hey it could be worse. I could be named after a self proclaimed hard man who in reality lost more fights than all his fellow Saints forwards put together.

Injuries are part of sport full stop. Do you think they put the number of injuries a team had in brackets next to their name each season in the history books? Blaming injuries is a pathetic excuse because everybody has them and everybody has a squad to deal with them its just some are better than others.

Cunningham currently has a chest infection. Now although I don't expect it stop him playing, I do hope it leaves him physically drained. No matter what the Saints fans say Keiron is the lynch pin in their team and stopping him goes a long way to stopping Saints.

But not as many as your top enforcer Stuart Fielden.

Possibly but i have never seen Stu Fielden pretend he was injured like Graham did against hudds. Shocking behaviour for a prop.

I Have informed the PFU chairman

Even more so when they're missing first, second and third choice half backs.

Fielden never had a rep for starting fights. Your mon did, but he was w**k at it. And you've named yourself after him.



I guess you'll think twice before mocking people's monikers from now on, yeah?

I just think a bit of perspective is necessary with [isome[/i of the Wiganers who have posted on this thread.

There is little necessity to perpetuate any 'myth' about Saints' injuries this season. They are well documented. At present we are probably stronger than we have been all season and are still missing Leon Pryce and Kyle Eastmond, our starting halves. I think we all know that missing your halves probably has more impact on the side than any other.

Anyhow, it matters not. In terms of the game itself, I cant see anything other than a tight affair. We have played each other twice and both were tight games which could have gone either way. I am more confident because Matty Smith is playing. Saints, more than any other side, are aware about how important kicking is at Old Trafford. We've all sat there and watched Sinfield systematically take us apart with kicking for 3 years at the place. I also believe Saints are stronger up front and would expect both sides to defend for their lives in a final. Wigan are stronger on the flanks and Saints will need to defend well out wide. I do believe that Wigan would want it to be dry on Saturday, if it rains I think it plays into Saints hands. I see us putting Meli in the centres to stop the inevitable hammering he would get from kicks on the wing. Saints will play through the middle and Wigan will be creative and that in essence will be the contest.

Lets hope for a great game and may the best team win.

Loving the arrogance of the Wigan fans after finally making the GF



I have a little tip for you - getting murdered territorially by a Leeds side missing Peacock, with JJB/Bailey unfit and missing McGuire isn't too much to shout home about. Had McGuire been on the pitch with that sort of possession, you'd probably be out right now.

Given how often Gidley has ripped Wigan up, I find it quite funny that our backs are labelled "p*ss poor". Three of our other "p*ss poor" backs scored tries in a win at the DW not so long ago. A game in which we were missing Kyle/Soliola/Wilkin/Gardner/Wheeler/Lomax and had Nick Fozzard and Paul Johnson on the bench who've barely played all year.

I have a feeling some people might be a little bit surprised by our fat, slow, barge over merchants on Saturday.

No i havent bird brain.Its nothing to do with sonny nickle.My name is nick and im a saint.

The l and e found their way into there by accident then?

Perhaps he's French and the 34th Nick in his famille

Is being top of the league since the start of March something to shout about? And, when did Danny McGuire become a player who can turn a 20-point loss into a win? I must be thinking of a different player!

Agreed. The point is that we've had just as many injuries, but haven't bothered documenting them, preferring to concentrate on how well the youngsters have done as replacements. Only three of our players are "ever-present": Richards & the Tomkins brothers.

One noticeable difference between Mike maguire and Brian Noble I have found is that Madge does not worry/focus as intently on the opposition as much as Brian Noble did. It's a line he constantly spouts in the media about if we can train hard and put in a good performance like we've trained to do - we should do alright. And I completely concur to this.

Wigan shouldn't be worrying about Saints. We just need to look at ourselves and what we do. Our discipline, with and without the ball, against Leeds was utterly superb. I think last week was our best defensive performance of the season. Alright, Leeds were missing some spark from Danny McGuire, but they still put out a very strong team & Brian McClennan admitted after the match they threw everything at us. They could only score from a Wigan error & that was after dominating in the forwards in the first half. Second half our forwards raised their game and we took our chances.

Next week we'll need to replicate that professionalism in terms of discipline & our excellent goal-line defence. Leeds could not score & with Saints missing their two key halfbacks (has that been mentioned yet?) they will be relying heavily on Keiron Cunningham. If we don't allow them cheap field position then I think Saints may struggle. They're a side that lacks pace in comparison to us & I question their ability to break Wigan's defence in their own half. Close the line Saints will always be a threat, but you can bet your life Wigan will be much tougher than Huddersfield. At times, Huddersfield's defence was utterly appalling close their own line. Shaun Lunt was targeted twice and Saints had great success targeting him. There's no weak-links in this Wigan side like that.

The only area I would like to see us improve is our kicking game. I think every Wigan fan can tell you that. Paul Deacon is one of the best in the game & I would like to see him step up and be utilised more - particularly close to the line when you have the aerial threat of Pat Richards against Jamie Foster/Ade Gardner of Francis Meli. Thomas Leuluai needs to step up big time. If he can't find his range - stop kicking it in the air! Kick it on the ground; that way even if it is right at the Saints fullback/wingers they have to bend down to the pick the ball up & don't take it on the full and allow them to build some momentum going forward. All the pressure can't be on Deacon, but we have players who are capable of taking some of the pressure off. Mark Riddell and Mike McIlorum could do with taking some of the responsibilities IMO. Mike McIlorum is an excellent kicker IMO.

You can bet your life that this game will be close. I don't think there will be much in it. Saints are an excellent side - as are we - and I think it will all come down to who can step up on the day. I'm quietly confident that Wigan will do this.