Agree. I was amazed that we didn't bring someone in on loan when Dodd got injured and then Lomax got the arm injury (even though he has played with it)

When Amor left I was convinced that it was to create room for a half but it never materialised. There was lots of talk of Mellor from Leigh coming in. We are probably too top heavy in the forwards and light in the backs.

Its what Wigan got right SC wise with having TL, Field, French, Smith and Cust all able to play in the halves and thats even without the emergency cover that a Powell or O Neill could provide.

Its a funny old world.
From Wanes World to Entertainers and the entertainers are now the Grinders.

Your defence is exceptionally good and that may well prove sufficient tomorrow unless we can unleash French & Field.
I think the bookies have it about right (as they do on the majority of games) that there will be less than 4 points separating the teams. Hopefully, this will be in our favour but if if you guys sneak it by a point or two I wouldn't be surprised. It's how games between the two clubs should always be perceived before the kick off.

My big concern about tomorrow is that Wigan haven't played well in any game since the Hull one in mid July. Flashes here and there (half an hour in the 2nd half against Warrington for example) but generally its been average to poor. I'm sure they'll raise their game but they'll need to raise it a fair way.

We'd have had them two digging us out of a hole (Bevan in 2020) but we wouldn't have necessarily been better. We certainly wouldn't have been at current levels.

The whole team has improved. Let’s not forget that Bevan was absent earlier in the season.

Maybe not but take those two out of this years team and where would you be?

French- 27 tries, 16 assists
Field- 19 tries 20 assists

That's a hell of a lot of firepower to add to last seasons team and a hell of a lot to lose this season.

The same can be said about Lomax and Welsby at Saints.

20 assists for Field, not bad for someone who can’t pass

The point I was making was using those stats to show that if they had been added onto last seasons totals at Wigan, you would have been significantly better. Both didn't play.

They wouldn't have been in the positions to score half of those tries last season.

You make a valid point MD in fact I've said something similar to the lads I go to the match with.
Our passing seems to have lost a bit of the crispness that we had. I'm quite hopeful that we are just going through a tired spell and that come the playoffs and tomorrows game we will pick up the momentum and play a faster game.
I think Cooper has a critical role to play and i'm quietly confident that he will deliver.

Numbers missing for both sides:

Saints…3, 4, 5, 7 and 11

Wigan…3, 4, 7, 9 and 17

I was going to call BS on the Saints "injury crisis" but couldn't be ar*ed with the usual responses. They can dress it up how they want but both sides are missing both starting centres, starting half and an influential forward. Both 6s are playing with a busted arm. We're missing a hooker and them a winger. If the positions were reversed I have no doubt whatsoever that they'd claim losing a hooker is worse than losing a winger.

The simple fact is they went into the season without adequate cover in the halves and they're now feeling it. You make you're bed and all that...

Jesus. Including someone that you’ve sold, that’s brilliant. I’ll add Amor to ours then.

And what's the difference whether he's sold or out for the season injured, Stu? It wasn't Wigan's plan not to have him this season as evidence by the number he was given. Had he been replaced then I would grant you it would be pushing it to include him, but he hasn't.

By all means include Amor. He wasn't in your starting 17 anyway. We'll include Matty Nicholson who wasn't in ours either.

Well said, Phuzzy!

If ever there was confirmation of how easy Saints have had it with injuries these past few seasons, it’s the bleating they’ve done this season about minor issues. They’ve still had a good season by most clubs standards but you’d think they’d been missing 10+ every week.

Look if the tea lady was off for 2 weeks with a injury they would say it is affecting the morale of the squad.

A couple of times beginning and mid season I pointed out players deliberately "Jumping" to put themselves above the horizontal to cheat to get a penalty the main culprit being Welsby
I wonder if we will see any tonight?

A bit hypocritical of Redvee to be all in a frenzy over Mylers antics the other night yet they defend Welsby over it

Some Pearlers from Redvee

"Honestly, when are the refs and officials going to grow a pair and realise how much play-acting is creeping in to the game?

"Myler has just fooled them all and from the subsequent penalty, Austin goes over."

"See it all the time now when players hold their head or neck at the play the ball, so they get a penalty, and then miraculously are fine 30 seconds later once they've got the penalty."

"It's becoming an absolute joke and another thing which is ruining the game, but the RFL don't seem to care."

"Those are 2 incredibly questionable cards, Myler causes the first to himself and Greenwood doesnt lift Dwyers legs at all. This play acting garbage needs to stop"

"Simulation is a 2 game ban in football, maybe its time for something similar"

"Infuriating
Cheating to get a penalty
Forward pass and a try to win the game"

This one in particular is blinder
"Welsby was accused of doing what Myler did, earlier in the season, and LMS went through a stage under Holbrook of the tactical injury at drop outs etc..
I think Woolfe wants to play with high intensity, and a stop/start game with loads of breaks in play doesn't suit us, so I think on the whole we don't resort to such tactics (although I am obviously biased!)"

Biased? No never



" I am also biased but I think we have been the cleanest team since the eighties."

"Regardless of what Peet has done to change the "culture" at Wigan, you can bet your last penny there will still be some Goon Dark Arts come to the fore on Friday night"

They must have forgot Lachlan Coote throwing himself around like some kind of Ballerina from Swan Lake
Welsby Cheating penalties and throwing his arms up like he's being controlled like a marionette puppeteer
Walmersley losing the ability to stood up and play the without walking 500miles off the mark
LMS trying to Goad players, mouthing off and do anything other than play the game

I'm so glad they've been a virtue of good to the game and Woolfe hasn't, in Saints fans eyes, resorted to the dark arts that funnily enough everyone else but Saints fans can see they have.

The above is replicated in their view on their own injuries, everyone else it's tough, themselves it's like som big conspiracy and they're going through something akin the "D-Day landings".


Steps back, awaits responses

Derby Day
Bring it on!

I don't think they have ever thrown a forward pass in the build up to a try neither. Rumours that Tom Brady was training with them for some tips clearly unfounded.

The Saints integrity cannot be questioned, we all know that

Welsby did it twice early in the season. I recall getting laughed at by a few Saints fans on various platforms for daring to suggest a player would tip himself on to his own head to milk a penalty but it was clear as day and this is where we now find ourselves.

Let’s make no bones about it, if Wigan under Maguire were the instigators of the wrestle and some dubious tackling techniques, Saints under Woolf have been the front runners when it comes to gamesmanship, milking penalties and pushing the boundaries on how to manipulate certain rules.

or have been offside ever

Listen Jukes we had "The Ape" who could only coach grinding tactics but Woolfe tactically is the rl equivalent of Einstein. Just watch and learn when the Saints grind out a win today.
Smithies and Isa are total utter shoitehouses but the lads in the V are angels and never resort to "dark arts" but only react to Goons starting the shoitehousing.
Tomkins in his pomp was a total utter toerag and grossly over rated whilst Welsby is a character and the second coming.
You can detest and hate the Goons but still live in Wigoon as long as you just talk to Tic fans.

Once you understand this (I'm totally sold with it all) life will become less complicated for you and you will have perfect piece.
Yeah just love Derby day

Derby Day
Wigan v St Helens
Wigan-
Bang average players
injuries to players not relevant
Thugs,Goons especially-Isa,Smithies
Cheats,feigning injuries etc-Faz
Cant tackle or pass-Field or French
Nothing else but speed-see above

St Helens
Fantastic players 1-13 all better than Wigans first team and prob greatest team ever.
Injuries,catastrophic devastated to the side,dont know how they carry on
Thugs-zero not us as we are are honest to the core
Cheats,feigning injuries,not us-Welsby never lifts his legs up to milk a penalty or ho&ses,Walmsley never ever walks another 60mtrs off the mark,Lomax never falls down over his boot laces,LMS (no comment) .

I actually cannot figure out how we managed to knock them out of the CC what with us being bang average.
God only knows what will happen if we win tonight.
I predict if we did Saints fans will come on and say well played and have no excuses to use other than we were better on the night.