As many poster on here know I'm of the believe that we were cruising for 4th with aim to face Huddersfield, with this we played them and turned up, great performance considering the conditions and the fact the our captain marvel was missing due to injury.

Also nice to see a variation of 'the move' we still played with depth but often used Sam as a ball player to the centres and wingers rather than having him attack the line as a runner, worked really well, with this it's good to see Gelling getting lots of early ball allowing him to take on the line. The ball playing line up play from Sam also worked excellently with is cut out pass to Josh for his try in the corner.

As someone who's openly criticised Hansen in the past, I wanna say how good of a season I think he's had, tackling machine as always, and added more grunt to his attack, pleased he's a Wigan player.

So what now? Either which way we have to face Leeds or Wire, but do people feel we can go on and win in the GF?

There is no way we purposely went out to finish 4th and play Hudds but there's no doubt it was a 'bonus' to get them above Wire or Leeds.

Can't believe you have just watched our performance v Hudds, saw how we played in the recent fixtures and not even suspected a 'different approach' to our how we've played the game?
Not considered how much of an advantage it is to play Hudds rather than Leeds or Wire?
Not consider how we played (with pretty much the same time pre Easter) and wiped the floor with everyone?

Honestly man, wake up.

I dont think it was to go out and purposely get the Hudds game, it was just keep yourself fresh ready for 3 big efforts in the playoffs. Had Wire finished top I dont think we would have gone all out for 3rd

We absolutely 100% intended to finish 4th in relation to the Leeds game and if that's what Last Son is referring to then he is correct you could clearly see in the Leeds game that although didn't intend to play poorly, They didn't mind if they finished 4th we clearly set out to avoid Warrington in the 1st playoff as opposed to Huddersfield and why would we want to play a side that we've only beaten once at their ground competitively in the league and twice in all comps we made the smart decision to go after Huddersfield as the weakest team of the available two in terms of BIG game experience.

We've been sh*te for 3 months now bar the cup games.

We didn't know 3 months back Hudds would finish 1st so its simply a non starter. We're a better side then our forms been showing, we eased off the gas happy to be in the top 4 and got lucky with this first round draw.

Motivation was lacking a touch against Leeds, I agree and I'm sure they didn't mind the defeat too much but it goes back no further then that.

I think Last Son thinks it does but apologies in advance if not.

+1 it's silly to suggest this, and very disrespectful to Huddersfield.

Imagine the conversation, we're thinking of throwing a few games, but make it look like we're trying. We'll lull them into a false sense of security then get them at their ground in week one.

What happened if it all went tits up? Do you think Wane would lose the respect of his players for making them lose.

Preposterous!

I can't speak for or on behalf of Last Son but I for one refer purely to the Leeds game last week when we very much knew it was a straight choice between Hudds & Wire and we made the decision to not throw the game but not put the same kind of effort in as evidence from tonight the fact is that no team or individual is ever going to reveal any strategies or plans or whatever but at the same time you could clearly see tonight as Last Son stated a completely different approach to tonight than last week in terms of performance, Attitude and effort.

The fly in the ointment that it has been a grand plan for weeks to play Hudds is not the way we played v Leeds but how we played v Hull the week before.

We went all out to win that game and had we done so we'd have finished 3rd win lose or draw with Leeds given the points difference.

Hudds took top spot by beating Wakey that weekend so unless we felt Hudds were going to deliberately pass on the LLS by losing to both Wakey and the Bulls to finish 2nd we ought to have been no where near a drop goal and a busted clock away from victory over Hull.

Here's a question. Do players get paid win bonuses for league games these days?

I hope so because if they do there is no way they will want to lose any league game and that is how it should be. It would also mean they'd tell any coach to get stuffed he was telling them to take it easy and not bother about the results of the league games.

It is a clear fact that Wigan had a completely different approach to tonight's game than that of Leeds and the question is did they plan to Lose to Leeds absolutely not but given the choice of beat Leeds and play Wire or Lose and play Hudds it's a smarter choice to play the more inexperienced of the two and that is something you could see in the body language effort and enthusiasm if it wasn't for the fact that questions would have been asked and maybe Sponsership contracts etc then the kids probably would have faced Leeds if they knew they could get away with it but as it is we played a full side but clearly had a different approach last week to tonight did we plan to lose to Leeds almost certainly not but did we care if we did of course not and anyone who thinks Wigan didn't approach last weeks game to tonight's completely differently then they are very mistaken. Yes Wigan didn't care less that they lost last week and that was evident for all to see tonight nobody in Wigan 7 days ago would have said Wigan would put in a great performance and make the most consistent side officially look like a Championship side and yet that is exactly what they did and it was absolutely planned to happen that way Wigan have had a plan in place since pre season to make sure we didn't repeat the conclusion of the 2012 season and although I don't believe that plan involved a table finishing position it definitely included making sure the squad had enough in the tanks to finish the season with either one or both trophies.

How the hell do you know the body language said "we'd like to play Hudds"?



No one is suggesting we didn't approach this game differently to a league game. Unsurprisingly we didn't approach the CC final as a league game either.

In order to "secure" 4th spot Wigan had to lose to both Hull and Leeds. So trying to win v Hull as we clearly did was stupid if the aim was 4th which it must have been had we decided we wanted to play Hudds as no one expected Hudds to pass on the LLS by deliberately losing to Wakey and Bradford.



They cared whether they lost last week when playing the game and that is the point. At the end of the day the result may not have mattered but that is not how they approached the game.



Was part of that plan being poor in the league since about July?

I think that is a very important question. Are we to expect a poor last few months of the league season to prepare for up to four games in Sept/Oct?

It's got nothing to do with how we've played since before or after July as I said the plan was to make sure we had enough in the squad energy wise to win one or both trophies we have played poorly since July/August but you have to ask yourself in the grand scheme of things is it really in the any clubs best interest to bust a gut for 27 rounds then have nothing to show for it except as many believe is nothing more than a cheap piece of tin "hubcap" Leeds are the masters of playing just about well enough to make the playoffs then turn it on for when it really matters and that to me is exactly what we have set out to do all season I never said anything about body language said anything about we want o play Hudds but the players may as well have walked around last week against Leeds with neon signs saying we couldn't give a monkeys if we lose tonight. We didn't TRY to beat Hull if he wanted to beat Hull why did he rest 90% of the first teamers I can tell you without a shadow of doubt Wigan regardless of finishing positions have had every intention of giving approx 70% for the most part of the season and without question they did NOT care in the slightest that they lost last week and yes as part of this plan succeed/fail we can expect less drive and determination for the most part of the league season and turn it on when the playoffs come along which is precisely why Leeds since the Top 8 and club call was introduced have dominated the Super League anyone including Leeds fans who thinks Leeds would have still won the Finals they have in the original play off format are seriously deluded Leeds have simply played the system perfectly except for 2010 and that is what Wigan are clearly attempting to replicate this season only time will tell if we have played the system as well as Leeds and unless its physically impossible don't for one second be surprised to see a repeat of the 98 Grand Final.

This so called plan in nonsense IMO. Wan couldn't possibly of looked at the table in June and thought 'right Hudds are definatly going to finish 1st so we've got to loose loads if games to finish 4th'. There is absolutely no chance Wigan deliberately set out to loose games.

What I do think we did was concentrate on the cup. The draw presented us a golden opportunity to win the cup and that was the focus. The cup games aside, yes I do think Wane was looking to prepare for play off rugby and wouldn't have given the players too hard a time for loosing.

There is no way we hav spent 3 months trying to engineer a certain league position to play a certain team, there are too many variables for that to be the case.

Agreed. What we have been doing is playing at a lower intensity in the league in recent months. The CC final may not have been great to watch but we played pretty well, particularly in defence.

It looks like Wane has been planning for peaking in the play-offs, which is great, though I'd have preferred us to bring a bit of form into the play-offs rather than assuming we could flick a switch and be able to beat the top sides. But Wane knows the team best. If this team continues to do well without Lockers then Wane will deserve a lot of praise.

The 8 team play offs were introduced in 2009. Leeds had previously won Super League in 2004, 2007 & 2008. They also won it in 2009, during which year they also finished top of the table.

So rather than post rubbish on a public forum just take a few seconds to check out your theories first.

We're Wigan rugby. We win when we want.

We haven't planned to finish 4th because as you say we had no idea who would be top. What I do believe we have done is split the season into 3 parts. Finish top 4 (did at magic) Win the cup. Win the playoffs.

There has been a clear drop in our intensity in recent months that was back last night and possibly in the first half against Leeds. There has been no urgency when behind that again was there last night. If we won in recent weeks we won. If we lost then we lost.

We've played the rules to the best we can and given ourselves a chance. We'll no doubt be deducted points for breaking the spirit of the league.

^This!

Since the Top 8 was introduced Leeds have played the system consistently whereas previously although they may have won it 3 times those 3 victories wasn't back to back but apart from 2010 the wins have all been for Leeds 09, 11 & 12 the point I'm trying to make that people just either flat out refuse to take note of or are just too thick to realise how Leeds have played the system is that it's not that Wigan have set out to finish in any particular position or to play Huddersfield in the 1st round what they have done is played well enough over 27 rounds of the regular season without breaking their necks trying to finish top to just make the play offs and then have enough left to make a real tilt at the play offs which is precisely how Leeds have played it since 2009 and that's exactly how Wigan have done it this season it just remains to be seen if its successful no final table positions were set out it was simply a case of make the playoffs then kick into 2nd gear.

Can I introduce you to a few things?
1: , that's a comma, you use it to separate elements in a series or to connect two independent clauses. It helps what you write to be read.
2: . that's a full stop. You can use a full stop to indicate that a statement is complete and that what follows is a new one. You used one, wasn't it fun?
3: REALITY. I've read some utter nonsense on this site before, but yours really takes the biscuit. Going in to a game like last nights on the back of absolutely awful form and, being realistic, very little reason to have any confidence that you could turn over a top team after Leeds dismantled you last week is the worst possible preparation for play-off rugby. Don't let one result against a team who played very poorly blind you to the fact that Wigan lost their way some time ago and will most likely struggle again when facing Warrington, Leeds or Saints (not that they'll necessarily lose, I don't doubt the quality in the Wigan ranks).

Wigan played well last night, but they were aided by the fact that Huddersfield played so poorly. To suggest that they gave anything less than 100% against Leeds or didn't care that they lost is an insult to your players and the blood they left on the field, they gave their all and came up short against a very good team and the performance against Leeds was more indicative of the second half of Wigan's season than last nights. Whilst I'm sure Shaun Wane will accept the odd defeat here and there he is not the sort of man to accept anything less than 100% effort yet you talk about having 'enough energy' left for this time of year like there's a finite amount available across a season - Leeds have never just put in 70%, they've built up to peak at this time of year, and guess what, they're peaking again. What you're actually saying is that Wigan have discovered a form 'tap' that they turned off months ago and can now just turn it back on at will.

And finally, to suggest that it's deluded to say that Leeds would have won the Grand Finals under the old system is difficult to comprehend. Under different systems and finishing in different positions Leeds have lost one knockout play off game since 2007. To suggest that kind of capability is down to a system is what sounds deluded to me.

Lets look at finishing positions before and after introduction of Top 8 in the old system 2004 Leeds 1st, 2007 Leeds 2nd, 2008 Leeds 2nd then into the new system in the 3 times they've won since 2009 Leeds have finished fifth twice in 11 & 12 you can not actually sit there and tell me that Leeds under the old system would have ever finished any lower than top 2 and I've just proved that they didn't therefore that is called playing the system what I have stated time and time again but I'll spell it out for you again is that Wigan have NOT turned on or off any kind of form they have simply set out to finish comfortably into a playoff position without busting a gut it's got nothing to do with effort or commitment that has always been the same the difference is during certain games this season key players have been missing Saints away, Hudds home, Hull home wigan are playing the system and the sooner people realise that the better.

It's so difficult to read your posts, it might be an idea to use grammar. My apologies if you're dyslexic. No one is saying Leeds haven't played the system, but to say they wouldn't have won trophies otherwise is well worthy of the ridicule you're receiving. Look at the teams they have beaten on their way to winning those trophies as proof.

You call it playing the system, but somehow, despite being the only team to have successfully exploited this clearly flawed system, Leeds have gone all out to finish as high as possible this season. That's weird isn't it? The only team to have seen the flaw in this system and successfully exploit it decide to ignore it? Not only that, but despite being the creators of this masterplan they decided not to rest any of their key players at any point during the last three years, despite playing in more games than any other team during that time. Instead they cunningly engineered lower placed finishes by knocking on, losing close fought games and getting players suspended for games against key opposition.

The only masterplan at Leeds is to peak at the right times of the season, namely 1 - The WCC (semi successfully) 2 - The CC Semi and Final (again semi successfully) 3 - The play-offs (undoubtedly successfully) and peaking at those times means the occasional dip in form. They don't plan these dips in form, they just happen, and if Leeds could find a way of playing at top form all season they'd do it. They don't give less, they don't try less it's just that sometimes their performances are not as good.

Strangely though we've not had a dreadful 3 month period like Wigans in all those seasons. Maybe Wigan have perfected the plan, or maybe you're talking gibberish.

So if Wigan or Leeds win the Grand Final this year you'll still tell yourself Leeds have peaked at the right time of the season and they apparently did all they could to finish as high as they could and still finished outside the top 2 yeah you keep telling yourself that Leeds are simply peaking at the right time.