I said that in the first half Dave, I think I counted 2 carries by Satae in the first half so be curious to know why we employed the tactic of overworking the backs to continually carry the ball as it just drained the tank. Had we used the forwards and had them up in to double figures in carries Wigan even with Field would have struggled to contain our go forward and would have sucked their energy, instead we just did it to ourselves. When Fash and Brown came on they helped get us momentum with their carries and work rate. Thought Sao and Mau were the two for me that really ran it in with intent everytime.

The pack is our biggest strength and against Wigan we should really have used that to our advantage, but we seemingly chose to hamper ourselves and the bench selection another area were we did ourselves no favours and then only playing 16.

I may not watch as much NRL as you, but one of the features I like about it is the speed of the game, and the two referees contribute to this by 'policing' the offside at the PTB. This results, as far as I can see, in teams hardly ever being pinned in their own half for more than a couple of sets.

Agree with all that.

Christ that's really worrying. Great stat though. Did you research it yourself?

:3int4f0s

Yes. We beat Wigan in the Cup last year and Warrington in the 2020 play offs, of course, but in the weekly rounds since that excellent 50-10 win away at Catalans in June 2019 we have gone, Warrington (at Leeds) L
2021 Warrigton (H) D, Wigan (A) L, Catalans (H) L, Saints (A) L, Saints (H) L, Catalans (A) L, Wigan (H) L
2022 Saints (H) L, Wigan (A) L

Excellent consistency

Impressed. Your research. Not the statistic!

A chance to rectify this over the next few weeks with Warrington and Catalans at home this month then a chance for revenge over Wigan with them visiting the MKM in May.

Think for me that why last night was more disappointing in that we didn't take the opportunity. Though that being said as long as we take lessons from last night we will be better for it as we weren't at our best but were in the game for the full 80 and but for some dumb play and lacking composure at times the game was there for us.

Disappointed but not downhearted.

The NRL 2 referee system changed in 2020 when the season recommenced in May after a Covid19 break.Matches thereafter were officiated by a single referee and this system continues on today.

Hull should be fuming after that. 80% of the performance is there and there is the potential for this Hull team to genuinely challenge this year. But somehow you just don't manage it.

You were the better team against Wigan I thought. They are a bang average side besides Field's pace, they have absolutely nothing in attack and beside Havard and Farrell's industry they don't have a pack either. Yet little moments in the game cost you and most of them are around fitness and composure. Lovodua's 'attempt' on Field for his second try was absolutely pathetic. Field did nothing to earn the break, he stepped well before the line, Lovodua read it and Field effectively gave up, he was bracing for the tackle. Lovodua had his arm around his waist and rather than slap him onto his back, he just let him walk through him. That, combined with Connor's two idiotic passes in the final ten minutes cost you. Even then you were still level. If Hull review the tapes today and see the metres Wigan made in the last two drives up the field for the drop goal attempts they should be ashamed. Wigan made metres far, far too easily. Farrell's run got Wigan about 30 metres up the field again without even doing anything. The Hull defenders were either too tired or too lazy to stop him and happily walked back with him. Just no intensity at all in the last 10 minutes.

Points difference in Super League is a really good indicator of the strength of teams. Hull's is almost identical to Wigan's, yet they are top and you are 5th. They win the scrappy games to get into an artificial position in the table, Hull do the opposite. With Warrington, Hull KR and Leeds bound to improve at some point, you could miss out on the playoffs if you keep doing this.

We'll be fine thanks. We have a number of players still to come back, or have just come back and finding some fitness. We effectively played with 2 on the bench last night as well, so probably explained the fatigue in the last 10 - and it is that which could be our undoing (Hodgson's mis-management of the interchanges) this season

A bitter Saints fan only blaming Hull's errors for Wigan's win.Most Hull fans are happy with the performance not the result. No credit to Wigan at all I notice. No need to worry you will be champions but Wigan are a bigger club than Saints. Enjoy your success.

That is the big worry for me; Hodgson makes some absolutely baffling decisions on the interchanges . He has learned nothing, it would seem from last season, when he often carried an unused sub. I appreciate we did well, better than we have of late against Wigan away,
and there is an air of positivity, even in defeat ,but the guy is not a top class coach for me. We repeat ill discipline week in, week out and fatigue makes us cough up crucial errors, which ultimately get punished against the intense , top teams. We did well, we could have won and if he'd picked the right bench, for me, we probably would, as I don't see JJ being in any other SL first seventeen. What was the point of Wynne being in the 17 if he wasn't going to get on? Really strange that for me, Wigan are aggressive and intense and usually, you need all interchanges against them.

I sort of agree with Saddened in that we need to be winning games like last night to make the play offs. We saw in 2016 how winning tight games drove momentum. Personally not sure whether we will make the top 6 - Wigan, Saints and Catalans will likely be top 3 and Warrington might take a while to adjust to Powell but reckon they'll come good. Quite a few good teams then vying for 5&6. Hopefully we can be in the mix.

I do feel the bench and the use of it last night was a factor, although Johnstone has done little wrong so far this season in the role he's been given he unfortunately he doesn't offer an awful lot. Surely having Bowden on the bench would have offered us more going forward with Fash & Brown as Johnstone isn't on the bench & used to spell Houghton so I don't really see any benefit to having him on the bench.

I think we showed enough promise last night to suggest we will be in and around the mix but its yet again another game we could have and should have won but for some daft stuff, but hopefully these issue will be addressed.

What have I got to be bitter about? Do you think Wigan played well last night? They've got a lot of improvement in them as well as Hull and probably won't be happy about anything bar the result (Maybe Havard's development and Farrell's workrate). Hull did enough to win that game and then threw it away. Wigan will feel they got away with one there. Maybe this is the mindset shift Hull need to think about as well. You're too big a club to be happy with playing okay and drifting around mid table and the players you have are too good to be doing that as well. As for the bigger club stuff, irrelevant. Another empty stadium last night, which won't be doing them any good.

I have said many times that this coach is too loyal to players and this factors in to some of his poor bench selection.
If we take Connor Wynne as an example. Should have been left out for Bowden yet in his head he obviously thinks he has to find a bench spot for him because he was MOM the previous week.
Now if Connor deserved a place in the team then play him for an underperfoming player like Griffin.
No doubt ill get some stick from the Griffin lovers on here but before you all do look at his poor defence once again for Fields first try.
No point saying he makes meters going forward because all our backs do.We need a lot more from a centre especially in defence.
Our right edge apart from Lovodua missing the tackle on Field is looking strong and i would keep that together and if Carlos is fit drop Griffin to the bench.
So disappointing to lose last night but we actually have the look of a very good team that should be in the top 4 and Hodgson has to take some credit for that but until he really clamps down on the indiscipline and the team stop giving away field position from penalties,offside and repeat sets we wont make it.

You've contradicted yourself a bit.

You've praised the right edge. all they did is miss 1 tackle on Field.

The left edge was poor, they missed a tackle on Field.

Griffin is the least of our problems.

This is like Radfords 2015. Hodgson is putting things in place. I think it will take this season to keep building with us making a top 4 push next season.

Admittedly his bench selection has been poor at times, but were heading in the right direction

Our right edge has been strong and although Lovodua missed the tackle Connor should have stopped Field
One of my points was surrounding Connor Wynne and why he was on the bench following his MOM last week yet an underperforming Griffin offers nothing other than making a few metres out of backfield.He is slow, offers very little in attack and time and time again is found wanting in defence which fans on seem to ignore.
We have a rookie in Mitch playing right centre who has good defence and last night made a break then a one handed pass to Lovodua
who then put Houghton in for a try.Could Griffin do that?no
I agree we are heading in the right direction and Hodgsons bench selection at times is poor but even though you are a senior player if you are underperforming you should be replaced if we have a player available

Maybe bitter was a bit strong a description but from your post you concentrated how poor Wigan were due to your intense rivalry without giving credit to Hull's performance.

We have not beaten any of the four biggest teams in SL in 17 attempts so to run Wigan close and in my opinion played well is a positive. Like Warrington we are a big club but have under achieved for years.

It was a poor crowd but a lot of Thursday night TV games are. We average 11k plus which in RL terms is creditable but in a 25k stadium it never looks full. Saints are a great club and have been far and away the best team in the league for the last few years but in my view Wigan historically are the biggest club in the game.

Nothing personal against you or your club just a bit miffed that you didn't give Hull any credit. I enjoy watching Saints play.

My bad,


shows how much I watch it, I don't have subscription TV so am limited to a few highlights. Still think the 10m is more evident in the NRL

Quote ="bonaire"Our right edge has been strong and although Lovodua missed the tackle Connor should have stopped Field One of my points was surrounding Connor Wynne and why he was on the bench following his MOM last week yet an underperforming Griffin offers nothing other than making a few metres out of backfield.He is slow, offers very little in attack and time and time again is found wanting in defence which fans on seem to ignore. We have a rookie in Mitch playing right centre who has good defence and last night made a break then a one handed pass to Lovodua who then put Houghton in for a try.Could Griffin do that?no I agree we are heading in the right direction and Hodgsons bench selection at times is poor but even though you are a senior player if you are underperforming you should be replaced if we have a player available'" We'll just agree to disagree about Griffin. He's not Jamie Lyon, but I think you're doing his skill set a disservice. Mitch could've jammed in on Field to stop the break too. https://youtu.be/MB2wcGiW7vo

Quote ="bonaire"Our right edge has been strong and although Lovodua missed the tackle Connor should have stopped Field One of my points was surrounding Connor Wynne and why he was on the bench following his MOM last week yet an underperforming Griffin offers nothing other than making a few metres out of backfield.He is slow, offers very little in attack and time and time again is found wanting in defence which fans on seem to ignore. We have a rookie in Mitch playing right centre who has good defence and last night made a break then a one handed pass to Lovodua who then put Houghton in for a try.Could Griffin do that?no I agree we are heading in the right direction and Hodgsons bench selection at times is poor but even though you are a senior player if you are underperforming you should be replaced if we have a player available'" We'll just agree to disagree about Griffin. He's not Jamie Lyon, but I think you're doing his skill set a disservice. Mitch could've jammed in on Field to stop the break too. https://youtu.be/MB2wcGiW7vo

You sure about Wire?

Said it might take a while