Pretty good job last night to be fair. Credit where it's due.
Learned comment from The Don
I don't think it was a particular difficult game for him, after about 4 sets of play you could see the slowing down at the PTB and niggly play wasn't happening as each set of players just wanted to physically batter each other on impact.
The only decision he didn't get right was the shoulder tackle by Smithies, but I believe no one has had a yellow card in a grand final only the red one.
Yeah, that was a poor miss by the ref and I feared the worst. However, it didn't really pan out like that because for all their third man in tactics and gobbing off, at the end of the game many of the Piescum looked like they'd gone ten rounds with Anthony Joshua! We absolutely battered them and for 90% of the game we were a threat. Whilst their goal line defence was outstanding, our defence was outstanding all over the field. Smithies should've had a yellow but then we'd have suffered the same accusations as the Ben Flower sending off, that the ref somehow aided our win. Well not in that game last night, Pies were stuffed fair and square, hope they enjoyed winning what they deride as the"hub cap", enjoy it lads! You only won that because the SL decided to stop the league when you were top! Ha! COYS!
Did we get a 6 again all game?
Forwards win games. The backs decide by how much.
We can only improve next year and wigan are keeping Leulai and Hastings
Learned comment from The Don
RFL Championship / Super League (17) - 1931–32, 1952–53, 1958–59, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Challenge Cup (13) - 1955–56, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2021
World Club Challenge (3) - 2001, 2007, 2023
League Leader's Shield (9) - 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022
They have a null and void thread on their too. Haha.
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RFL Championship / Super League (17) - 1931–32, 1952–53, 1958–59, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2014, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Challenge Cup (13) - 1955–56, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1971–72, 1975–76, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2021
World Club Challenge (3) - 2001, 2007, 2023
League Leader's Shield (9) - 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022
He made two bad calls in the first few minutes, for me. That was a clear penalty. Graham wasn't anywhere near the ball. The second was a minute later when Walmsley knocked on over the line but Wigan had to drop out. Apart from that, he had a fine game, although, undoubtedly, had we lost, this thread would be 25 pages long blaming him for everything.
THIS YEAR LENDING SUPPORT TO:- St. Helens RLFC, Manchester City, Celtic, Alemannia Aachen, Steps 1 to 6 Non-League Football
He wasn't terrible, which was a pleasant surprise. But as someone said, the scum weren't gaming the lying on as much.
He obviously missed the off the ball hit on Graham, and Smithers should have got 10, but the second penalty for a high on Fages that we leveled from was borderline.
The hit on Fages was high ! All the so called pundits saying that it was a great hit are forgetting that a few years ago you got away with first contact with the ball so it was ok , but it still made contact with his head .
I’ve got no problem with Kendall missing the Graham hit by Leuluai, I think given the speed and ferocity of that game, if he misses that and is “ball watching” for want of a better phrase, fine. However, why, when Graham is getting treatment, is Thaler not in his ear saying that he needs to have that looked at?
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
Very true, couple of weeks ago we would not have made it into an issue. We have been on the receiving end of a lot of foul play lately, if the players know they have received a direct hit they should stay down from now on, the head hunters need to be eradicated as much as possible.
Maybe that is what the new wigan badge means as it depicts a decapitated head. Wigan Headhunters. Their usual foul play contributed to their loss last night.
Learned comment from The Don
There’s been some huge calls about that game on Friday being the best game ever, greatest final etc etc etc.
Be that as it may, I do NOT want to watch an attritional game like that every week, devoid of any “Magic” (obviously excluding Welsby’s try at the end.....)
In the final/semi’s the result is all that matters.
Wigan would play that grind every single week throughout the season, and that’s possibly why their attendance’s have dropped season on season...... Anti-Rugby headhunting.
Can't stop the spirits when they need you.
This life is more than just a read through.