Correctamundo

Yep and it's the number of teams that qualify for the playoffs together with the current structure that allow this. It basically means you have to have one consistent period throughout the season and still be in with a shot. This results in teams being able to have a great start then drop off (eg Hudds and Hull this season) or start poorly then find form later in the season (Leeds) and still be guaranteed a playoff place. The league would be much more exciting if we currently had 3 or 4 teams trying to scrap to get in the top 5 rather than teams going through huge losing periods and still being sat comfortably in the playoff places.



A simple tweak of the playoff structure would force teams in to becoming more consistent throughout the full season and this strategy of holding back for the playoffs would become obsolete because there would be a genuine risk of missing out completely.

I'm sorry we are the best team in the comp who cares who we play if we want to win the gf we have got to beat the best left in



The semi v Leeds we showed up with injuries and players not 100% they played the best they have all season we a few calls going against us and they won by 11 points i think that says it all



Wigan with a full strength side are unstoppable

I want Wigan to win the league. We deserve it and have been the best team in the competition this season. In the grand scheme of things it may mean nothing, but it's nice thing to have which recognises and reward a season of hard work.

so, whom was missing from this line up then?



5. Pat Richards

3. Darrell Goulding

4. George Carmont

2. Josh Charnley

1. Sam Tomkins

7. Thomas Leuluai

6. Brett Finch

13. Sean O'Loughlin

12. Gareth Hock

21. Epalahame Lauaki

8. Paul Prescott

11. Harrison Hansen

9. Michael Mcllorum



23. Ben Flower

17. Chris Tuson

16. Liam Farrell

14. Jeff Lima

Mossop.



and Gelling, of course.

Richards, Leuluai & Prescott, but the one most missed was Tommy.

Its not full strength as Lee Mossop is missing!

i think thats the team we played them with, and lost with, earlier in the season.

well we certainly wont have richards at full back, goulding on the wing, charnley at centre, tomkins on the wing, o'loughlin at prop, gaz hock at hooker, paul prescott in the second row and mcilorum at loose forward on saturday thats for sure

I thought it was very strange in the way the team was written out! We were unlucky to lose against Warrington earlier in the season and if it wasn't for a few funny decision and Luauki's brainfarts we could have won.

Wigan should play to win every game....the Wire fans were annoying last year after winning the title, can you imagine how bad they'd be if they won back to back titles?



Especially if they won the Challenge Cup as well and all Wigan were left to play for was the end of season premiership knock out which doesn't matter anyway as we saw last year when Wigan slacked off and got beaten twice by Saints.

terrible attempt

obviously finishing 1st in the league at the end of the weekly rounds is a great achievement and one i want as much as Waney & the players but our play-off form last year wasn't up to much at all. we've largely had the better of saints in the weekly rounds for a few years now but when it comes to play off rugby i'm not as confident, against saints or any other team. take last year for instance when we tonked them in the weekly rounds but were ont he back end of 2 reverses come the playoffs.



our first big MUST WIN game this year was the leeds game in the CC semi and we bottled it, whereas we tonked them at their gaff in june in the league and i find it hard to believe that, with little changes to the personnel other than tommy being injured, that it is anything other than mentality and attitude. i also think that despite Wanes fantasically loyal support of his side it can sometimes be too overbearing and puts too much pressure on the players whether they/we like to agree or not. i cant help but feel we'll take the same attitude into the playoffs whether we finish 1st or 2nd but of course i hope i'm wrong!



we still have a LOT of work to do in my opinion but even if wire win on saturday, which i think they will, i think we can still just nick top spot.