Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:43 pm  

mark_m wrote:

Very highly debatable that it hit his hand. Then again numerous knock-ons given when the players hand hadn't touched the ball last night.

Personally I think there are vast improvements to come from our team and we managed a draw without much possession, field position or adequate set completion.

Have you seen the stats for the second half?

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:56 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

Have you seen the stats for the second half?

Not yet but I assume the figures are skewed by those three sets after penalty awards.

The first half we had less than 40% possession. The errors we made were also in key areas of our own half.

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:57 pm  

As a neutral observer I thoroughly enjoyed the game, obviously you and Wigan will be at the top end of the table come the seasons end. The one sour note from last nights match was wigans repeated infringing at the play the ball,by and large they got away with most of it. Also after several repeated penalties nobody from the Wigan side was sin binned . Pehraps I am being pedantic but slowing the play the ball down enables an inferior team to drag the opposition down to their level.

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 1:05 pm  

With all the talk about the only games that matter being in the play-offs I think last night's game dispelled that myth. That game had all the intensity of a play-off game with both teams and fans wanting the win. Well done both teams. After watching kick and clap over the winter that game was an excellent reminder about how good thr RL product is. Both teams have room for improvement for sure but I don't think anyone can fault their commitment.

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 1:46 pm  

Great game and all and all probably a fare result. I agree with Backwoodsman, Wigan got away with murder at the PTB and exactly how many warnings does a team get before action is taken?

Much more to come form us I feel and another tough encounter this friday against the Catalans to look forward to.

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 2:09 pm  

Backwoodsman wrote:

As a neutral observer I thoroughly enjoyed the game, obviously you and Wigan will be at the top end of the table come the seasons end. The one sour note from last nights match was wigans repeated infringing at the play the ball,by and large they got away with most of it. Also after several repeated penalties nobody from the Wigan side was sin binned . Pehraps I am being pedantic but slowing the play the ball down enables an inferior team to drag the opposition down to their level.

exactly how I saw the game but couldnt be a$ed posting similar comments and getting flak off the pies or anyone that wanted to think it was the best game of rugby they have ever seen.........Is Brian Carney slowly morphing into Eddie Hemmings....????

the two refereeing performances we have had already were polar opposites last weeks ref blowing up for anything and Bentham letting all and sundry go......

my particular gripe was the identical leg lift and drop on the back that was done on tomkins (I think)Where Monas laughed at bentham and Said Quizically"Droped in his head...??" and the identical one on Hodgson that was let go. It would have given us great field position to try a winning drop goal.

now the amount of Times wigan did this leg lift (which was effectively nearly splitting ones kipper and will lead to serious groin injuries) was outrageous we did it once and were penalised......... yes i know we were lucky with the charnley call but then goulding wasnt dragged into touch he put his own foot in. there were so many bad calls that have been completely forgotten about because it was a great specatacle.

So whilst not ruining the game I though Bentham stunk like an unflushed New Deli toilet

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 2:19 pm  

I couldn't help but be a bit gutted that we didn't win, maybe it's the recent success that's done that to me!

Anyone know why we were penalised when Goulding went into touch? I haven't watched it again but I thought he but his own foot into touch trying to stand up.

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 2:34 pm  

Are the continuing attempts to speed the game up by changing rules in danger of making the game difficult to referee for one man & do we need to try 2 refs or should the touch judges be given more power (sounds familiar ?) or would we then finish up with officials not always agreeing on decisions ? A classic was the dragging into touch (?), how long was that tackle allowed to go on ,if they want to speed the game up the whistle should have been blown sooner because the player was immobilised on the ground. There would then have been no dragging into touch issue.

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sat Feb 09, 2013 7:53 pm  

At the start of the 2nd half I thought Bentham had had enough - Wires were getting a faster play the ball, Wigan were struggling and Bentham was penalising them for messing about. Then (after the new circle in the air warning, which looks like another copout to me) he seemed to revert to type and some of what went on afterwards was borderline thuggery.

McCollorum in particular seems to have accepted the mantle of senior thug in the wigan pack now Hock has moved on and I thought he was very lucky to escape a sin binning.

Regardless, the game was superb and there's plenty of improvement in Wires to come.

Re: By no means a perfect performance, but what a game! : Sun Feb 10, 2013 10:14 am  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

I think I'm suffering from a Grand Final hangover - Don't get me wrong, last night's game was a good one, played by two closely matched sides, and with a close scoreline, it had all the ingredients.... BUT, and I think this is a major problem for the game, all throughout I couldn't help but feel that if we got beat then it really didn't matter, because, in the grand scheme of things, these league fixtures are merely a long build up to the ultimate aim in September/October.

I know many will disagree with this, but as a more casual fan than many on here, I think I represent the neutral fan who is often mentioned as the type who should be seduced by Rugby League's great entertainment and while last night was a good game, it did lack that finality that great dramatic sport should have in order to entice the casual viewer.....Think back to the Olympics - How many people were enthralled with sports that normally you wouldn't give a monkey's for?.... The simple reason they were enthralled was that there was a prize at the end of it, it actually meant something and the viewer realised this and could associate with that.

With Rugby League in its present guise, it all still has a feel of a pre season friendly - Like watching Mo Farah in a warm up meeting, 2 months before the Olympic final.... Its still ok to watch, but it does lack a certain drama.

I'm by no means a fan of the current structure but even if the playoffs and GF didn't exist a Round 2 fixture will always have an element of feeling it's not the end of the world if you lose. The excitement on Friday came from the spectacle itself and how determined the players on the field were to win.