Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 1:33 pm  

Zig wrote:

I agree, when injuries start to bite Leigh will struggle as they have little depth in their forwards. Having said that, if they can continue to roll out their best 13 they will be a handful for everyone. They are a well drilled outfit and last evening they managed to do a Wigan to Wigan by slowing the ruck down. I can't begrudge them their win last night, on sheer effort alone they deserved it. From a Wigan perspective, it has brought us down a peg or two which will be good in the long term. It will be interesting to see how we react next week at Hull.

Yeah, I don't think a few shocks early in the season will do us much harm in the long run. Motivation to keep winning can be difficult when you've had so much success (not saying we lacked it last night) but a champion side doesn't like losing and the enjoyment that brings around the game and I think our players can then feed off that. I'm finding myself a bit 'meh' about games at the minute and that's from the run of winning trophies but last night just gets you going again.

In terms of next week, the players need to react now and also back up some talk I saw in pre season about them knowing how bad their record in the city of Hull is and them wanting to put that right. There will be no better time than next week but it won't be easy because all teams are optimistic and motivated early in the season.

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 1:47 pm  

My concern after reflecting on that last night is the power of referees to control the ruck speed to such a degree it almost nullifies any of our threat from a quick play the ball to get teams on the back foot. If a team like Leigh are able to do that on a pitch the size of ours, I’ll be concerned when we go to places like KR and even Castleford.

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 2:21 pm  

By no means was it the reason we lost last night but i thought the referee let the game flow a bit too much which probably sounds a bit ridiculous becuase we are all forever saying the refs are giving too many penalties. There were clear penalties on both sides, the ruck was too slow and i think if he blew a few times it would of broke the game up.

Good game though, enjoyed it. We'll be fine and congrats to the Leigh.

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 2:26 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Yeah, I don't think a few shocks early in the season will do us much harm in the long run. Motivation to keep winning can be difficult when you've had so much success (not saying we lacked it last night) but a champion side doesn't like losing and the enjoyment that brings around the game and I think our players can then feed off that. I'm finding myself a bit 'meh' about games at the minute and that's from the run of winning trophies but last night just gets you going again.

I've felt exactly the same - adds a little more bite to the coming games.

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 2:29 pm  

1872_WiganRLFC wrote:

By no means was it the reason we lost last night but i thought the referee let the game flow a bit too much which probably sounds a bit ridiculous becuase we are all forever saying the refs are giving too many penalties. There were clear penalties on both sides, the ruck was too slow and i think if he blew a few times it would of broke the game up.

Good game though, enjoyed it. We'll be fine and congrats to the Leigh.

This notion that less referee intervention leads to a more exciting game is so misguided. If the ref had clamped down on the slow ruck speed early then the rest of the game would likely have sped up.

Liam Moore is the absolute worst for not intervening with the ruck. I think he's a good ref outside of that and talks to the players very well. But its almost a free for all on the floor when he's in charge.

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 4:55 pm  

I don’t get the hate on Moore, the PTB was equally slow on both sides so no advantage to be had for either team, difference is you normally get to slow the PTB down but enjoy a quick PTB, I’d say we just “out wiganed” you last night. What I will say it was amazing watching Wigan defensive structure and composure live is immense, proper old fashioned proper rugby! Quality stuff

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 6:06 pm  

I think the PTB was definitely slow for both teams and to be honest if it was sped up would we have got the game we did defensively. Both teams would have been blowing out their backsides 20mins in. Like people have said nothing to worry about both teams were matched for most of the game, credit to Leigh there as they never creaked, gave away a silly pen. Hull is always a bogey ground for us and if we put the effort in for the Leigh game into that game I think we can win. No excuse… excuse incoming, I think we need to get the vegas game then the following game out the way and hopefully we’ll fully settle then. Again no discredit to Leigh we threw everything into that game.

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 7:02 pm  

I'm not gutted at all to lose that one, great game. We did look super clunky, still had the chances to ice the game, but ultimately didn't.

The two sin bins were correct calls so we can have no complaints on them however I am not seeing how the refereeing is earning widespread praise; the ruck was painfully slow. Add in the boggy pitch and no wonder the attack for both sides struggled.

Two poor examples, one in each half; O'Neil didn't clear the ruck and the ball cannoned off his legs and went forward 2/3 yards and the shout was play on. Then in the second half, Wigan player clearly tackled and then O'Brien goes back on and it's a clear as day 6 Again, but nothing given. I'm sure Leigh fans would be able to find 1 or 2 similar calls that didn't go for them round the ruck also, by the way! Yes, he did let the game flow, but it can't be a free for all.

We'll be ok, and long term it may turn out to be a good loss to take. Nonetheless, I was only thinking yesterday that we may see a lull at the start of the season after coming off the quadruple.

Field looks in promising shape though but his decision making needs to improve. He was weirdly the biggest positive for me from last night.

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 8:42 pm  

This HKR v Cas game is a lot more exciting than ours was. It's about 3x faster as the ref put the marker down early to speed the ruck up giving a couple of 6-agains.

And it helps that both teams are actually trying to score and actually pass the ball rather than 5 drives every set.

Re: Leigh (h) : Fri Feb 14, 2025 9:40 pm  

Wigg'n wrote:

This HKR v Cas game is a lot more exciting than ours was. It's about 3x faster as the ref put the marker down early to speed the ruck up giving a couple of 6-agains.

And it helps that both teams are actually trying to score and actually pass the ball rather than 5 drives every set.

Agreed, and that's my point. It was a great game due to the intensity levels, it was play-off like from both sides. I think the first break in play was 18 mins in. Nevertheless, I think both coaches will be frustrated with how the ruck was refereed.