***Rugby Super League XXVI (other RL chat welcome!)***

He can't be far off the best front row in the world. Pity he couldn't test himself against the best of the NRL this autumn. He would improve any team in SL and is exactly the type of player that Wigan need (as well as a coach who has a basic idea how to get the best out of a squad). Sts are a different team without him
 
The Wolves really had a mid-game panic last night against Cas! Had me nervous for a bit, but as Wire eventually won out that means both Rovers and Leeds qualify for the playoffs, first time for Rovers since 2013, and quite some turnaround from last year.

A lot of people saying we haven't played enough games and 3 of those victories were at Leigh, but hey, we put our hands up to play Catalan 3 times this year, losing each pretty narrowly. I think we deserve our place.

Game tonight decides whether we play Wire or Wigan, both of which have soft underbellies, but nevertheless still are really tough games for us, especially away.
 
physichull said:
but hey, we put our hands up to play Catalan 3 times this year, losing each pretty narrowly. I think we deserve our place.
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You were unlucky in the first match (golden point lottery), wilted in the second when whatever Steve said at half time stung the Catalans boys into action and the third match was a genuinely decent, close game of Rugby League IIRC. KR definitely deserve to be in the playoffs.
 
Wigan fans just want the season to be over. Resting a few tonight aganst Catalan, so can expect to be royally stuffed. Whoever gets them in the next round of the play offs can feel reasonably optimistic.

Lam was quoted in the local paper this week that he thinks the attack is in great shape.

Ok then.
 
Pinch me. Punch me in the face.

Hell flippin yes!

Where was Tony Smith at full time? Shaking hands with all the Wire players. Where was Steve Price? Up sulking in his box.

Allez les rouge et blanc!
 
JRS said:
Well done to KR :) A classy performance from the sounds of things.
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Lost the last three at Catalans by 1, 2 and 7 points....we can't lose a 4th in a row can we???? :p

I still can't believe it! That Mikey Lewis try....

This was almost better than our 2010 victory over FC in the playoffs where we won 4-21. Scott Murrell smashing Craig Fitzgibbon and the blonde wig worn by Clint Newton in front of the blonde wig wearing fans! That was some game and atmosphere to remember. This Wire game is up there with that. Just hoping we dont repeat 2010 in the next playoff game where we slumped to a disappointing defeat at Wigan, such elation followed by such disappointment.
 
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physichull said:
Move over Wigan and Leeds, the entertainers are playing tonight!!!
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The positives from this season for Wigan fans is that they managed to play every single game.

The negatives are that we had to watch them.

A new Grand Finalist guaranteed this year, which is a good thing. Hope the playoffs go well (and Sts don't win :))

The Melbourne - Penrith game was a cracker this morning. The commentators were talking about too much messing at the ruck, but it wasn't the points fest we've seen in previous weeks.
 
Dragons 6-0 up as I type. Garcia opened the scoring.

No Sam Tomkins tonight, his knee clearly isn't ready for it.

***edit***

12-4 HT

***Edit 2: Judgement Day***

And a try for les Dracs early in the second half.

Keep it up boys!

Maloney misses the conversion sadly, but Catalans 16-4 KR is okay for me right now.

***edit 3: Rise of the Machines***

Spot of ****-bag'ry creeping into KR's game there, Abdull knocking Morgue's head into the ground after the tackle was made. No need for that, and Abdull is better than that as well.

But, as a riposte - a well-worked set of six and Yaha crashes over on the left for another try. Here goes Maloney for the conversion...and he's pushed it wide of the right post. 20-4.

Great kickoff from KR, Morgue manages to get it and is promptly tackled around the neck as he starts running it back :rolleyes: C'mon KR, y'all don't need to be doing that.

***edit 4: Salvation***

Joe Chan!!!! Conversion made by Maloney this time. 26-4. 69 minutes played.

***edit 5: Genisys***

Dragons switched off there completely. 26-10, unless you're watching Sky Main Event who have the wrong score up. Oop, just fixed it as I was typing.
 
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Meh. Just weren't at it tonight, too many errors and silly forcing of play when we made clear breaks. Catalans could have been there for the taking tonight had we just completed our sets but their line speed was too great. Could tell injuries in our squad told at the end of the season, would have been nice to have had more forwards available on the bench, but having Keinhorst and Tate (both wingers really, one massively inexperienced) was no good against a big side like Catalan. Desperately needed Hadley and Parcel on the bench instead, but hey ho.

We really need more value for money from Korbin Sims next year else I doubt he would get another contract, we can't afford to have expensive forwards sat in the stands - beating big, non-flashy sides like Wigan and Catalan who smash it up the front and get to a kick are still proving to be our kryptonite - we play the flashy stuff but still need to grind out against teams like that.

Hurts a bit having Drinkwater score against us when he was so abject when he played for us - I don't know what it was about him when he was with us but he just didn't look that bothered.

Hoping Leeds win the whole thing now (sorry JRS! I'm a Yorkshire lad and would love 5th place to win again!).

Not watched much of Catalan this year, but what do you make or Mourgue? Seemed very shaky throughout and didn't want to know with those Abdull bombs.


Positives for Rovers though:

Entertained week in and week out, value for money in this year and plenty more to come next with a coach not afraid to take difficult decisions to move players on (Quinlan). Financially secure, Craven Park back in the hands of its rightful owners shortly and some smart recruitment already made. Learn a few lessons from tonight and there is no reason we can't do the same next season.
 
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physichull said:
Hoping Leeds win the whole thing now (sorry JRS! I'm a Yorkshire lad and would love 5th place to win again!).
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All good. I can quite understand :)

physichull said:
Not watched much of Catalan this year, but what do you make or Mourgue? Seemed very shaky throughout and didn't want to know with those Abdull bombs.
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He wasn't at his best. But given that he could still score a try while not at his best...

Abdull, that silly moment when he bashed Morgue's head into the turf aside, was very good. So was Litten. But too many mistakes from KR, and they were never going to get away with that tonight.
 
Litten really needed Parcel out there tonight to take the pressure off a bit - you could see what they were trying to do, they were trying to pass it across the line and hope that we tire the big Catalan lads out a bit - kinda what used to happen to that massive Bradford side in their final Superleague year - big units but used to tire quickly. We would never win a straight up forward battle with ourr depleted pack. The tactics were right, but the execution just missed the mark.

Mourgue is kinda like Dagger - has moments of brilliance but are still young and will lose their place to Tomkins and Coote respectively. In two years time maybe, they could both be mainstays.

JRS said:
Abdull, that silly moment when he bashed Morgue's head into the turf aside, was very good.
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All teams and players have a bit of that in them, not gonna get too worked up over it. He never really got the chance to play in that first half as our set completion was dire!!!!
 
Anyone keeping an eye on the Championship semis?

It's a nice day at Ernest-Wallon, not only the weather but actual competition rugby league getting played there for the first time all year. First time in 574 days in fact. Marvelous bloody concept. Batley have been beaten by Toulouse in their last five matches before today, and the season Toulouse are having you'd kinda expect that to become six. Featherstone vs Halifax is only slightly less of a foregone conclusion as well, four out of the last five going to Fev.

Now, I'm just a simple country fella an' I got problems of my own. But even I can work out the mostly pointless nature (competition wise) of having playoffs where the top two teams in the SL and the Championship regular seasons were pretty much always going to be the teams in the Grand Final. It seems like an easy answer to me - add more teams to the leagues so you can hold a proper length season without resorting to loop fixtures and playoffs, then have bottom SL team play top Championship team for the SL spot the next season.

Or is that crazy talk?
 
Really hoping for a Fench double in the play offs, but I have my doubts. As a Wigan fan I begrudge Sts winning the toss, but I just think their big game experience will se them through against the Dragons. I really hope I'm wrong.

Similarly, i think Fev will beat Toulouse. Again, I really hope not, but if they can get Toulouse into the grind I fancy them. A trip to a Yorkshire pit village or Toulouse next season is a tough call :)

NRL Grand Final wasn't as spectacular as I thought it would be. Best team won, but Souths didn't get anything all game - no 50/50s, bounces, wining try an intercept etc. I thought the ref had a good game, so no complaints there. I think Souths got two sets in Penrith's 20 all game. Penrith's kick and chase was outstanding
 
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