A lot of Wigan fans seem to be suggesting that their team didn't play well, didn't turn up etc.



Personally I thought Leeds played so well (far better than they have done at any other point during the season other than the WCC) that they prevented Wigan from taking control of the game, but that's not my point.



I'd also appreciate the fact that losing Leuluai is a significant blow, and the team is clearly going to be better with him in it.



But surely the main issue is why Wigan didn't perform for what was the biggest game of the season for them so far? Why didn't the players produce the kind of performance they've been producing most weeks throughout the SL season?



My theory, for what it's worth, is that so rarely are games of that intensity and pressure played, that the occasion can get on top of the team. Leeds appear to have the ability to raise their game on these occasions, due, probably, to the fact that they have a playing squad that has considerable experience in that kind of game (obviously they don't win all of them), whereas Wigan, despite having a playing squad that is at least as talented as any other, lack some experience in these kind of games.



Mind you Harris did say after the game that it was how the team respond after the loss, and they have to learn from it and get stronger, which is why I guess he's a coach.

Wigan didn't play like they often have done previously because they were chasing the game early on. The reason Wigan were chasing the game early on had little to do with an increased intensity as there was no real intensity for that opening 15 minutes. Wigan just made stupid errors and poor judgement which could perhaps be put down to nerves or lack of composure, that let Leeds have easy field position early on and they were clinical from the start. Those early errors are concerning and I think the Wigan players need to keep their composure and not let the occasion get to them.

Having said that Leeds obviously targeted a good early start and Wigan played right into their hands.

Big games demand big starts. We know that better than anyone, just look at our recent GF and CC win's.



Finals are the kind of games you don't want to be trailing in, let alone when it's a big deficit to try and overcome.

I don't agree with that.

It was a one off game in this overall season.

It could've happened last week. It could've happened next week.



It happen this week. Get over it.

It was about the stage.

We were just pants over an 80 minute contest.



Sam didn't miss that catch because of the stage he was on. He missed it due to the quality of the kick and it not being his day.

It wasn't our day.

That's all, for me.

Neither do I.





I missed out "don't".

As I wrote in my report. But they were off it mentally for me. Was clear as day. McIlorum's garbage pass to nothing summing it up.

^ but to just "be off it" on the day of the biggest game of the season surely means something was amiss in the preparation, or the mental attitude of the players on the day.

For sure. They got it wrong. I don't mind that if they learn from it though and I think they will. But time will tell.

Possibly. And that's the coaches job to find anti thing that was wrong in the prep.



It may though just have been 'one of those days' where nothing in particular was done wrong in prep.

That's the one thing I'm struggling to put my finger on. My best guess is that it was a combination of having 4/5 players carrying small niggles, underestimating Leeds and Leeds getting out of the traps at a much higher intensity.

Missing Tommy big time, stupid Exiles game.

I will be at the Stoop, get on with it, finish top , win that GF.