Not that long ago we were quite comfortably the team to beat in SL. Reigning champions, best attack, best defence. Of course we eased off towards the back end of the season as usual giving away the shield. However we were at Old Trafford yet again ready to take the crown away from our bitter rivals. They weren't that confident so much so they failed to sell thousands of their tickets in week leading up to the final.



Around the same time Shaun Wane had managed to shrug off his 'ape' jibes, hell....even on the VT forum he was being lined up as the next National Coach



Then....



2nd October 2014



SKY decided to show 'Warriors down under' and it all came crashing down.

I watched it once, found it horrendous. As cringing as the Alex Murphy post match swear fest back in the early eighties. His dressing room comments should have stayed there! He came across as thuggish and very limited.



At the time I hoped it would spur us onto victory regardless.



And then the GF.........



and it's been downhill since then!



Every single game this season (London Skolars apart) Wigan have not performed well), I include Brisbane in that as well. Defensively sound yes but average in attack!





Long weeks & months ahead. Oh well, theres always the cup!

I genuinely expected a roller coaster season but tonight sounds like a car crash.

I can only hope we have reached the bottom of the current form and that we start to improve fast. Fortunately I couldn't make the game tonight!

We need to get back to basics and keep a settled half back pairing and for me that would be Williams and Hampshire.

Next Friday will be difficult and we need to grind out a result with good discipline and an improved defence.

I'm not panicking yet but admit a little she'll shocked with the very poor performance.

Hard to pinpoint but at the minute it looks like the players don't want to play/don't care.



Wane has said it's the worst day of his coaching career. It's time for him to prove everyone wrong but for me the biggest issue is leadership and that isn't a quick fix. We have no one that is willing to step up. Liam Farrell needs dropping and is never a captain in a million years. Bowen has been one of the worst signings we've made recently and then guys like McIlorum, Smith and J.Tomkins have been completely useless.

Having seen the tries from the game, I will be amazed if Charnley is playing next week. Abysmal in defence.

Hard viewing tonight.



I've questioned the discipline and brains many times under Wane and even Maguire but tonight is the first time I've questioned our commitment in 6 years.



We didn't put an ounce of effort in aside from Bateman from minute one and I saw the most embarrassing site I've seen on a rugby league field as Cas scored their last try. Matty Bowen gave up! Totally gave up and let their player round him and rather then hold his hand up he threw his hand to his hamstring and feigned injury. As soon as Cas scored the try he was fine and back on his feet.



No individual is at blame for our issues (well bar maybe the man that controls the budget) but that was unforgivable from Bowen.

Maybe some players don't react kindly to a coach who goes into meltdown with them after every defeat.

The problem is Wane..the players don't want to play for him and are leaving the club in droves at the first opportunity..quite clear to.

Yep what goes on in a dressing room should stay in the dressing room. Think it all went wrong in the 2nd minute of the Grand Final we don't seem to have recovered, ah well I am going to have a week away from rugby see you all on Friday , now that is a must win , can you imagine if we lose that , no I can't either , have a good week sorting everything out .

It wasn't a problem in 2012, 2013 or 2014.



We didn't win everything but the attitude was always as good as any I've seen in a Wigan side and that's including the great ones of the lates 80's/early 90's.



Our years of under investment in the playing staff from the owner are starting to bite. That's were our issues lie IMO.

Not sure if that is the whole truth..SW has always said he wants homegrown talent in the mainstay and i fully agree with that, but his overseas recruitment has been awful....

Not that I think this is the one issue that will solve our current problems but I'm sick of seeing tries run past Charnley. He seems to have zero positional sense this season and is just letting in try after try constantly finding himself in no mans land.

Poor communication with his centre, poor team coaching..