Wigan Warriors !!!

I see that Zac Hardaker is spouting a load of crap about being all alone in Wigan and his young family were a zillion miles away in **HUDDERSFIELD not exactly other side of the planet is it??? Then has the cheek to say " He's done nothing wrong """Also he wanted away 12 months ago , his comments in the past did not say that ,good riddance if that's how he feel's about Wigan after what they did for him !!!

ON another front i notice we slipped up badly at that place above 32-22 not a good place to be in mentally for the re-match in a fortnight's time is it ??? All i have to say is that i am disappointed we could have gone top over the saints ,chance sore missed ......gb

What was the reason for turning out such a weakened side? Not fair on the speccies that travel away.

Have to agree completely it is a disgrace and that's only the first of 6 yes six away games ,no fixture for the DW ??????????? GB
Similar with United they expect fans to pay thro the nose for petrol increase yet turn in crap displays like these .......NO ON ! ........GB

they are saving players from injury . it nearly paid off tho .

It’s been done many times…we were very poor in defence down the left side…was disappointed with Willy Isa’s discipline considering he was captain of so many youngsters …to me he brings nothing to the team

TBF the kids did ok, and as Whups says it did nearly work
ISA was anonimous for most of the game.

So are they going to rest them all again next week for the trip to Hull? I agree they did OK but is it not fairer to introduce the young ones one at a time into an established team? For example would it not be an easier introduction for an 18 year old half back if Farrell, Bateman and Smithies were in front of him? Remember Murphy and Karalius?

Broady they had enough experience on the field to look after them,as I said some of the senior players were anonimous,As for next week,cawnt answer your question,crystal balls at the cleaners

yes they probably will rest most of them.

What did on Thursday night and what St Helens did a week or so back in playing weaken teams is unfair on supporters as they pay money to see a good team turned out, especially those who go to away games.

Wigan even played two young players who were not in the pre match 21 team selection which I understood was not allowed to be changed after being announced to the media.

As for Hardacre, his behaviour and his going to Leeds stinks of Gary Hethington putting a word or two in his ear!

When I watch Wigan, I expect the club to played the strongest team barring injuries and suspensions.

If they do rest a few next week there will be some going into a final not having played for three weeks. That cannot make sense. If players get injured so be it. That is why they have a squad.

Doesn't this all come about with having a league set up were you only have to be the best team in it for the last 3 or 4 games of the season, the rest you can cruise through picking and choosing when to take a game seriously?

Rugby League is not the only game where we have the same clubs at the top each season as football now has a Premiership where now, every season, we see the same handful of the richer clubs are at the top and the rest just making up the fixtures with clubs like Fulham, Norwich City, West Bromwich etc are relegated and promoted on a regular basis.

Perhaps the time has now come for the FA to follow the example of Scottish football, where they have lower the number of clubs in their Premiership which has made games more competitive in spite of Celtic and Rangers being the top two clubs every season, just like Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have been in the English Premiership of recent seasons.

A Premiership division of only ten clubs playing each other twice at home and away would be far more competitive than the present Premiership.

I feel sure supporters would welcome anything where they are getting better value for money than many of the one sided games that take place in the Premiership now.

chatty leeds are past masters at it . the year they won the play off final from 5th they played a second team until the final . how many times have players got an injury before the cup final , steve hampson comes to mind ? .

Looks as though most are back this weekend. All that talk of avoiding injury before a final seems to have gone out of the window.

Saw many games in the 60’s where Wigan played some “reserves” in games before Wembley…

The 60’s weren’t as competitive. Yes some good teams but also some bad ones. Everybody in one league.

Next game away ( again ) to HULL should be a test depending what team Matty put's out ???? gb

21 ma squad already announced. Field,Marshal, Cust, Bateman, Farrell and Smithies back for Wigan.

Unfortunately, there will be a few consecutive away games for Wigan due to remedial work required on the playing surface and a few jobs to undertake around the Stadium. Everyone knew this before both seasons started so it should come as no surprise. As the summer months are the best time to undertake such work, it will impact the rugby rather than the football. The upside is the glut of home games on the run-in to the playoffs.

That has been the situation for quite a few years now. As you say the rugby are well aware of it.

A situation which for some reason does not happen every year at other joint stadiums and it begs the question would it only have only affected Wigan Warriors had the Stadium been under an independent ownership like it was meant to be when the idea of a joint Stadium was first planned in the mid nighties.

I don’t think all the other shared grounds have the same problem with their pitches as at the DW. I forget the exact problem but I think it could be drainage related and where the ground was built. No doubt someone more knowledgeable will enlighten us.

broady

You are indeed correct in what you have said about the stadium having a ground problem which is the fact that it has been built on a former tip containing Methane Gas which is obviously the cause of its annual pitch problems.

Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been better to have built it on firmer ground elsewhere in the town and not have the same farce happening every year!

And why we are talking about the Stadium, perhaps the time has come to ditch the name of the DW Stadium and have like other Stadiums at Bolton, Huddersfield, Hull, Manchester City etc, sponsorship to pay for the upkeep of the stadium and maintenance of the pitch.

There you go broady "someone more knowledgeable" did enlighten you.

The condition of the playing surface at the DW has been much better over the last five or so years, probably because they have relaid with a better quality surface.
Any one with any knowledge of sports grounds and playing surfaces would know that spring is the time of the year to do ground preparation and maintenance,and that is why it needs at least six weeks to relay and recover.
My opinion is that the start of the rugby season heralds the deterioration of the playing surface, but not as much as it did in the past, probably because of the quality of the new grasses laid.
The improvement over the last few years would disprove the tip and methane theories, and in my humble opinion better quality of materials and care has been the key.
I form my opinion in being a regular attender at the ground since it was built, and after being quite critical at first, whilst nowhere near perfect, it is much better.
I honestly look forward to the day the griping about the ground and the surface stops, as it divides the sporting community in the town.
Whether that means the rugby club get a ground of their own to solve the animosity, I am not sure ,but I don't see the need for that personally.

Chatty,
I could almost guarantee when I said that statement that it would elicit a response from Fossil for which I thank him.

Just another point on the topic today the Warriors are away to another well known football sharing club on HULL ,as you say i don't see them cancelling their fixture 's and making HULL rugby team play away for 6 games , as do Huddersfield etc just saying .
On the subject of the dw being built there in the first place we can thank DW himself for getting and buying it on the cheap ,one area which was mentioned was up the a49 at Goose Green area at teh time there was plenty of land available and an ideal spot easy access to m6 and East Lancs all without the hassle of being near a shopping retail park as the saddle has . GB

Wigan haven't cancelled any fixtures. The RL are aware of the ground closure and don't allocate them any home fixtures during the period the repairs are taking place. This isn't a new thing, it has gone on for a good number of seasons.

broady,you are welcome but my response was really to respond to the tip and gas which I didn’t really think was the problem.
I honestly think it was a very poor initial pitch construction and up to Dave Whelan doing a proper job a few years ago it was a nightmare made worse by temporary repairs.
Incidentally I only think the rugby team does any damage towards the end of the football season and the ground copes ok after the break for maintenance.
I think the RL final will be better for playing at Spurs,a much better playing surface than Wembley which is shocking these days.

Fossil

As far as I am concerned, football which is played in the winter half of the year is as much to blame for the state of the pitch at the end of the football season. And as Golden Bear has said, other joint Stadiums do not have the same situation that exists at Whelan's White Elephant which has a too big a capacity for both clubs in 99% percent of games.

As for playing the final at Tottenham, it may be a fantastic stadium, but the area around it is a s*******. A comment told to me by a football supporter who has relatives in London.

And as less supporters from clubs not in the final no longer go because of the cost of travel and the price of everything in London which has resulted in attendances going smaller in recent years, the time has come for the Challenge Cup Final to be played like the Grand Final at Old Trafford in Manchester.

People today, especially those with families now have more priorities than what they had in the past and do not have the same inclination to attend games in London, especially with the better television coverage now,

Maybe there will be fans from Leigh and Featherstone, who play a game there before the final, there as well. Hand on heart Old Codger did you know there was another final first?

broady

I am well aware that the 1895 Cup Final is being played there and supporters of four clubs will might boost the attendance, but to what extent with the present food, fuel and energy situation for supporters, especially those with children.

I have been to every Wigan final since 1970, but this year will be giving the final a miss as it now to expensive to get there and even more expensive in and around London.


With the present economic situation following the pandemic, it would have made more sense for the finals this year to be held at Old Trafford.

Owd Codger your remark about football played in winter contributes to the state of the pitch . I agree but I still do not change my mind about the start of the rugby season makes it worse and makes the maintenance break essential.
I did also say that I didn’t think the rugby did any harm after the maintenance break.
I did base my remarks on being a regular at the stadium and would be interested if you are.

Its on facebook the RL are giving free tickets for the final on saturday Just go to RL site and all it costs is £2 handling fee

Seems a good deal at £2 in these hard up times

Unless of course you have already bought one for the full price.

fossil,

I sure am and have been at Central Park as well.

Even been to a Latic's game, both at the DW and Springfield Park on occasions.

Owd codger,not much different to me,in fact I played on Central Park twice in the 1950’s as a schoolboy.
I base my observations on the state of the ground as a season ticket holder and I have been a regular since the ground was built,and that was how I based my comments having seen the playing surface change since then,and it has believe me.

RE Free tickets
" A limited number, less than 200, have been made available through Tickets for Good to allow NHS staff to attend the event. We do the same with the troops."
From RFL website