Obviously it's always great to beat St Helens, and we could do with some form, but is it in our best interests to win next week? Assuming Les Catalans beat Bradford, which they almost certainly will, then we play Saints if we win, or Les Catalans if we lose. I would back us to win either game but I'd much rather play Les Cats than Saints in the play offs. Plus not needing the win would allow Wane to make a few changes to see how fringe players perform, rest knackered players and give some of them a kick up the backside going into the play offs. Thoughts?

This shows the stupidity of the playoffs, if we battle hard and beat the saints, we give wire the easier fixture against catalans (who struggle playing away). Wane would never let us lose to saints though, and Rushy would want to break his wigan hoodoo so i imagine both teams will go full throttle. Play off system is an absolute joke. We could end up beating saints in the league, losing to them in play off game one, and then play them away in the elimination semi. That would make it twelve games v saints in 2 years, massive overkill of the derby.

We don't need the win and, by the way, neither do Saints. I want to beat them but I think it is more important that we get our attcking and defensive lines sorted with both Tommy and Pat returning than it is to go for a win at all costs against Saints. Saints will now be fully focussed on their trip to Wire the following week. The most important game for us is against either Catalans or Leeds that weekend also so I say rest any tired/injured players and lets give some of our young guns a game - option two for me.

its Saints, we need to win

I reckon that Cats are a more difficult opponent than Saints.

If our players take it easy to prevent injury, the only outcome will be injuries.

Get torn into them and win and take that win into the next game.

I don't get this logic when bashing the play-offs as stupid or unfair. We get people complaining that the League Leaders Shield should be given more prestige because the winners have come out on top after a 27 game season, but then Catalan are perceived as 'the easier fixture' after finishing a place ahead of St Helens. How can that be? Yes, in this instance Catalan would have a tiring trip to Warrington whilst we end up with a hotly-contested derby fixture, but there's no play-off structure that can mitigate against that. You can't argue with the league table.

For me, given that we possibly face a three-game series against Saints with only the last one really counting for anything, I'd rather get the inevitable defeat out of the way in this week's dead rubber - but then that would probably leave us not facing them in the play-offs until the final, should we both get there. If we go 4-0 up for the season against them on Friday, I'm not sure I'd fancy our chances the following week in the first round play-off. Surely Saints couldn't screw a fixture up five times in a row?

Beat them soundly and break them mentally.... Thats what you do in sport... ***face palm***

In my thirty years of watching Wigan RL I'm quite sure that I've never walked into a ground not wanting my team to win. The fact it is St Helens even more so.

Smash um. We'll worry about what happens after that next week.

Wane has had all season to do that (re:Widnes). At this time of the season we need form. Full strength and match fitness all the way. There is no time left for experimenting or resting.

That's true he has had all season to tinker with the squad, but I reckon dropping Mossop and McIlorum for example, a week before the play offs could push them to regain the form shown earlier in the season whilst giving some valuable exposure to Dudson/Fielden/Crosby and Powell/Logan. Having said that I do wholly understand the form argument also. Perhaps we should roll over in the first half so they will definitely win, then play for form in the second half. Hang on, maybe that's what we were doing yesterday!



Personally I would drop/rest anyone who is carry a knock or looking particularly fatigued and tell the lads to go out and focus on the basics, completing our sets, not giving away daft penalties and defending well. I do think it would be more beneficial for us in the play offs for us to lose the game, but if we beat them with a few players out whilst using the game more as a training excercise, then we should be very confident of turning them over a week later with a full squad fighting for a week off and semi final spot.

Of course we want to win but I wouldn't be taking any major risks if players are carrying knocks. I'd like to see Fielden given a run out, derby game, we are already guarenteed top of the league, what better chance for him to stake a place for himself in our play off side.

I'd run with something like

1. Sam Tomkins
2. Josh Charnley
3. Darrell Goulding
4. George Carmont
5. Pat Richards
6. Brett Finch
7. Tommy Leuluai
8. Lee Mossop
9. Mike McIlorum
10. Ben Flower
11. Harrison Hansen
12. Gareth Hock
13. Sean O'Loughlin

14. Stuart Fielden
15. Jeff Lima
16. Liam Farrell
17. Matty Smith