Well what a rubbish day yesterday was

After watching that drivel at Ewood I expected more from Wigan, but we just got overrun in the second half.

About the play offs in general, I don't think many of the players like the 8 team format, and also I think certainly the attendances show the fans aren't overly taken with them either. Was only 9500 at Saints yesterday which is a fair bit lower than the league game, and it has been same with the games at the DW. I've not looked at other teams attendances, but just from how the stadiums look on tv you can tell they're not as full.

Who to win the GF?! Ergh, what a terrible choice!! Think Saints will do it.

I wont go and annoy them in the RU thread, but watching England vs Scotland this morning makes me so glad I'm a league fan!!

This threads turning into a Wigan RLFC love in, time to end that I've followed Saints since the days of Alex Murphy and been getting to Knowsley Road for about 4 or 5 games a season. I will be at the match on Saturday but in all honesty l can't see us beating Wigan in 2 consecutive games. Saying that the young un's did us proud last time out so it should be a belter.

Come on You Saints

Oi, get off our thread Only kidding!!

Jealous that you're going to the game tomorrow Should be a good game. Like CLB I thought that last week was one of Wigan's better performances for a while and hopefully we'll take some momentum into tomorrow.

Not often I say this but I'd like Leeds to win tonight, think that would be better for the both of us.

I don't understand why Martin O'Neill would come to be assistant to Kean, or am I missing something?

Is "iirc" short for "if I recall correctly"?

Yes

where is the game? what day?

The semi final is at St Helens, well Widnes. Next Saturday at 6pm.

Grand Final is 8th October at old trafford.

Excellent way for Wigan to wrap up their home games. Catalans started the better and from what it looked like from near me we was lucky that they had that first try chalked off. However the tries in the first half gave us a good platform. Once we'd got the first try in the second half I felt that Catalans were never getting back into it. They're not a bad team Catalans but they've got some dirty, cheating players! That Sa is just a very angry man, as for him who took a dive after a tackle - must've thought he was playing vs Latics on a Saturday afternoon!

Although Sky have naffed me off with making it a 6pm KO on Saturday That is of no use to me whatsoever!

I don't agree about the play offs. In Rugby League you get greater rewards for finishing higher up the league. I think that's a good thing. Just don't ask me to explain how it all works.

http://www.superleague.co.uk/playoffs/route.php

Not that it is much clearer and they haven't updated it yet.

Wigan 18 St Helens 26

Was a bad day for Wigan, not many positives from the game at all. Too many mistakes, lots of bad defending and a couple of bad decisions from Bentham didn't help. Saints were on top pretty much all game, although the try to give them 20 points really was the killer.

Still thanks to the silly layout of the playoffs we're still in and we'll just have to go the hard way via Catalans and whoever after that.

Blinkin heck, don't think Warrington are going to be very easy to beat!!

I don't know the guy but I'd like to give a little plug for Stuart at Homes of Football. I've bought a couple of prints from him and his service is top notch - he even threw in some free postcards. I think you can go and visit his studio up in the lakes, will get round to it one day.

I think even in a game of tag rugby footy players would get 'injured'!! When you watch the two all the time the difference in players reactions and attitude is massive really. I liked this quote from Tomkins last week:

'You see grown men like Joey Barton dropping to the floor,' he said. 'They must do football in the morning and acting in the afternoon. If a player did that in rugby he would have 20 blokes in the tunnel waiting for him.'

Just back too! What a great day - was on row 2 on the tryline. Spent half the match watching on the tellys but good view when the action was down our end.

Started very well but after we let them get those two tries it was a little too close for comfort in the second half. Thought they weren't going to give it they showed the replay that many times! But the defence stood firm for the most part and we ground out the victory well.

Few More

Just hope next week is as good vs dirty Leeds - I really do dislike them.

First half started alright but two sloppy tries to give away. Second half Wigan were just all over Bradford and like you said if Richard's had his shooting boots on it'd be miles more. He said after game he was going to practise all week - good!! Don't think we'll be afforded the same kind of luxury next week with all the long distance tries. Great ones from Sam and Charnley.

What has happened to Bradford though? Proper fallen from grace.

Are you going CLB? Maybe we should have a little Rovers Wigan fans meet up

Today marks 11 years since Jack Walker passed away.

Seldom has one football supporter influenced a football club's history to the point that he was and is still adored by his team's supporters, not because of the money that he pumped into the club but because he was one of them, a working-class supporter that brought their dreams alive. Jack Walker, who had watched the Rovers from the terraces as a schoolboy, shared his dream of putting Rovers back on the football map with his fellow supporters, shedding tears of joy when his and their team lifted the Premier League championship in 1995 and tears of grief when Rovers were relegated in 1999.

Regrettably Uncle Jack, as he became known to the fans, passed away on the 17th August 2000, missing Rovers fulfil his promise of a return to the Premiership the following May. 10 years on we are still there.

Jack Walker will be remembered as Blackburn's greatest supporter, who once said what every other supporter feels.

"If they don't win, then I am bloody miserable on a Sunday."

The Jack Walker section has been reopened including the video "The Club that Jack Built", which is really worth a watch if you haven't already done so.

RIP Jack

View full article

Had a change of scenery today and sat in the South Stand (saved myself £1!) - much prefer watching rugby on the side though. Thought we were good for the win, but could've been better. What was Hanson ( i think it was) playing at celebrating before he'd scored his try then dropped it?

But what a try by Tomkins in the second half - he's a sod isn't he? People screaming at him to pass but he just kept going!

FUTBOL24 My friend sent me the link to this site - some of you may already use it, but it was new to me. The best livescore website I've found. It is mega fast and has the most ridiculous selection of leagues you can think of.

Just watched St Pauli go top of the league with a victory away at Bochum

The new manager seems just as crazy as the old one!

Thanks, but I'm not a season ticket holder. Will have to wait until Thurday or Friday now! What price tickets did you get Clare? We're now actually booked in the Hendon Hall Hotel about 3.5 miles from Wembley. Couldn't get two nights at the other place - we're going down on Friday and stopping Friday & Sat nights, so if you want to meet up for a drink we can do.

It was a belter today and the scenes at the end were superb. As we were walking back to the car, you could look back into the South Stand and still see and hear the mass or cherry & white bouncing away!

£41 tickets i got, i didnt do it through wigan, but on challenge cup website (google it im on my phone!). But got them in the wigan end - it tells you what side to choose.

Well, at least I now get to visit the new Wembley courtesy of Wigan Rugby rather than Blackburn Rovers. A close game in the end. Following a tough first half Wigan started to pull away but a moment of madness by Joel Tomkins could have cost us dearly. Chosing to pass when it was easier to take the four points(and put the tie to bed), a nailed on try was squandered and Saints went straight down the other end and put points on the board before going over again shortly after to make it a nail biting last ten minutes. I don't think we could have had a tougher route to the final so well done to one and all. Crowne Plaza Ealing booked for two nights, just got to get tickets now.....

I've only just got mine, if you get on the website now the queue isn't so big.

Wem-ber-leyyyyy

Just booked tickets now

Didn't go to the semi final because I'd already arranged to go to Edinburgh/Kilmarnock but looking forward to the final!!

btw if anyone is planning on going, there's no trains running between Preston and Bolton for half the day on the 27th.

Excellent game in the Northern Rail cup final at Blackpool, proper end to end stuff with Leigh taking the lead 30 seconds before the hooter.

Decent start from Cross too, nothing special but he's a battering ram and gets nasty in the tackle, proper old school prop!

Tried to knock someone's head off in the second half but missed!!!

Gonna miss challenge cup, will be a very tough game vs Wire who are scoring for fun!

Some incredibly poor referring this weekend. James child down in France is making sure he gives his fair share. RFL need to sort this out.

Yes that try should never have been allowed.

Couldn't happen to a nicer team though

If there's a worse ref in professional sport I've yet to see him/her

Alibert is rubbish ref, Ganson is just a pillock. Bloody hell he loves himself!

Wasn't a great game last night, but a win is a win and takes us top so gotta be happy with that

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/jul/07/fc-twente-stadium

Not something you'd expect to happen nowadays!! Bad.