Ney, we got a double decker tomorrow !!

Well something's wrong. We've just seen a great product, again (although the refereeing errors were somewhat embarrassing - I say that as a Wigan fan, but accepting that Leeds were much better regardless, so I say it genuinely without bitterness). A great product that they can't sell (to fans or sponsors). In any other business with the same problem you'd conclude that the management needed to do some thinking or get out. But no, it's 'the fans fault'. Try running a business, where, if your product doesn't sell you just say 'it's the customers fault for not being d' - trust me, you won't last long.



If it is as simple as 'they can't be d', then lets find out WHY they can't be d. It won't be one reason, it'll be lot's of reasons and different ones for different people, but the RFL should be desperately canvassing those Wigan and Leeds fans that *didn't go* to find out why. I have a few ideas, but to be honest, mine are probably as wrong as anyone else's guesses. We don't need to guess. The RFL need to get their heads out of their a***s and find out what the problem is, rather than spending their time defending themselves.

Certainly not blaming the ref - Leeds out-enthused us and kept their heads when against the wall, we fell apart and kept forcing a wonder play that wasn't on.



But - two horrible decisions led to tries and influenced the game massively - the blatant forward pass in the first half and McGuire's knock-on in the second. Got to point the at blame Tomkins and Hock though, if they'd played to the whistle Leeds might not have scored. But if the video ref is available for the knock-on why not use him??



Anyway, congrats Leeds, better team on the day.



[size=85Ps I've not gone because I've been playing.[/size

Wonder when the last official CC Semi-Final sell-out was, Bradford v Leeds in 99 at Galpharm perhaps? (I only know that cos I was there as a neutral and it was a 24,000+ full-house).

What frightens me is the thought that there are people at the RFL who agree with you... "nowt we can do, its the fans fault". What hope have we got with that attitude?

What I dont get is that when Leeds played Toulouse in a semi a few years back there was an 18k crowd there! And it was mostly Leeds fans. The cup is dead and I am not even bothered.

"I'm not blaming the ref but...



(Spends a whole paragraph explaining how the refereeing decisions cost Wigan)"



Yeah...

Nail. Head. Hit.

Knew someone would have to pipe up.



You saying those poor decisions didn't cost Wigan dearly? Even the commentary team were dumbfounded by them.



Let me just say (again) how Leeds out-enthused us, kept their heads better and were the better team on the day. Not sure which bit of that you didn't understand.

Interesting that Tomkins was at fault for the first three leeds tries.

I understood it perfectly. It was a blatent attempt to blame the referee whilst adding a limp "but Leeds were better" added onto the end to wash your hands of it. The meat of your post was about the referee.

If you say so, that's obviously what you want to hear. Have a nice night.





Ps congrats to Leeds

I thought it was Tomkins mistakes for the first three tries. Leeds were by far the better side on the day and deserved the win.

They were wrong decisions. But so was three Wigan tries from blatant forward passes. It just goes to show that decisions even up. The ref didn't cost Wigan. Had the result been the other way, Leeds would have complained also about wrong decisions.

Wigan can't blame the ref. AT no point in that game were they in the lead. Leeds outplayed them from minute 1.



The knock on try was a howler, but the forward pass try, Wigan only have themselves to blame. If they tackled the player instead if running over to the ref then we wouldn't be discussing this issue. Wigan had some forward passes let go in the game, but we're not discussing them because Leeds tackled Wigan. The try wasn' a direct result from a forward pass. It was a result of Tomkins and Hock running away from the man with the ball to argue with the offical.

I blame Robert hicks, for both the crowd and any and all mistakes by the officials.

I blame Agar

Well you were playing to go to the Old Wembley then and it was earlier in the season with equal gaps between the rounds and the Grand Final wasn't the bigger game either

Success fatigue?



Fans of Wigan and Leeds know that if they miss a big game, another will be along shortly - and with times being tough, picking and choosing makes sense for a lot of people.

My Mrs and I were walking back to the car, some poor Wigan fan on his own was copping a load of verbal from inebriated Leeds fans and foolishly tried to debate a few things, then surrounded by Leeds fans my Mrs and I and copped a load of abuse whilst minding our own business. 40-50 year old blokes hanging out of cars shouting “F****** get back to Wigan” and a big gang of young lads, inebriated making a beeline for me shouting “Tomkins is w******”, I’m not related to him funnily enough?!, even Leeds fans were saying “ignore them” stuff like that. My Mrs is new to Rugby League and it’s a sad day when I go to a game and get a load of verbal for wearing an opposition shirt, football mentality I’m afraid and makes Leeds fans look like thugs.



I'm under no illusion that there are elements of fans in every club like this but this was way over the top, I was on my own with my Mrs and it has left a poor taste in our mouths about Leeds fans and the sport today.



I will be writing to the RFL and Mr Hetherington on Monday to put my point across, if I get a response I will relay it on here.



P.s. Leeds totally derserved it today and we were not at the races.

When crowds are low,

And theres no one there,

Who ya gonna call..



The Halifax Kit Lady

Pathetic crowd for a cup semi! Even the Leeds fans seem to have given up on the big days out. Seriously though 12000 for a cup semi between 2 of the biggest teams in the game, absolutely part time.

Should've gone to York then.

thanks for the useful tip

How on earth can people say the cup is dead when we have just witnessed a game as exciting as that? The crowd was poor but I think if the scheduling of the rounds was sorted out, the crowds would be massively improved.