What is really worrying is that,that defeat has been coming for a while , we have not been playing well for 4 or 5 weeks now but still getting the wins(Bradford being the exception), i really believe that without Tommy we are just not the team we were before his injury, i know one man does not make a team but the work he puts in defence is unbelievable, we need him and Pat back ASAP if we are to have any chance of winning the GF .Tonight we looked average at best, the defence was woeful.Leeds deserved to win but i have to say that Thaler is the worst referee i have seen this season ,3 tries were given that should not have been, why he didn't go to the VT for Mcguires knock on can only be described as amateur, the man does not deserve to referree in SL again

When is a fullback not a fullback ?

When his name is Tomkins.



Great with ball in hand, but a liability in defence.



Leeds played him today and fully exposed his weakness.



Wonder were the Aussies watching ?

I don't think it's Leuluai's absence as much as it's been a case of too many changes, with players getting injured, others picking up knocks and not being risked. Out of the team that played today Tomkins, Charnley, Goulding, Lima, McIlorum, Flower and Tuson have all missed games recently after picking up knocks or longer term injuries. We've had various players in different positions including Murphy at fullback and Logan Tomkins & Matty Smith at hooker, at a time when an important pivot player in O'Loughlin has had to move positions.



There hasn't been much consistency in the team since Leuluai's injury with other players getting injured too. While the team can get a convincing win against Wakefield after a slow start a very tough, high pressure game like a cup semi final is another matter entirely and it's certainly better to go into a game like that with consistency, both in form and in personnel.

Come off it, im in my twenties and i can remember plenty. A knee jerk if i ever did see one.



Outclassed on the day, but the season is not over.

My take of the game as I went and saw the game live and having watched it again on tv.

No disrepect to Leeds they gave us a very good game and were up for it on the day they were the better team .

Both Hardakers tries carried a question mark against them 1st try forward pass 2nd blatent knock on not picked up by the officials who did not even go to the screen but the 10'oclock news picked this up.Take these scores from the result and Wigan win. The penalty given before Bailey's try my thoughts it was a knock on by Hall and should have been a scrum to Wigan.

Wigan had their chances Tomkins came close twice ,Jack Hughes had a chance no sour grapes Leeds played us off the park their kicking game was suberb and well deserved their win .

Leeds were the better team on the day and deserved their win, its history now, we move on.

Gutted after today, but what is disappointing is that we were completely out enthused. Leeds came out of the blocks to fast for us and defensively we just couldn't cope, I've not seen so many missed/weak tackles from Wigan for a long time. I wish in a way that I could moan about Thalers shambolic performance costing us the game, But I can't because deep down I know we were just not good enough to deserve anything, Sam made some monumental errors and it just wasn't going to be our day. What is frustrating though is that even whilst playing so poorly we were still in the game and had a few calls gone the other way we could have knicked a win, even if it was undeserved.



I just pray we don't play like that again this season, Fair play to Leeds though, They fully deserved their victory and where the better team on the day. No arguments from me, as much as I'd like there to be!

Then you have not got a very good memory.



And what is more you do not have look very far back (like the last couple of weeks) in the threads on here to see quite a few posters saying Lockers isn't a six. Have you forgotten about those as well?

It wasn't the only reason (Lockers at 6) we lost the game but ironically Matty Smith's arrival made it a nailed on certainty Lockers would play 6 today. We knew that last week when Smith played at 9.



The irony is Saints recalled Smith from loan at a club he was destined to sign for and he helped them to get to a GF.



I think had we done the same with Mellor we would have done better today particularly on defence. Lockers never was a stand off when he was younger. Now as he approaches the end of his career he is definitely a forward not a back and the mistakes he made defensively today were IMO a lot to do with where he was on the park.

Speaking from experience - one Challenge Cup win in 34 years.

The story of the game is quite easy to sum up in all honesty, just that nobody has had the balls to say it. Sam Tomkins gifted Leeds a 16 point lead from which you never recovered.

As a neutral fan Ben Thaler was Diabolical! 2-3 major errors gifted tries to Leeds! he should be dropped for two weeks but we know that will not happen!



What has happened to defences in RL? it is more like tick rugby at times!