Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 7:08 am  

keyrox wrote:

I will say that I seen all the challenges since Manly + I don't go to games now but my two lads do,home + away + to see their joy at seeing their team win things makes me so happy. Been through a very tough time personally + watching this team the last couple of years for those two has given them a focus + really helped our family along the way. We said goodbye to their mum on Thursday this week after a 3 year battle with the harshest disease. To see them come home after every game buzzing + having something else to take their minds off things will never go unnoticed. The players visited their mum In the hospice before Xmas + it was very special. To see my boys enjoy the glory days that I've seen previously fills me with great joy + pride for my club. A tear was shed tonight

Sorry to hear about your loss and the previous years leading up to this. So happy the club could give you some joy in such a poop time.

[Wildthing]

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 7:09 am  

Congrats to all!

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 7:31 am  

Social media is focussing on the officiating and calling Moore bent but for me there was only really 3 bad calls. The Wardle try which I think should have been double movement but that’s more one that just highlights the on field soft call being too important, the 1 on 1 strip which in real time I thought was the right call, and the high shot from I think Peachy on Miski that probably should have been a penalty and a sin bin (potentially red in Superleague going off the first 2 weekends)
Wigans second try the passes went forward on momentum imo and the no try at the end was tough to conclusively say but I thought Wigan had hands under before it went down and iv seen some stills online that back this up and considering 95% of people on social media are against Wigan and all saying it’s a robbery I haven’t seen one that shows the ball down.
Controversy aside I thought last night was probably the best defensive performance I have ever seen from Wigan, Penrith were bigger and stronger and dominated from the go almost, my wife who has only just started getting into the game couldn’t believe the physical dominance the Panthers had both with and without the ball, it did feel to me almost like men and boys at times but we just stuck at it and under that much pressure tackled like machines, they barely had any sniffs of breaking the line and one of their 2 tries was a bit of a gift from us. The whole side played their part but I thought Ellis was brilliant for us, maybe slightly at fault for their second try but I think he was just knackered after playing the full first half. Smith was very good with the platform he was given and outplayed Cleary who if I’m being honest was poor imo, scored a try that was gifted to him but bombed another and with the platform Penrith set he should have caused us a lot more trouble, I thought Yeo was the main threat with cutting us open and was very impressed by him, also thought the kick returns from To’o were really impressive and threatening but we just managed to keep him under wraps.
Brilliant night and brilliant for Superleague just unfortunate that it seems the majority of opposing fans are trying to make out it was some sort of robbery.

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 8:00 am  

Unbelievable occasion and an unbelievable atmosphere. The bedlam that followed Bevan's (no) try and the final whistle was something like I've never seen at the DW.

Let's just remember we did this with our two premier front rowers and two second rows who would have been around the 17; no wonder they dominated in the forwards. It was just such a ballsy performance! When we spread the ball we troubled them massively, we just didn't get the chance due to territory.

Credit to Penrith also, they were full of class. They definitely could feel aggrieved with the calls, but they're not as controversial as social media is making out. It's just a shame that it's English RL fans leading the mutiny.

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 8:48 am  

Zig wrote:

I am not sure about the rub of the green Jon. Are you talking about Wardle’s try, or Mays no try, or both? We need to factor in the French score as well which would have sealed the game. Penrith had enough field position to have won the game but they couldn’t open Wigan up.

As for the man of the match, for me Ellis was outstanding.

I think we definitely got the run of the green with the Wardle try, May no try and the Leeming try. Seen them all go the other way in the past but did we deserve it? Absolutely.

French no try was the right call he was clearly offside to me and the frustrating thing is he didn’t need to be, he mentioned afterwards he didn’t know the rule and thought only 1 foot had to be behind the ball.

I thought Ellis was outstanding also however in the first half he gave away 2 penalties that he didn’t need to which really put us under pressure so didn’t get MOTM for me.

For what Liam Marshall has been through these last few weeks to perform like he did too deserves a special mention also.

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 8:58 am  

I think I read on Twitter that Matty Peet has won everything there is to win, in just 66 games. What an achievement.

Surely that's some kind of record?

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 9:10 am  

sergeant pepper wrote:

I think I read on Twitter that Matty Peet has won everything there is to win, in just 66 games. What an achievement.

Surely that's some kind of record?

Got the Locker Cup too.

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 9:41 am  

Amazing performance from Wigan. Fully deserved the win. Having two players go off early put so much pressure on the rest and they kept putting the effort in.

Just looking at Jake Wardles try everyone seems vexed about. There's more evidence it's the Penrith defenders arm that pulls the ball back onto the line rather than Wardle promoting it.

Either way, Penrith had 40 mins to score and they couldn't do it.

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 10:01 am  

Few thoughts

- First what an occasion put on by the club. Sold out 5 weeks ago. Heather Small and Russell Watson pre game. Fireworks, fan areas, presentation of previous WCC wins. Fantastic

- What a ball by Bevan French for the first try. He will have raised his profile even further with what performance

- Yep we got the rub of the green. But in order to get it, you have to put yourself in a position to get it. We never gave in. They battered us physically for 80 minutes. Restricted us to our own half for near 80 minutes but they could not score. Our defense is unbelievable. Any other team in Super League and Penrith win by 50.

- Three chances to score. Three chances taken.

- Credit to Penrith after the game. No complaints from anyone. Showed some class.

In summary I love this team. I think this is my favourite Wigan side of the Super League era. We've got some real class out wide and we are brave to try some exciting plays (the Smith kick for the Bevan no try an example) but to compliment this we've got in abundance of what the game is all about. Hard Work and sheer determination. The spirit of the side under Peet (the Marshall story for this week an example) is first class. The lads deserved that win.

Re: World Club Challenge - Wigan v Penrith : Sun Feb 25, 2024 10:26 am  

We won - it's history now , naysayers can say nay all they want.Lucky? Maybe on a call or two but there were others that went the other way at times as well.

What a defensive performance from everyone and we were so much more clinical when we did get a sniff.I did think we would run out of gas at the end with several players dropping but we hung in there (Field take a bow son - superb cover defense).All that possesion and the panthers could not open us up - amazing.

Everyone contributed so it seems a bit churlish to pick out players but I agree that Ellis was excellent depsite a couple of penalties in the first half (although one was a bit soft to say the least). No one had a bad game and the players off the bench contibuted as much (thought Hill showed up well when he came on to).

Matty Peet - what an amazing run he has been on - long may it continue, I don't think anyone is doubting him now.