Super League 2014

[kinboshi]

Both Wigan and St Helens have named their squads for the Super League Grand Final this Saturday – with just one change made across both of the squads.

Wigan have gone with an unchanged 19-man squad for the game, with the same 17 who defeated Warrington last Friday likely to take to the field at Old Trafford. Ten of the current 19-man squad were at Wigan last year, and the likes of Josh Charnley and Liam Farrell played in last year’s Grand Final win.

Ironically, Wigan scrum-half Matty Smith – another who featured in last year’s win against Warrington – played for Saturday’s opponents St Helens in the last time the two sides met in a Grand Final, back in 2010.

As for St Helens, they have made a solitary change for the Grand Final. Gary Wheeler drops out, whilst Matty Dawson comes in as Nathan Brown looks to make as few changes as possible to his squad.

Wigan: John Bateman, Matt Bowen, Joe Burgess, Josh Charnley, Tony Clubb, Dom Crosby, Liam Farrell, Ben Flower, Anthony Gelling, Blake Green, Jack Hughes, Michael McIlorum, Sean O’Loughlin, Eddy Pettybourne, Sam Powell, Dan Sarginson, Matty Smith, Scott Taylor, Joel Tomkins

Saints: 2. Tommy Makinson, 3. Jordan Turner, 4. Josh Jones, 5. Adam Swift, 6. Lance Hohaia, 8. Mose Masoe, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Sia Soliola, 13. Willie Manu, 14. Anthony Laffranchi, 15. Mark Flanagan, 16. Kyle Amor, 17. Paul Wellens, 18. Alex Walmsley, 22. Mark Percival, 26. Matty Dawson, 27. Greg Richards, 28. Luke Thompson.

http://www.totalrl.com/super-league-grand-final-squads/?

[booder]

Have a great time tomorrow Dan , irrespective of the result i hope it is a cracking game.

[kinboshi]

Thanks Boo.

Yeah, as long as Wigan win

[BulldozerD]

Don't care who wins, just hope it's brutal

[kinboshi]

On the Northbound M6

Click to see full-size image.

[BulldozerD]

Don't care who wins, just hope it's brutal

Didn't quite mean that though!

[kinboshi]

Well, what a disappointment. For Wigan fans obviously, but also for super league. Probably the worst team to ever win the title?

Ben Flower effectively lost it for Wigan when he lost it. The first punch was fair enough in retaliation for Hohaia's elbow, but the second punch was totally wrong. Saints were not very good though considering they had a man advantage for the whole match. Don't think I saw either side get a repeat set of six in the whole match. A very poor standard, and as a Wigan fan I'm probably biased, but shouldn't/couldn't Hohaia have been sent off (or at least a yellow), for the elbow on Flower? I haven't seen the match on telly yet so can't really say what it deserved but in real time it looked bad.

Wigan stayed in the game pretty well until they got tired. Think the tipping point was the missed penalty by Smith. I said to my brother that even if he misses, the key thing is to put it into the crowd so we get the ball back. Failing to do that seemed to deflate the side and certainly felt like the point at which the game turned.  He's a good player for us, but he just isn't good enough at goal kicking unfortunately.

Disappointing end to a disappointing season really.

[booder]

Flower is a dick.

Really missed McIllorom

[kinboshi]

Flower is a dick.

Really missed McIllorom

Yep, agree with that. I reckon McIlorum would have made a massive difference when we were down to twelve. However, Hohaia would have probably elbowed him in the face instead of Flower if he'd been playing.

Such a disappointing day.

[BulldozerD]

There's no way Hohaia would have been sent off for his part in isolation.

The whole thing looks worse in slow motion, including Flowers' actions. He is looking at 8+ matches with the grading he has been given. I expect around 10 matches would be fair.

I would be uncomfortable if the police ended up getting involved

[kinboshi]

There's no way Hohaia would have been sent off for his part in isolation.

Elbow in the face off the ball?  https://vine.co/v/OAjJjZ0KjTz  A yellow at least, surely?  He's up in front of the RFL (along with Flower), but we'll see what happens.  Bit late now of course.

The whole thing looks worse in slow motion, including Flowers' actions. He is looking at 8+ matches with the grading he has been given. I expect around 10 matches would be fair.

Can't complain if he gets a 8+ ban.  Interesting thing though is comparing it to Ben Westwood's punch in last year's GF.  Is it really worse than that?  Westwood hit Green whilst he was being held on the floor, but it wasn't in a fit of anger it was cold-blooded.  Why is there such an uproar about Flower's punch when there was far less said about Westwood's last year?  Both hit a man who was on the floor and couldn't defend himself.  Not defending Flower at all (he was an idiot and deserved the red and a long ban), but just wondering why there's the discrepancy in the way the media and fans have spoken about this. Is it because he got a red card and Westwood didn't (despite everyone seeing what happened)?

I would be uncomfortable if the police ended up getting involved

Me too.  Is every punch up, late challenge, headbutt, and shoulder-charge going to be investigated by the police? A dangerous line to cross.  Is every 'illegal' strike in boxing going to be investigated by the police - every low blow, every elbow, headbutt, etc.? 

[Marky147]

Bit dopey lumping him again, once he is on the deck, but the guy who got sparked deserved the first punch.

As you say, the police should keep out of it, and just let the clubs sort out the punishments.

[BulldozerD]

Hadn't seen that replay before but at full speed it looks like Hohaia goes in to rough up Flower after he made the mistake by barging/shoving him and by the Vine replay it looks like he got it wrong when he made contact as it was made with the forearm to the head.

But let's be realistic, if it wasn't for Flower's subsequent actions no-one would be considering any action against Hohaia, least not that he would be sent off in-game, and people wouldn't be discussing it days afterwards.

I'd have to refresh my memory on Westwood's punch before I compare. All I do know is he is a dirty bastard.

[kinboshi]

Hohaia runs a good ten metres to hit Flower as he was getting up off the floor.  It was no accident, and the fact he's up on a charge in front of the RFL for the incident must mean they also think there was something in it.

Of course, Flower punching him when he was on the floor was well out of order, and as he's being charged for a grade F, it'll be 10 matches+, especially because of the media coverage and the outcry.

The missus summed it up best.  The first punch was a beauty and the second completely stupid, unnecessary and not really a good punch either.

[BulldozerD]

I didn't say Hohaia hit flower by accident, it was a deliberate ploy. I don't think there was real intent to hit him in the face with the forearm though.

Hohaia hit flower to get a reaction after he had dropped the ball with the line in sight, he just got much more of a reaction than he bargained for