dubairl wrote:
Sam was being taken out every game, either after he passed or when he was running a line looking for an offload. Also every time he was on the floor somebody would have a go at him. Also we had matty smith and blake green taken out proper last season a couple months each. It happens and the one against GOB last season was dirty but the one from flower wasn't even close to being dirty. People still bring up the "chicken wing tackles" jeff lima left 2 years ago. Cannonball tackles name one where Wigan have actually done it? and don't say hansen in the grand final because he was nowhere near his knees.
Its alright saying that playmakers get injured more against wigan than anybody else where are the figures for that? Luke walsh would have carried on if that game meant anything. The last time i remember a player being taken out from dirty play was GOB has there been any others?
I don't remember Sam ever being taken off with concussion/ injured through dirty play. I'd never be so naive as to suggest it never happened, but relative to the players who limp off due to not quite dirty but suspicious tackles, it didn't happen as often. So either wigan players are much tougher than everyone else, or Wigan are playing closer to the aggressive - dirty line (the former seems unlikely.)
I'm not saying Wigan are downright dirty, or I fact the incidence I'm referring to are dirty, but it's close, it's enough to cause arguments on rlfans after the match. Warrington fans still go on about ratchford for the obvious example.
I don't have figures, I wouldn't even pretend to know where to begin to compile those figures from. It's from everything I read on here. The best way to describe it is you've turned Jason hooper into a tactic. He played very close to the same line, and used to absolutely infuriate opposition fans, Wigan fans included (he even got a move banned specifically because of him) and Wigan have taken that same approach as a team wide tactic. Was it right of him to take out players after they kicked the ball? At the time saints fans were blind to it, just as wigan fans do now.