I agree to an extent with this - Wane loaded the gun with his crass comments in the build up, Flower was the unfortunate who fired the bullet... It didn't help the situation that Saints had come out matching fire with fire - The whole thing was an accident waiting to happen.



I still don't believe the tactic was to just carry out an obvious assault though - More likely was that Wane actually wanted to drag Saints into a bit of a brawl and for Wigan to pick them off as they were undoubtedly the better side in a straight 13 v 13... Unfortunately for Wane, it spectacularly backfired.

www1.skysports.com/watch/video/9 ... -final-the kick The bomb is kicked and Flower follows it up and runs towards Hohaia who is pushed over, it stops him covering in defence, the ball comes back to Flower after he has just knocked Lance over, he fumbles it back and Lance shoulder charges him in an obvious retaliation. Flower gets up and smacks Lance and follows it up with a second punch to a defenceless Lance on the floor.

www1.skysports.com/watch/video/9 ... -final-the kick The bomb is kicked and Flower follows it up and runs towards Hohaia who is pushed over, it stops him covering in defence, the ball comes back to Flower after he has just knocked Lance over, he fumbles it back and Lance shoulder charges him in an obvious retaliation. Flower gets up and smacks Lance and follows it up with a second punch to a defenceless Lance on the floor.

I stand by my previous comment - it was assault, and should result in sine die.



He punched a man who was flat out on the floor, what else was it but assault?

The societal mirror is here.



Flowers first cheap shot RL fans will have no issue with.

Hohaia run in forearm RL fans will no issue with.

Flowers first hit, 50% will love 50% won't



Smacking a prone/unconscious player though, no one will agree with that.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the police got involved a la Duncan Ferguson, it's an absolute shocker. Definitely the worst thing I've ever seen on a rugby pitch (apart from maybe Warren Stevens). I'd agree that maybe Hohaia was targeted by Wane in the pre match plan but Flower just completely lost his head here and will have regretted it almost immediately (and not just because he cost his team the title). Long ban in the pipeline for sure but a lot of it might be covered by Wales internationals?

INOUT



I think there's a very real possibility of him being left out of the Welsh squad as a result of this.

After working tonight, and asking loads of people not to tell me what happened, I get some numpty telling me about the first 5 mins.



Anyway.



Hohia (sp) was stupid in what he did

Flower (first instance), likewise.

His hitting a prone player, is unforgivable, but I'm guessing the RFL will act like an infatuated 15 year old schoolgirl when she first met Bros/Brother Beyond/Take That etc, when Wane and Flower go infront of the disciplinary, and give him a paltry ban.



I LOVE "the biff", but it's got to be done properly. Hit them as HARD as you can, but on the right side of the rules. Let the opposition know you're there. Just don't ####itup for the rest of your side and species.



Someone asked me, how I thought the final would go, and I told them "Wigan will bully them from minute 1, and if they're losing at half time, expect all out thuggery. Well, we got all out thuggery from the second minute, and from what I saw of the game (Sky's highlights) continued bullying tactics until the last minute, e.g. Bateman's petulance on Soleola (sp).



I'm no fan of Saints, but they play the game in a similar spirit to ours, and I for one, am glad they've won.

I'm also glad that fat oaf Wane has got his "cumuppance", for HIS 5h1thouse tactics.



RL KARMA

Like Yed said, i have no problem in the in the lead up to it. Even Flowers first punch for me was normal for a game of Rl. Its the second punch which is the problem. Credit to Wigan for making a decent fist of it against 13

delicious irony in them losing the game in that way.

It should also be said that the assault on the Stains player also lead them being without one of their key playmakers for 78 minutes of the game.

It was pretty sickening to be honest. I didn't see Lance get pushed over in the first instance and so gave Flower to benefit of the doubt when he lamped Lance in retilation to getting a forearm across the jaw, but that should have been it really, he might have still seen red for the way Hohia went down like a sack of potatoes but there was no doubt when he went and stood over him, levelled up and punched him right between the eyes, straight red and should see a very long ban.

Quite annoying that lockers was then given a free pass to make as many head high tackles as he wanted, the ref spoke to him after nearly all of them, never actually penalizing him