Wigan Warriors: The 18th Man - 'Smith is the best half-back in the competition, and we need him to stay clear of injuries...'

Darren Wrudd:

Well that put the Cat amongst the pigeons! As much as we hoped for a performance like that against the so-called favourites for the top, at their own ground, in front of their baying fans, to see it happen was just a joy. I just wish I could have been there in person to give them some well-earned stick too. MacBanana’s Dra’goons looked decidedly like bunnies in the headlights and they obviously didn’t like it up 'em. They began the game in their typical manner. Laying on in the tackle, knowing they would not get penalised, interfering with our defenders by pushing and shoving the rucks, which I thought was illegal too. But when all else failed, a bit of thrashing around on the floor trying to play-act a penalty from the referee, was all they had left - and that didn’t work either. In contrast, we were fast, well-disciplined, hard-hitting and ruthless, both in attack and defence. I would have given the man of the match to Abbas Miski, not just for his three tries but his positional awareness, work off the ball, and some very intelligent defence. You could see that we had the Frenchmen beaten in every department, and it became evident they knew it too as tempers flared in tantrums at almost every play by the final whistle. Made me smile to be honest, but then I wasn’t face to face with Micky Mac! But let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We have a very important four games left before the play-offs begin. It would be great to have the advantage of finishing top two, but first would be better. We face Salford this week, fresh from a very convincing victory over Wakefield, and they will be all out to make a statement against the form team in the competition. So we will need the same steely commitment to defending, which at first I thought might be an uphill task with Tyler Dupree out after a head injury, Kaide Ellis facing a one-match ban for looking at someone sternly, and Brad O’Neill possibly out with rib damage from a grubby move which saw Sam Tomkins lift his knee as his opponent came into the tackle. But thank goodness the club fought the one-match ban and Ellis is available, and we have some admirable young men to step into the gap left by Dupree. I like youngsters Junior Nsemba and Harvie Hill, they seem to fit right into the team when called upon to do so, and I wonder who will take up the baton of high-energy forwards with Dupree out. I think Salford will be a handful, their backs are a dangerous proposition, and we will need to stay sharp and press our advantages. But if the French have a crisis of confidence, we could be top of the table by Sunday.

Stephen Ford:

As kick-off time approached, I became more and more confident of a win in Perpignan. It had become a must-win game if we were to have any chance of ultimately finishing in the top two. To a degree, a win was going to be extremely difficult as Catalan had already beaten us comprehensively twice already during the season. I was hoping for a good start, and the team duly delivered and kept up the intensity for the remainder of the game. When we play with that intensity, and defend with that much vigour, I think we are capable of beating any team in the competition - and more than capable of winning the Grand Final. The problem we have is playing with that intensity on a regular basis. It is virtually impossible to do it every week, but we have got to start every game for the remainder of the season as we did in this one. Along with the vast majority of Wigan fans, I thought it was our best display of the season against a very physical Catalan team, who were in a decent run of form, and were quite rightly at the top of the table. All 17 players played their part, and it is difficult to pick out individual players for special praise. However, I thought Liam Byrne was really good and stood up to the Catalan pack, with his final crunching tackle summing up his display brilliantly. Byrne has come in for some stick this season, so I was really pleased he showed up so well and demonstrated we have a young prop with great potential. As fans we just need to be a bit more patient with our young players coming through the system. I thought Bevan French was very influential, particularly in the first half, and he continues to grow into the half-back role. Once again, Harry Smith was the pivotal player in the team, and his kicking from hand was excellent once again. For me, Smith is the best half-back in the competition, and we need him to stay clear of injuries if we are to have a successful end to the season. One downside to Saturday was the performance of Adam Keighran for Catalan. He will have to significantly improve his defence from next season if he is to become a success at Wigan. After such a terrific display, it is now imperative we also win our next game against Salford if we are to maintain our top-two aspirations. I like watching Salford as they try to play open rugby, and they have given us some really difficult encounters in the last few seasons. I rate Ackers, Croft and Brierley very highly, and they have two wingers in Burgess and Sio who can really trouble us if we don’t play at our best defensively. Unfortunately for us, after a dip in form, Salford have got back to winning ways and, unless we play to the best of our ability, a loss is not beyond the realms of possibility. Tyler Dupree will be missed against his old club, and hopefully there are no more injuries from the Catalan game. However, at the time of writing, there are rumours of injuries to Patrick Mago and Brad O’Neil which, if true, will make things very difficult. If there are no more injuries, I suspect Harvie Hill will replace Dupree, and I think Kai Pearce-Paul will also spend some time in the front row during the game. Hopefully, we have dry conditions on Friday, as we don’t perform to our best in wet conditions. After the Catalan win, I just want us to win against Salford. A good performance would be nice but a win - even if a scrappy one - is more important than the quality of the performance. Interesting times.

David Bailey:

Dear Wigan Warriors, I'm sorry. In last week's column, I stated 'I can't see a victory for the Warriors, but if they do pull it off, it'll be a statement win which could be crucial in the final few weeks'. I am totally happy to be holding my hands up and waxing lyrical about one of our best performances in recent years. From the first try, courtesy of the Lebanon phenomenon Abbas Miski, to Liam Byrne's thunderous hit on former Warrior Romain Navarette in the dying seconds, Wigan were dominant, and outclassed the current league leaders in every single department. Bevan French was lively at half-back, both assisting and scoring. Miski continued his rise up the charts, overtaking Liam Marshall as the club's top scorer, with a now all-too-familiar hat-trick. Brad O'Neill toiled at hooker, despite the knee to his abdomen from a clearly-rattled Sam Tomkins. Paddy Mago gave his best performance since he arrived. Harry Smith was instrumental once again, and I have to congratulate him for 500 points for Wigan at just 23 years of age. This is the level Wigan will need to reach come play-off time. I noticed a few pundits saying Wigan played with play-off intensity and, in the mood, there is no reason for the Warriors to fear anyone. This week sees the lads back at the DW Stadium, welcoming a Salford Red Devils side who are desperately vying for a place in the top six with Hull KR and Warrington. I think these three will be battling the last two places, so Salford will be fired up. Unfortunately, Tyler Dupree failed his late HIA against Catalans so won't be able to welcome his former club. Thankfully, the ludicrous decision to ban Kaide Ellis was overturned, and we shall have to see if Matty Peet is playing mind games by including Brad O'Neill and Paddy Mago. Both were rumoured to have bad injuries, yet both made the 21. With Sam Powell, Cade Cust and Joe Shorrocks in the squad, there still may be a chance O Neill isn't risked, and the fact Harvey Makin is the 21 means another prop in the mix. Whatever side Wigan put out, I'll be hoping for better weather and a better performance than last time out at the DW. I can see another relatively comfortable win should it be a dry night. If Wigan kick on, there's every chance they can snatch the League Leaders' Shield.