Easy to say in hindsight but did anybody at the time think that was the right decision?

No. When you look at the time and factor in the better field position and time ticking down, it was the only decision that gave Saints a realistic chance of a win at that point.

Kick to touch, time runs down and we have a few tackles to kick the drop goal and win or miss and go to golden point. If kicking a penalty you should always factor in if you can kick it dead which presents another scenario where a lot has to go in Saints favour to get to the other end in less than a minute from their own drop out. The only chance Saints had to win the game from there was missing short and running to the other end (albeit with a fluke bounce thrown in too).

Not for me. I felt us kicking for touch, driving up field and kicking a drop goal was a much higher percentage than Hardaker kicking a penalty goal from there. Plus you eliminate any opportunity for Saints to get the ball back. That's not hindsight either, I called it at the time and was surprised his effort got as close as it did. A big reason Leeds won so many (IMO) was that they are great game managers. Look at our game management at the end:

- Taking a very difficult shot at goal rather than putting it in touch and driving it up for the DG
- Not chasing the penalty kick after we did decide to go for it
- Not holding down at the end so the hooter goes before Makinson is allowed to take his shot at goal (6 again would be no punishment to us)
- I presume no real chase back once they did kick for the DG. How did Welsby get there before any of our lads could chase back? If anyone gets shoulder to shoulder with him chasing that ball then they either beat him to the ball or at least slow him down enough to let French deal with it.

Edit - Yep, just brought myself to watch it back, Leuluai and Bibby stood around watching, whereas every Saints player chases. Resulting in three of them getting to the vicinity and no Wigan player except French who was already there at full back. Leuluai in particular had plenty head start to get there before Welsby.

None of those four things required anything magical from our guys, just being switched on and putting the last bit of effort in when you're knackered like Welsby did.

I said watching it at the time, "no he won't go for goal he's too far out, he won't even get it dead!"

Did I blame him for going for goal? No I didn't. If Zac felt he could kick it and win the game then I'd never criticise him for it. I was sat in my lounge drinking coffee when I said that what I did, Zac was out there. A whole world between the two.

There are a number of reasons we lost but they are not for today or next week. Those reasons have to be overcome if we are to win finals. Some were unavoidable, most notably injuries, others with one being Saints good fortune and luck.

Yes. He kicks it we win the game. He had to go for it.
Had he not gone for two people would have been going nuts on here. Probably the same ones now saying it was the wrong decision.

The penalty was given on 78 minutes and the kick taken just after 79 minutes so he did use up the full minute. I think it was the correct decision to go for it.

Kick to touch. Four drives take us 20 yards from their line. Drop goal attempt with seconds to go.

Score and we win. Miss and the hooter goes and we go to golden point.

This option doesnt give Saints a sniff of winning it in regulation time as they wont have the ball.

The option taken gave them a minute with the ball to go 100m. Which they did,

Bad bad call by whoever made it. Its ruined our season.

Right or wrong it's done. On to next season please

up the Cherry and Whites!!

Absolutely wrong decision which I called at the time. If you have a kicker that has a track record of flapping kicks in big games you can't go for it. Even if the kicker wants to go for it, somebody with a cooler head needs to say no.

Tbh, with this clown in charge, I'm not surprised that the wrong decision was made, he has a habit of not learning.

At the time, I thought it was the wrong decision. Yes, it was kickable but the safer option, for me, would have been to get field position, use up more time and go for the drop goal.

You could also argue that either of the two options available would have been correct but because of the distance to the sticks with the penalty, the drop goal possibility would have given us the better chance to win the game.

On a point of logic, surely the fact that the kick was missed, deems it to have been the wrong decision.

Clock wasn't stopped again which it would have been.

Used about 50 seconds I believe.

They sound like little things and almost "pointless" but they are all things that someone like Kevin Sinfield used to nail every single time. We seem to get it wrong every single time.

Not for me. I screamed at the tv when i saw him getting ready for it. Nearly woke the wife up!