There is no doubt that Saints have had a terrible run with injuries but also poor discipline has meant a number of suspensions that has compounded the problem.
No matter how good our coaching staff are the "next man up" can only go so far and I think we would have struggled given a similar situation.

I think the problem for saints has been their success combined with an ageing squad.
The success means inevitable contract increases as the likes of Welsby, Dodd, Knowles, Lees etc would have had big increases for saints to keep them. Their success has made them move away from their model of if we can't afford them we let them go. So players like Luke Thompson or Bentley, Fages and Coote were let go because they had Lees, Bachelor, welsby and Dodd. It wouldn't surprise me if most of them were now on bigger contracts that the players that left. This means that there is less to go round the rest of the squad which is why you see players like Ritson. So I think the gap between the top earners and the lower paid players is bigger and so is the quality.
That is fine if all your top earners stay fit but an awful lot of them are getting on a bit.

I think we ended up in a similar situation in 2012/13 after a few challenge cup wins and a couple of grand final appearances I think we ended up with an expensive 1-13 but after that there was probably a lack of depth. I don't begrudge any player getting all the money they can because it is a tough sport but in a salary cap sport you have to manage the squad especially if it is an ageing squad.

Wigan have managed this really well when you look at the players they have let go (Gildart, Sutton, Bateman, Smithies, KPP) but they have managed to replace them. I think we have a better balance now but it probably did need the clear out under Powell. We were all questioning letting Daryl Clark go but you can't allow yourself to have too much cap tied up with a small proportion of your squad.

Obviously following orders from the rfl..it will be a hull kr v Wigan final and that shower will make sure it happens..if I was to type all the dodgy decisions Wigan get id be here till Christmas typing...

next man upwirecation: The fixtures this season are all over the place. Saints have played Salford 3 times already and we haven't played them yet (we only play them twice) If you take away their 3 wins against Salford (assuming they get beat other teams) they would be level on points with us.  Don't forget the massive points difference advantage too. In mitigation Saints have to play Hull KR away twice.  Mind you, RE Salford, some of it is in our own hands. We still have the opportunity to post a massive score on Salford twice - starting on Friday. No excuses.  2025 Loop Fixtures (for completeness) 1st Wigan Warriors Home: Leigh (5th) and Huddersfield (9th) Away: Catalans (7th) and Hull FC (11th) Magic: Warrington (3rd) p:nth-of-type(6)","type":"performPlaceholder","relativePos":"after"}" data-placeholder-placeholder="" data-response-start="1105" data-type="placeholder" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(20, 20, 20); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"> 2nd Hull KR Home: St Helens (6th) and Castleford (10th) Away: Leeds (8th) and Wakefield (12th) Magic: Salford (4th) 3rd Warrington Wolves Home: Catalans (7th) and Hull FC (11th) Away: Leigh (5th) and Huddersfield (9th) Magic: Wigan (1st) 4th Salford Red Devils Home: Leeds (8th) and Wakefield (12th) Away: St Helens (6th) and Castleford (10th) Magic: Hull KR (2nd) 5th Leigh Leopards Home: Warrington (3rd) and Huddersfield (9th) Away: Wigan (1st) and Hull FC (11th) Magic: Catalans (7th) 6th St Helens Home: Salford (4th) and Castleford (10th) Away: Hull KR (2nd) and Wakefield (12th) Magic: Leeds (8th) 7th Catalans Dragons Home: Wigan (1st) and Hull FC (11th) Away: Warrington (3rd) and Huddersfield (9th) Magic: Leigh (5th) 8th Leeds Rhinos Home: Hull KR (2nd) and Wakefield (12th) Away: Salford (4th) and Castleford (10th) Magic: St Helens (6th) 9th Huddersfield Giants Home: Warrington (3rd) and Catalans (7th Away: Wigan (1st) and Leigh (5th) Magic: Hull FC (11th) 10th Castleford Tigers Home: Salford (4th) and 8th Away: Hull KR (2nd) and St Helens (6th) Magic: Wakefield (12th)

next man upwirecation: The fixtures this season are all over the place. Saints have played Salford 3 times already and we haven't played them yet (we only play them twice) If you take away their 3 wins against Salford (assuming they get beat other teams) they would be level on points with us.  Don't forget the massive points difference advantage too. In mitigation Saints have to play Hull KR away twice.  Mind you, RE Salford, some of it is in our own hands. We still have the opportunity to post a massive score on Salford twice - starting on Friday. No excuses.  2025 Loop Fixtures (for completeness) 1st Wigan Warriors Home: Leigh (5th) and Huddersfield (9th) Away: Catalans (7th) and Hull FC (11th) Magic: Warrington (3rd) p:nth-of-type(6)","type":"performPlaceholder","relativePos":"after"}" data-placeholder-placeholder="" data-response-start="1105" data-type="placeholder" style="background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(20, 20, 20); font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif;"> 2nd Hull KR Home: St Helens (6th) and Castleford (10th) Away: Leeds (8th) and Wakefield (12th) Magic: Salford (4th) 3rd Warrington Wolves Home: Catalans (7th) and Hull FC (11th) Away: Leigh (5th) and Huddersfield (9th) Magic: Wigan (1st) 4th Salford Red Devils Home: Leeds (8th) and Wakefield (12th) Away: St Helens (6th) and Castleford (10th) Magic: Hull KR (2nd) 5th Leigh Leopards Home: Warrington (3rd) and Huddersfield (9th) Away: Wigan (1st) and Hull FC (11th) Magic: Catalans (7th) 6th St Helens Home: Salford (4th) and Castleford (10th) Away: Hull KR (2nd) and Wakefield (12th) Magic: Leeds (8th) 7th Catalans Dragons Home: Wigan (1st) and Hull FC (11th) Away: Warrington (3rd) and Huddersfield (9th) Magic: Leigh (5th) 8th Leeds Rhinos Home: Hull KR (2nd) and Wakefield (12th) Away: Salford (4th) and Castleford (10th) Magic: St Helens (6th) 9th Huddersfield Giants Home: Warrington (3rd) and Catalans (7th Away: Wigan (1st) and Leigh (5th) Magic: Hull FC (11th) 10th Castleford Tigers Home: Salford (4th) and 8th Away: Hull KR (2nd) and St Helens (6th) Magic: Wakefield (12th)

Yes indeed. As the saying goes "smash a plate on the floor, then say sorry". Still got a broken plate. 

The talk of conspiracy and ref favourites is as old as the hills, but I maintain that it's easier to award favour/benefit of the doubt etc for a big team than a smaller one. 

https://www.alloutrugbyleague.co.uk/news/danny-mcguire-under-investigation-what-1236708

https://www.alloutrugbyleague.co.uk/news/danny-mcguire-under-investigation-what-1236708

You can’t make this up, then again it is the RFL. They screw up he rightly gets teed off with it now they investigate him. Bet the fella that was video ref is ok though.