Jukesays wrote:Hi all This week there is a review of last week's semi final bit also something a little different Last night the usual hosts invited 4 lifelong wigan fans to share their memories of the previous Grandfinals back to 1998, their Highs and lows, a season review and their thoughts on the season and a preview of Saturdays Grand Final Apologies in advance for my contribution but we really enjoyed it and hopefully it will be a good Pre GF listen https://spotify.link/111Ch7iAPDb As an aside they are regularly attracting over 500 listeners per week now on Spotify, Apple play and YouTube (I believe) Thanks to everyone who's listened and for the feedback over the year (mostly positive) Really enjoy these podcasts while I’m walking. I particularly enjoy their in depth reviews of games and the lads always raise points that I had missed during a game which adds to my enjoyment. I am halfway through the latest podcast and I look forward to finishing it this evening. The lads were really professional from the outset and for me they are still improving which is great to hear. Please pass on my thanks to the lads for their impressive productions.

Jukesays wrote:Hi all This week there is a review of last week's semi final bit also something a little different Last night the usual hosts invited 4 lifelong wigan fans to share their memories of the previous Grandfinals back to 1998, their Highs and lows, a season review and their thoughts on the season and a preview of Saturdays Grand Final Apologies in advance for my contribution but we really enjoyed it and hopefully it will be a good Pre GF listen https://spotify.link/111Ch7iAPDb As an aside they are regularly attracting over 500 listeners per week now on Spotify, Apple play and YouTube (I believe) Thanks to everyone who's listened and for the feedback over the year (mostly positive) Really enjoy these podcasts while I’m walking. I particularly enjoy their in depth reviews of games and the lads always raise points that I had missed during a game which adds to my enjoyment. I am halfway through the latest podcast and I look forward to finishing it this evening. The lads were really professional from the outset and for me they are still improving which is great to hear. Please pass on my thanks to the lads for their impressive productions.

Just listening to this weeks episode and I think it's bloody brilliant!

Exactly what I wanted this week to build up the Grand Final.

I'll definitely be going back and listening to previous episodes and look forward to more, as long as we win anyway.

Cheers lads.

The beauty of the podcast for me is that the lads focus on the whole game and aren’t just one eyed on Wigan. Yes, Wigan get more conversation time than the other clubs/leagues but there is a balanced view on things.

I watch other clubs podcasts and I don’t think it’ll come as much of a surprise that the Red Vee lads said in this weeks that they have no interest in the GF and won’t watch it because they support Saints and not the game. Each to their own but I watch any teams games and any finals we’re not in. It makes it more special when your side gets to one.

Jukesays wrote:Hi all This week there is a review of last week's semi final bit also something a little different Last night the usual hosts invited 4 lifelong wigan fans to share their memories of the previous Grandfinals back to 1998, their Highs and lows, a season review and their thoughts on the season and a preview of Saturdays Grand Final Apologies in advance for my contribution but we really enjoyed it and hopefully it will be a good Pre GF listen https://spotify.link/111Ch7iAPDb As an aside they are regularly attracting over 500 listeners per week now on Spotify, Apple play and YouTube (I believe) Thanks to everyone who's listened and for the feedback over the year (mostly positive) Just listened to the first half reviewing the old GFs. 2010 and 2013 stick out for me. 2010 was the first time I’d seen us win a trophy, after years of semi finals defeats it felt like our time. Got emotional going into the ground and seeing the flags all over the Wigan end, also when Madge and Lockers came on the big screen stood in the tunnel, the roar from the Wigan end - goosebumps. 2013, lived in Warrington my whole life and losing to them wasn’t an option. Said to my dad after Westwood scored “bloody hell, it is their year”. What a feeling that comeback was. In Sam and Pat Richards last game. Also glad someone else other than me remembers how good FPN was in 2016, absolutely critical to us winning that GF (as Dupree might be tomorrow)

Jukesays wrote:Hi all This week there is a review of last week's semi final bit also something a little different Last night the usual hosts invited 4 lifelong wigan fans to share their memories of the previous Grandfinals back to 1998, their Highs and lows, a season review and their thoughts on the season and a preview of Saturdays Grand Final Apologies in advance for my contribution but we really enjoyed it and hopefully it will be a good Pre GF listen https://spotify.link/111Ch7iAPDb As an aside they are regularly attracting over 500 listeners per week now on Spotify, Apple play and YouTube (I believe) Thanks to everyone who's listened and for the feedback over the year (mostly positive) Just listened to the first half reviewing the old GFs. 2010 and 2013 stick out for me. 2010 was the first time I’d seen us win a trophy, after years of semi finals defeats it felt like our time. Got emotional going into the ground and seeing the flags all over the Wigan end, also when Madge and Lockers came on the big screen stood in the tunnel, the roar from the Wigan end - goosebumps. 2013, lived in Warrington my whole life and losing to them wasn’t an option. Said to my dad after Westwood scored “bloody hell, it is their year”. What a feeling that comeback was. In Sam and Pat Richards last game. Also glad someone else other than me remembers how good FPN was in 2016, absolutely critical to us winning that GF (as Dupree might be tomorrow)

Watched the 2013 GF back last night and I forgot how dominant we actually were early in the game. We were all over them for 15/20 mins and bombed a few chances on that right hand side. The 3 try blitz by Wire were probably the only 10 mins in the game when Wigan weren’t the team pushing and dominating territory.

Same here, was nice watching it back. Westwood’s attack on Green was cowardly of the highest order, it still bothers me now

I also watched the 2016 and 2018 finals (was a quiet evening ) and each year we had a player put in a talismanic performance. 2013 was obviously Green, 2016 was Sarginson playing out of his skin just weeks after his brother sadly passed and 2018 was Tomkins and Manfredi. Some players just come to life for one night only but usually there’s a story around them and tomorrow I wouldn’t put it past KPP to play a blinder. He’s been sensational for 2/3 months now.

On the podcast, I’m also enjoying it and the knowledge of the lads is great. I can’t stand the Redvee garbage or that Yorkshire one which I thankfully can’t remember the name of. My only two pieces of constructive criticism is that the audio isn’t super clear - as someone not from Wigan it’s sometimes tough to understand sometimes with the heavy accent and I do struggle with the length of them - I think around 1hr-1hr 10 is the ideal length of a podcast. Usually the length of a gym session or daily commute. Otherwise keep up the great work!

Hi pal
Hope you enjoyed it?
I mentioned on the show that going the day before the Conroy and erecting the flags, meetingnthe united stadium manager and staff was a wonderful experience

Sharing the pics on here when we got back after telling everyone for a week we couldn't do it was amazing.
Getting the call from Simon Collinson about 4ish saying the players were over the moon with flags and the effort was unbelievable

I worked in Warrington from 99 to 2017 and winning that one was also special, arguing with certain wigan fans (you know who you are) that were telling me Wires pack was too good for us etc


That's my recollection too
The 10/15 min blitz was a Blip in a game i thought we were the best team in comfortably

Was a good evening sitting together with my son and his mates who make the podcast and a few other lifelong Wigan fans reminiscing
Amazing feeling old when 3 of us had to give our 98 memories because 4 of them weren't even born!!!

98! Feels more like 10 years ago than 25

Cheers pal
Thanks for the feedback, just passed it on

For the GF Special we used our local cricket club to record as getting 7 into someone's room/house was a problem and that may have affected the quality

As for the accents, if it was GF special then 2or3 of us are proper Wiganners, and when we get together we talk even more Wiganese
The 3 lads who do the hosting (Inc my lad Tom) of the normal podcast I don't think are too bad but then again that's in comparison with me!!!

Time is flying by. I was sat thinking about those losses in 2014 and 2015 and they still eat away and it dawned on me they were 8 and 9 years ago. It’s gone by in the blink of an eye. We’ve left some Grand Finals go that should’ve been wins and I can’t help but think may we’re due to win one, where we’re not at our best. I’ll settle for that tomorrow as long as that trophy is being held aloft by Faz at 8pm.

1998 was the start of something special for the sport. On the podcast, you mentioned buying in to that feeling of it being a game that decided the league and not just another premiership final and I was exactly the same. The night felt a really big occasion and it was so tense and it’s been the same since.

Myself, my best mate and our dads have been to every final since 1998 (well I tell a lie, they have, I got my dates wrong on a holiday in 2009 and was in Mexico. We actually announced Michael Maguire as coach for 2010 when we were there. Sat myself in an internet cafe in Cancun watching his press conference wondering who he was! Obviously we all missed the Covid final but that’s void anyway) and we wouldn’t miss them. It’s a totally different feeling Wigan being in them, to not but they’re all great nights. Outside of our wins, I probably look back and feel the most privileged to have been in there for that Rob Burrow try against Saints. He’s proof that you never know where life will take you and to enjoy these big nights.

It should be another cracker tomorrow.

The talk about Warrington chimes with me. Born there (didn't ask to be!) and went to school with mostly Wire mates in the 70s which it's fair to say wasn't our best decade. Very uncomfortable!

We've played Wire in plenty of finals and the last time we lost was the Lancashire Cup I believe in 1980 - the last one I missed! Fair to say I haven't been able to enjoy a single minute of any of them at the time. Some cracking matches though looking back...