I think the stat that our last 3 games to complete the treble were against 2nd, 3rd and 4th is the one that highlights the point. Thats unbelievable so close after the CC final and a trip to France.

Saints losing only a few games all season looks good but it also pointed to a weak league. Even leeds were able to coast thorough games and win by 40. It's probably around then that AP had his flat track bully league table.

With maybe the exception of wakey there were no gimme games this season

Peacock was Man of Steel in 2003. I don't think this period of his career should be underestimated or swept aside due to his later exploits at Leeds.

He became a different kind of player at Leeds (less of an individual line-breaker and more of a pack-leader and metre-maker). Difficult to compare the two eras but many felt after his first season at Headingley that it wasn't quite working out (2006). You may recall the big debates on here about whether or not he should have played prop forward. Thankfully he did make the transition by 2007.

Agree with this and what Flex has been saying. Saints had no real credible opposition in 2006. All the other big clubs were in the doldrums that year. The very fact that they played Hull (remember that great all-conquering B&W side, yeah right!) in the final speaks volumes. 2003 and 2015 were far more competitive.

Leeds were below average from the aftermath of the 2005 Challenge Cup Final until the latter half of the 2007 season when they turned it around after Tony Smith announced he was leaving.