Strange view but then you are entitled.

One thing I learnt in my 15 years of coaching was to enjoy the highs (whenever they came ) and grit your teeth at the lows. To only be concerned with the final outcome is to miss so much along the journey IMHO.

The comparative in those stats is impressive for a bunch of old timers

To be fair we were riding high at this stage of list season before falling away. I'm not counting any chickens yet

didn't say they were important...but interesting

and not because of the early position we are in

but rather the comparative stats. I find it strange to say you have no interest in the present position but ONLY INTERESTED in some eventual future outcome

last season is history and has no bearing at all on this one.

Punditry will make fools of all of us... who reading this board wasn't saying after 40 minutes against Hull...'we're doomed, this is terrible, we are shocking, what a load of crap, at this rate we'll be lucky to make the top 12 etc., etc., '

Anyone who looks at a league table after 4 games and makes anything of it is frankly deluded whether on the positive or the negative side.

IF we stay relatively injury free we may well have a good competitive season (although even that's not guaranteed given the age of our pack - and the difficulty anyone has in staying at or near peak performance for a whole season)

Only needs a few injuries and a couple of the inevitable losses that are likely to come our way before we are back in our comfortable pessimistic modes

No predictions made at all and its NOT a league table either

Its just an interesting comparative at the beginning of the season that's all.

Stating the bleedin` obvious about possible injuries. potential loss of form, relative ages, etc. etc. is just as daft has moaning at half time.

No wonder we are called Whinos.

@ Tom Cat Positive is good.


Only an idiot (coach or supporter) would settle or be happy with a single season goal to finish top at the end of the comp.

That`s a long way off and would not motivate anyone at this stage.

A better more considered approach might be to set short term goals ie 4 weeks in to have the best attacking stats maybe ????

Of course we know that`s no guarantee of success as some terrace test caps have already pointed out.

I'm sure the same "let's wait until the end of year to evaluate" thinking would apply if Wigan were 4 from 4 and we were on only 3 points from 8 having thrown away two big leads

Like the OP is pointing out, nobody is actually saying we're great and we're going to win the title, just highlighting some good attacking stats......and why not?

How often did we win games last year yet posters complained that they weren't enjoying watching us because the games were dull or that our attack was painful to watch? When we won in 2011 & 2012 the argument was about not getting value for money during attending league games especially in the first half of those campaigns.....now (whilst still early days) it's "well let's wait and see what the final result is at the end of the year".

my point is we have played 4 games against average sides. whilst I am very encouraged by what I've seen, first half against hull and odd spell against Huddersfield apart, imo we'll have a better idea by easter having played some of the more fancied sides.

Well of course we should not be doing cartwheels down the road after just 4 games however we are top of the table having won all 4 games. Meanwhile one of our biggest competitors (Wigan) have only won 1 out of 4 having lost to one and drawn with another of the same average sides that we have beaten. While another of our top 4 competitors (Warrington) only beat Hull by 1 point and had to come from behind to beat Hull KR by less points than Leeds. Also one of your average sides you had tipped to finish higher that Leeds. So look on the bright side Tad

always do! Huddersfield I fancied to do well. however given their performances so far they have looked average. like I said I am encouraged, just not going over the top after 4 games. last season started rather well too I seem to remember

Our attacking structures looked good early season last year also, in our first 10 or 11 games we racked up some serious numbers. Our defence looked much better last year early on as well - we are too easy to score against at the moment. Hardaker was linking well with Watkins on the right and Briscoe started well (so did BJB - all on the right). Our attack gradually fell apart, and players reverted to the previous style as the pressure mounted and we had to make changes to our starting 13 due to injuries and Hardakers suspension. Aiton's illness was pivotal as it meant Burrow became our only hooking option and it simply didn't work when he started there.

I think a lot of the "excitement" is based on us beating Hudds (finally). But they hadn't won a game and gave us 18 points start at home and we still had to squeak it after conceding some of the softest scores you'll ever see. Hull were hopeless in the second half last week - they crumbled as soon as we scored. If we'd managed a score or two in the first half it could have been a serious massacre.

Happy we've won all four. Saints have managed to benefit from ineptitude of the highest order from officials and teams they have played against. Maybe that's their secret, they have the ability to make the opposition forget how to play rugby and officials to forget how to award penalties and tries to their opponents.

It's hard not to feel encouraged about the 2nd half showing at Hull. Not getting too carried away though. Seven tries against a defence lacking application means little; against a more committed team maybe two or three would be a more realistic expectation. Not necessarily enough for a win - unless that quality in attack can be brought to bear in both halves.