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Hopefully they might actually play against you. Injuries consistently prevented Leeds getting their best pack on the field. Playing with actual half backs will make a difference too. In fairness I look at Saints squad and see the best collection of players in the northern hemisphere. You should win it again next year, but sport isn't always like that. As they say, pride comes before a fall (Leeds should know) and chances are that next year the chasing pack will edge a bit closer and Saints might have to face a bit of adversity with long term injuries etc. Maybe you won't have as much to crow about.

This theory only works if the rate of progress at Saints is slower than the rate of progress of the rest. If they progress at the same rate Saints move even further ahead.

Great insight.

Stop comparing us with Saints. They are head and shoulders above us. We are now capable of competing with every other team in the league

Were building nicely, weve as good a group of young players as there is in the British game and we will get there. Top 3 should be our aim next year which would be progression.

To keep comparing us to Saints isnt fair on the team.

Nothing wrong with comparing with Saints imo, they're the standard, excellent team that we need to try to compete with.

They were head and shoulders above us last season, dosnt mean they will be next. Looking at our team from that playoff loss to what it will look like next season...Theres a huge difference in quality.

Fusitua in at wing, L Briscoe out...Huge upgrade

L Suttcliffe in at centre, T Briscoe out...Upgrade

Sezer + Austin/Gale in at halfbacks...Leeming + Lui out...Huge upgrade

Bentley in at 2nd row, Donaldson out...Big upgrade

Leeming in at 9, Dwyer out...Big upgrade

Knock on effect is players who started that game are now bench and squad options, strengthening those areas aswel.

I thought we played like we lacked belief we could win that playoff game, hopefully the influx in quality will adress that across the squad.

Saints are the team to beat and have also improved and signed well for next season, they will rightly start as favorites, but, on paper we'v closed the gap imo. With a bit of luck in our favour and a bit of bad luck in theres, it could be enough, who knows.

Seen on the club website we were advertising the Strength+conditioning role, we need to get that hire right aswel.

Last bit's right. Even if we only stop that big f***er Walmsley trampling all over us it'll be a start. We must give him the easiest run out of any of the SL sides

As per another thread I posted on on the Leeds recently, Saints 1-13 “injury rate” last year was 68% - Leeds was 61%. Last year we had long term injuries to Lomax, Fages, Bentley and Knowles with Fages and Bentley missing the vast majority of the season, including the business end. Dodd and Batchelor stood up.

What makes you think the pack is closing in? (Genuine question) to me, our recruitment has been excellent. I consider Naiqama and Hopoate a like for like swap, Lussick is a really exciting addition as we can stop managing Robys time and let him play his full game for 20 minutes like the old days for one last hurrah and Batchelor has already effectively replaced Bentley. Sironen will be hard pressed to be more underwhelming than Thompson, and Bell gives us cover for Knowles which we struggled with this year. Coote will be a loss but the SL young player of the year, and Saints player of the year is hardly a bad replacement, and I’m really excited to see Welsby play a permanent role next year as hell only improve for it. Hurrell is a wildcard but if it doesn’t pay off we don’t lose anything and if it does it gives us another dimension again. Whose recruitment do you rate higher?

We aren't near saints.
Still need a big prop that can make meters and bust a tackle.

We are looking better than last year or two tho.

Saints have three players that must be heading towArds their last season. Will be interesting to see if they do better at replacements than we did.

Calm down, calm down! You're a very sensitive bunch of fans for a team who has just won the competition three times on the bounce. Wouldn't want to be in Woolfe's shoes if you lose two in a row. Nothing wrong with your recruitment, it's top draw. I also said you have the best bunch of players in the northern hemisphere. I'd call that a compliment. I don't doubt your injury spreadsheet algorithms are top draw, but only a fool would attempt to draw a parallel between the injury impact the two clubs experienced last season. My point is, success isn't always as simple as having the best squad of players. Luck, good or bad plays it's part, and Leeds are due a bit. The gap should close a bit next year, odds would suggest not enough to topple Saints, but you never know. I remember thinking Leeds were nailed on for a 4th title in 2010, but Peacock and McGuire got injured when it mattered most. That's the beauty of sport.

Funny how it’s easier to recruit into a side that’s already dominant isn’t it? Players want to win trophies and are more likely to go where they can do that.

Several sides look better for 2022.

Saints won’t be top for ever, it’s a question of when not if.

Oledzki, Gannon and Holroyd are three reasons Saints should be nervous. Maybe not in 2022 but in a couple of year's time, alongside Bentley, we will have the best young pack in the league.

I’m not not calm? I apologise if I came across as sensitive (though I do admit I’m bored of the narrative Saints have been “lucky” over the last 3 years - though that comes mostly from over the hill in Wigan )

Yeah, there definitely were people calling for Woolf to go 5 games in, with 2 losses in that - but that’s a different story.

There’s absolutely a difference between the impact of an injury, and the volume of injuries a team gets. Volumes of injuries is, in part down to luck sure (though obviously strength and conditioning is a factor as well) but I don’t think Saints or Leeds are outside normal parameters of that luck and that’s what the numbers show, the difference being players like Dodd and Batchelor being able to step into the roles needed due to those injuries, minimising Saints impact.

Yes, absolutely anything can happen - and have also experienced a coulda shoulda woulda if not for injuries 2005 was nailed on until Wigan took out half our teams with spiteful play a week before the playoffs…) but we have a deeper squad this year, and a really clear plan with reserves and juniors for cover, and see our own rate of improvement as a squad as equal to or better than anyone else’s.

Saints have always been at the top never missed a playoff????????????????? Been in more finals than anyone and won more hubcaps?

Being in play-offs makes you top six or at times 8.