Already creaming themselves over defeating a team who are technically 2nd Division side in Leigh.

Also with Myler running in 3/4 tries (seems to be an argument over how many as one was announced as Mathers) against again a part-time side...



Roll on the new season can't come too soon!

Saints will finish 5th this season behind Leeds, Wigan, Wire and Bradford

Saints will finish 2nd or third depending on injuries.
Going to fly a bit under the radar I reckon.

£10 bet Saints finish higher than 5th

Remains to be seen, you could equally say he can't coach defence judging by their last match. Who knows how McGuire will turn out? He could be great, he could flop - he wouldn't be the first.



Says who? Fat Feka losing 13 stone doesn't mean they'll be a fitter team than us.



Do players only grow older in Wigan?

We were pretty awful last year and still reached the GF and finished above Wigan.

Saints will finish above Warrington, no doubt. I think Leeds and maybe Huddersfield will finish above us.

I gather that you're probably fishing here, but Bradford? They sign a decent scrum half and that automatically turns them into a top 4 team? No chance.

Leeds
Saints
Warrington
Wigan

Would be my early prediction.

Warrington have always been strong against the better teams. It's their performances against the smaller sides that has always cost them. They lose to the likes of Cas and Wakey and Quins at home. They are stronger than us, there really is little doubt about that. Their pack is better and their backs are so much better it's not funny.

I think Saints will do one of two things. One is finish second, flying under the radar as mentioned with everyone creaming themselves about the likes of Warrington, Wigan and Bradford's improvements. OR Saints will continue to struggle and with the undoubted improvements shown by the likes of Warrington, Bradford, Hull and Wigan end up finishing about 6th or 7th. Don't underestimate the importance of Mr S Long to our success over the past decade. He is our organisation and our soul. We will find it very hard without him.

We have zero chance of winning Super League and will need a great draw (Like Warrington's last year) in order to win the Cup. For me it's about time the board showed they understand they need to rebuild and start doing it by announcing some mighty signings mid way through next year.

There is enormous doubt about that.

I'll give you that they have stronger backs (although I think we have a spark they don't in Eastmond and Pryce can be brilliant on his day), but our forwards are very strong. Graham, Puletua, Cunningham, Roby, Moore, Soliola and Wilkin are all very good players and Fa'asavalu can be good on his day.

Every year people write Saints off, but with strong defence like ours, we'll be in the top 4 without a doubt.

As for Warrington, they seem a bit overhyped as usual, but I do think they'll be a strong side this year. I don't think they're ready to win Super League yet, but they may have another good run in the Cup if they get some good draws and avoid Saints or Leeds.

It's quite clear that the board has either:

1) - Cut the spending on player salaries in order to save much needed funds for the new ground (I'd have no problem with that if they admitted it)
2) - Overspent on underperforming players (We've got a wafer thin squad so the maths don't add up when you consider who has left the club)

We finished second and made the GF last season. Fine, we did. But did no one else see the turgid struggle each game had become by the end of the season? Every ounce of attacking flair was gone and without Long it'll be worse this coming season. People say we're stronger but I can't see how. Long was arguably our best player still, organising everything we did and Gilly was a massively underrated player who had a fantastic last couple of seasons for us. Eastmond is totally unproven and any games he misses have to have huge question marks over them, because of goal kicking if nothing else. Last season also saw Warrington, Wigan, Bradford, Hull and Catalans, all usually strong sides in SL struggle massively. Warrington have a new coach and several massive improvements player-wise, Wigan have a proper coach for the first time in years, Hull have signed some superb players and have a few exciting young prospects and Catalans would expect to be better. Hull KR will also be strong. If the majority of those sides do make the strides they should do over the close season we're in for one hell of a struggle.

In previous years we've been so good and the rest so bad that there has usually been us and one other side (Bradford and lately Leeds) who competed for first place. Then there was a group of two or three sides we were prone to struggling against (Hull KR, Wakefield etc) and 7 or 8 easy beats that we would beat easily. What has happened with the salary cap/our decline has been that the group of two or three sides we found it tough against, particularly away, has become 7 or 8 teams and suddenly there is only Celtic, Quins and Salford we'd expect to beat.