The eternal optimist here
That was an experimental squad, kyle showed that he is a burrow clone, without the nose. lomax started to have a shocker, but came back and caught a high ball runiing nackwards, which shows some promise.
And for all those who have slated Tony P, well because he was awesome tonight, massive go forward. with maurie getting match fitness and jammer back we#ll be reet cocker

i do it by growing up in the eighties, getting ritual humiliation by wigan throughout my childhood, getting laughed at when we lost 27-0 at wembley, but this has taught me to appreiciate the fabulous team we have now and anyone who thinks second in the league and a cup semi final is failure, may i direct you to our friends over the lump

I remember saying things like that in 2003/2004!

The writing was on the wall for us at that time as well!

I also remember saying in a couple of threads that when a period of dominance ends in nearly every sport the Team & It's supporters are also the last ones to see it.

I think we had a few more problems than you guys do and TBH the mindset of the fans is slightly different (Although I'm beginning to doubt that seeing some of the reactions of your guys) which means I don't think you will drop as far as we did.

However

Once you drop that 10-15% back to the Pack you just can't turn it around overnight and become as dominant again.
Existing contracts,SC, Lack of income, other attractive options for coaches/Players, focussing on a New stadium etc all play a part in having to look for a more long term solution to the problem than is ideal.

A lot of our fans have struggled to accept that, will yours?

By a lot of reactions that can be seen here and heard around the ground then nope I think a lot of them won't.

Last night was about the performances we have had this season when we have had the same squad - the same squad, that is - which took us to silverware last season and which won 20 games on the trot. We fans were expecting the slide into mediocrity next season with the loss of Longy, Gilly and possibly Keiron. Not this season. The demise has been a shock because it has come so very early to a team which fundamentally hasn't changed. It's like watching a totally different Saints to the one Anderson coached to success the previous three seasons. Yet it's the same team!

with the losses from the squad last year, i'd have been happy with 4th reasonably. Longy, KC, Gidley, and gilly all well over 30, wello slowing down, etc, etc. yet 2nd in the league and a cup semi with the most horrendous injury list i've seen in my 31 yrs