Good thread this and I'm surprised by the respect Saints fans have for Warrington these days, not like the Wiganers who cream their pies with excitement when we lose.



It's a good point and I think it could be. Without Matt King next season the back line will be weaker and some of the key players are getting old. I think this was the best chance we had, but we will probably still be contenders next season just not favourites - sort of like Saints and Leeds have been this season, when us and Wigan have enjoyed the position of favourites.

Also this question applies to Wigan as well with no Maguire next season. I wonder if there could be a window of opportunity for Saints to nip back in front of both us and Wigan.

In the longer run I expect Warrington to drop down a little bit in standard in the next few years, maybe not 2012, but from say 2013-14, however what gives me hope now is that the club is well run these days and we will always be a well financed well structured club and so be in the position to be one of the bigger fish in the league, even if the strength of our side waxes and wanes a bit. That wasn't the case a few years ago, we were nowhere near these end of season games.

I think the loss of Brett Hodgeson <sp> did massive damage to Wire's game.

Pretty much agree with this, i expect Wire to be up there, and with your stadium, support base, financial position along with coaching and player setup, i cant see you slipping away too much. Certainly not like Bradford. However you may be a bit like Saints are at present ie a team in transition thats not quite good enough but which is still respected and battling it out in the top 5

With regard to Wigan. I'm of the opinion that next season they will slip up a bit. They also will still be there or there abouts but wont be the team they have been under Mcguire.

The big problem is that there arent enough sides in SL with the ability to put pressure on the current elite teams. I personally think only Hull have the potential in the next couple of years to raise their game to the elite level. Otherwise its going to be Wigan Saints, Leeds, Warrington and Huddersfield battling it out.

I agree with that, Hodgson despite his age was a huge signing for us this year, I thought he was better for us even than he was for Hudds in 2009 when he won Man of Steel, or maybe I just noticed him more. We did lose something when he went off without a doubt.

Said it all along, that perfomance tonight was in the post, just waiting to happen, at least you do not have to folk out money to get humiliated at Old Trafford next week. Look on the bright side.

Shame for wire, they've been the best team in the league and deserved to get to old trafford on this years performances alone. Instead we potentially have a team finishing 5th as champions

Having been rubbish for most of the season. Bit of a joke really.

i posted this last monday on the "so its wigan" thread






saddened replied




i accept your apology mate

We've beat you in 3 of the last 4 Grand Finals so regardless of how poor we've been this season I'd have thought Saints would be dreading possibly another GF defeat against Leeds!

You are improving, but i think wire bottled it more than you were great. I'd still rather face you than a full tilt wire team

it was fair play to leeds and we tried to push it too much. good luck for later. apart from perry and a few others have you got a full pack out
ie. pulutua, soliola etc.

So far as we are aware, yes. Being a prop down (Perry) against Wigan is unfortunate, bearing in mind the type of game Wigan play, but that's how it is.