I said in a thread last week that a good win against Cas wouldn't surprise me because it was the kind of game we are used to winning. Of course it was an important win, but I still don't think it really tells us anything about where we're up to in terms of challenging for the title. The derby, when we're outside of our comfort zone and facing a doubtless very physical challenge, is the benchmark. If we go out and stamp some authority on that match then I might start believing. A bit. But as it stands I expect us to get manhandled again.

The way people talk you would think that we haven't beaten Wigan for 25 years.....but in reality they have a winning streak against us of 1 game! We beat them less than 12 months ago, and we should beat them this week.

I think you're being a bit naive if you can't/won't acknowledge that we have been well and truly bullied and battered in the recent derbies that matter. In the game last year at LP they rested their side as they had the cup semi the week after.

I hope the game plan is to put lots of pressure on Matty Smith and target the energy levels of Shirley, if we can control these two then we control the game on our terms.
We started OK against Cas with our defence so a repeat is needed on Friday, our attacking game will look after itself if we manage to complete our sets.
My expectation is that our pack have unfinished business and will be up for this one.

I could make a very good team out of the players who missed Sundays game.
Bowen, Manfredi, Bateman, Thornley, Burgess, Green, Hampshire, Crosby, McIlorum, Dudson, Pettybourne, Clubb, O'Loughlin.

That as a starting XIII would match most sides in Superleague. If you then added Taylor, Flower, Farrell and Smith as bench players it would a very good side.

Hopefully we'll get a few of those back for Friday, but if not we'll go with what we've got available and we won't be beat for lack of effort.

Rogues you have now posted that same message on 3 different sites - we get it, you had players missing!

Saints have never had injuries ever, not like Wigan's injuries. Wigan's injuries are special. Whatever injuries anyone else have ever had, Wigan have more and bigger.

Haha I've just been thinking that. At times this season our injuries have been into double figures and we were told to get on with it and stop complaining. Now these lot have injuries they are drawing up fantasy line-ups from their array of absent "stars." Typical blinkered behaviour from our neighbours.

Seems everyone is in fine fetal for this one.

Didn,t we have a similar injury crisis in our home game with an in form Leeds and beat them with kids. Goons can still be a very dangerous side whatever team they put out so that needs to be the mindset, setting the marker down in the first 10 mins will be the major factor in this game.