After last night's performance, one must ask how can St. Helens cope with the challenge of the Sydney Roosters?

In 2003 on a bitterly cold and windy night, Sydney Roosters defeated St. Helens 38-0.

Will that thrashing be repeated at Langtree Stadium next Friday? Or will the thrashing be even worse, thereby totally humiliating St. Helens and all English rugby league fans?

These are legitimate questions to be asked in the light of Salford's drubbing of St. Helens.

Sydney Roosters will be without half back Mitchell Pearce, but the team has able replacements in Tyler Cornish and Jayden Nikorima.

The fear of embarrassment was there long before the Salford game mate, irrespective of what the sky clowns say, we play some awful one track rugby. Our pack are soft, no grunt & the half backs well, ones bottles gone & the other is dropped for garbage performances with the stand in being a straight running centre. Unfortunately for us & SL I'd expect more of last years Rabbitohs performance.

Iv'e gone for Sydney by less than 12. It may end up being better for Saints going in with fans and pundits alike fearing the worst after last nights game.The pressure will be off somewhat and you would certainly imagine the players are hurting and will be pumped up.

Does everyone look at these games in the way that Barrie Mac does?
During last night's game he was going on about it being England vs Australia and how he was unambiguously rooting for the British sides to win.

I don't see it that way at all. It's still just a club competition and I want to see the teams that play the best rugby come away victorious. If that happens to be all three aussie clubs again then so be it, all that means is that the SL needs to improve as a competition.

I've said Roosters by more than 12 but I still think that Saints will have a good go at them. I think I will say something like 30-16. Last night's performance was diabolical of course but you have to wonder whether they had a little eye on this game. Of course, it was clear that they had underestimated Salford but that is easily done.

Percival looks like he'll be out and Roby probably missing too means I think a comfortable Sydney win. Whenever you take Roby or Walmsley out of that Saints side then what's left isn't that good really. If Walmsley has some Stuart Fielden-esque 2006 WCC performance then it gives them some hope.

Yes I probably do.

I hate Saints but I'd like them to beat Sydney.

This is the only game I'll ever want saints to win.

But it's looking very unlikely!

I wanted them to win last year when they were in the actual WCC match (obviously want Leeds to this year), the other two games last year and this year I'm not bothered who wins as long as they're good games.

Same for me. Will be good to see the SL team lift the trophy and hope for two crackers in the other games, showing SL in a good light.

Another Jean NRL tug-a-thon will be expected

And as much as it pains me, I will be cheering on Saints for this one

I'll go Roosters by 16.

Can't see anything other than a hammering for Saints.

Exactly my view. Irrespective of which club you support you want to see the SL teams beat the NRL teams because it raises the whole confidence in the integrity of the league as an elite competition and it raises our profile in a crowded sporting landscape.

That is a reasonable aspiration in theory. However it is unrealistic in practice when St Helens are playing so poorly. Even Luke Walsh has predicted an 80 point thrashing if St Helens don't improve on their Salford performance.