Genuine question for Sts fans - how come Sts 2006 were apparently so much better than the bookend 2005 or 2007 teams? In 2005 they didn't even make the GF, and in 2007 they were mullered by Leeds. TBH don't think that any side can be classed as 'great' based on a single year.

2005 we missed the final after losing Sean Long, Lee Gilmour & Darren Albert before playoff games thanks to Terry Newton and struggled with injuries at the wrong time. 2007 we won CC again, finished top of the league and lost 1 game at OT that meant we missed out on the SL title.

A bit of a flawed argument saying it was based on 1 year when we finished top of the league 2005-2008, showing how consistent we were during that 4 year period and lifted the CC 2006 - 2008. Hardly just a 1 off 2006 season is it.

In comparison, how can Leeds 2004 team (or any recent Leeds team) be considered as they havent won the Challenge Cup?? That is a similar argument is it not??

Yeah exactly, Saints were the best team in 05 by a margin but got to the playoffs and were dragging kids from the stands to play. I think in the final playoff game they played it was basically Jamie Lyon stick.. he must have played everywhere that day. Just bad luck.
In 2007/2008 they were odds on favourites and walked most of the season only to get beat by the underdogs in a one off game that was the grand final. It certainly wasn't just one year and had things been ever so slightly different it could have been Saints with how many titles in x years

As far as Hull kingston Rovers go I'll give our squad of '83 to '85 an honourable mention as one with a record of note.

1983-84
Championship Winners
Premiership Winners
Beat 1983 Queensland Tourists

1984-85
Championship Winners
JPS Winners
Premiership R-Up
Yorkshire Cup R-Up
Challenge Cup S/F

Unbeaten away from home in all competitions a calendar year between Mar 84 -Mar 85.

It was either 1983 or 1984 that HKR clinched the championship at Leigh. I was at Hilton Park that day to see you lift the trophy on the pitch.

But what I also think seems to be forgotten is in two of years Leeds won from second, they had only finished a point behind Saints in the league, I would hardly class a point margin to decide the league as total dominance from Saints.

True, both good sides but Saints also took the cup both of those seasons too, no mean feat. All I meant was to say Saints weren't one season wonders and with things going ever so slightly different it could be Saints talked about as the greatest side of the last ten years

Yeah I wasn't trying to take away from what Saints achieved. It is just I think people had more of a perception of Saints totally dominating the league and winning it easily, when infact it was very close in two of the seasons they won it.

1984 mate - my memory fails me as to which team won the title in '83

Had the Wigan teams of the late 80's and early 90's have been playing today with the tactics, training, fitness, diet, conditioning... and everything else that comes with the modern game, nobody would get near them.

In the super league era Wigan, Bradford, Saints and Leeds have all had their quality teams and I don't think you can say one was better than the other. They were all so different and all at different times throughout the decade.

Bradford looked the most dominant in the ealry 2000's, but I don't think the league was as competitive back then. People forget that during Leeds spell they were not always finishing top of the league but they knew how to turn it on for the big games.

I would probably say Saints was the most impressive year in 2006 overall.

I will leave Wigan out of it so I am not favouring them but 2010 is certainly up there with the best, from an average team to champions took some doing. I will go with Saints 2006 though, the way they backed it up in 2007 against Brisbane was outstanding, that is the difference for me. Still the best WCC win in the modern era.

yes i remember that year and season well the year mark broadhurst stuck one on a queensland players chin the crowd went daft with their cheering and the ref did not send him off happy days

I remember having to play around 6 games in three weeks, mostly away because of fixture pile up from cup runs, we won them all to be crowned champions. It will never happen again because of the way the fixtures are planned out.