the bitter reaction from all sides says enough really

Whereas you’ve never really been there

The thing is, just like Wendyball, we now do not know who is play acting and who isn’t because there’s so much diving and feigning of injuries that the games gone feral for cheating.

Instead of the tough rugby league players of yesteryear we now have a bunch of cheats mincing around every club.

What bitter reaction? No one's denying Saints have been the best team because the league table doesn't lie, but there's a lot of rugby to be played and they could do what Cas did last year. What do Saints fans honestly expect the rest of us to do? Have an orgasm every time Barba scores a try?

As someone else suggested, perhaps any player who receives on field treatment should have to leave the pitch until they are waved back on by the ref. Similar to what they do in football.

I know it hasn't prevented diving/feigning injury in football, but I think it would negate it as players wouldn't want their side going down to 12 players for any amount of time as it's hard enough playing with 13 as it is.

Abdull wasn’t sin binned and the decision to sin bin Houghton was correct. I agree though that’s the faking injury from potential high tackles and crusher tackles needs to stop and Richardson was out of order. However, Kelly and Miloudi both also faked injury and were in the wrong.

The moaning at the two other sin binnings are laughable. LMS may have been over aggressive but that isn’t an offence when wrestling to play the ball. Washbrook was completely stupid in kneeing LMS no matter how soft it was and Amor was binned against Cas for similar. The Matongo one was also correct, he couldn’t have been any later. Their performance was great but they let themselves down with their lack of discipline.

I’m also loving the Hull fans saying they’d beat us in the playoff semi finals. I think some of you are choosing to forget we comfortably beat you 26-12 with no Barba and on paper your squad was stronger that day. The reality is today we had an off day and blew 3 or 4 easy try’s that we’ve been finishing off all season. To call us ordinary and overhyped when we’ve easily been the best team in the league this season is hilarious. And please keep the bitterness and hate coming, it’s great. A good game between two good sides with a great refereeing performance.

Comments like ‘saints got lucky’ and that we are ‘ordinary’ and ‘overhyped’ are bitter. The top sides in SL are naturally hated by fans of other sides and people have enjoyed Saints not being at the top for the last 10 years (2014 aside). Now we are back playing well again people don’t like it. If you can’t see that then it’s because you’re choosing not to.

Spot on, the table doesn't lie but then neither does the fact that only 3 times in the last 9 seasons has the team in 1st place after 16 Rounds gone on to win the GF so it's fair to not be carried away and drooling over it like some Saints fans think we should be. Finish the job off then you'll get plaudits. It likes having a good 40 mins, meaningless if you throw it away at the end of the second 40.

Why do you keep bringing up that game? It was the third game of Easter after we had just played 70 minutes with 12 men v KR and then won a thriller against Wakefield. We were incredibly flat in that game and were missing all of our first choice back row.

You are clearly a very good side, but if we meet in the playoffs I have every confidence we can beat you.

I don't get how you want opposition fans to react though, especially when you come on here boasting every time Saints win convincingly. I think if you want every single fan to admit that Saints have been the best side this year, not just the most entertaining, perhaps come back in October?

Kelly was wiped out by LMS, but dont let your bias get in the way of reality.

As for Houghton, I fail to see how he is at fault when Connor and Minichello come in to complete the tackle, just where is Houghton expected to go. The St's player got himself into a poor position.

I am also loving the "we had an off day". Could it just be possible that it was down to the opposition putting pressure on St's player which they are not used to?

If you think it was a great refereeing performance then you are One Eyed Willy from The Goonies.

I don't mind saints, they play good rugby, don't use grubby tactics and are easy on the eye. It's people like you that probably encourage neutrals to favour the other side as you are a proper c0ck end.

Best team lost today.