Some people are making it sound like we've given up on the league, we're second to a team we play in 4 weeks. And we have competed in so classic matches that I have thoroughly enjoyed, won lost or even the draw. With a fit squad of players, that have all had a lot of game time this year it's not unrealistic to mount a challenge of the league.

You weren't the best team last season though. If you can't handle the play offs it means you aren't the best team.

The fact that the Wire fans view the majority of the regular season games as friendlies is due purely to how poor Super League is and how enormous the gulf between the clubs is. You don't get fans in the NRL bemoaning the fact that their games are friendlies because the NRL is level enough that if you clock off there is a real risk you will lose a play off berth altogether or make the play offs a lot more difficult for yourself. Games are exciting there as both teams are packed with great players and it's almost always competitive.

If we moved back to first past the post now, it wouldn't mean every game was an exciting spectacle for the masses of fans who would turn up, it would just mean that for all but two or three teams the season would be over after the first month and the likes of Warrington and Wigan, going full tilt every week, would win by 60-70 most weeks. Teams like Salford, London, Wakefield, Cas, Hull KR, Hull and the likes would have no reason to play at all and you'd see some enormous scorelines.

Super League now is in a truly appalling state. You might not see it that way as comparatively you're probably better than you've ever been, but the standard in general has dropped dramatically. The Saints side I watch now is terrible, only one player in it worthy of being an international (Roby) and yet despite a terrible start we're rapidly chasing down 3rd place and are comfortably better than the teams below us It's not the format of the competition that makes Super League so poor, it's the teams in it. What we need is a reduction in teams, to 12 if not 10 and a reduction in the number of games played. Reducing the number of teams would mean a better spread of talent across the sides and more competition for places. There isn't enough talent to support 14 teams.

This. With bells on.

I can't believe how detatched I feel especially this year towards the SL general season. I still go to most of the games home and away, but only really look forward to Saints, Wigan, Leeds, Hull, and the Catalan away games, in addition to play offs and CC post the qtr final rounds and of course Wembley is super special. But that's a pretty sad indictment of how I view the competition considering I used to get excited pretty much all week leading up to a game, regardless of opposition. Now I sometimes even have to check the fixture list to remember who we play next.

It's also sad that it coincides with the most successfull era since I have supported the club. When we were e, I used to go to every game knowing we could either win or lose regardless of whether we were playing Widnes (sorry) or Wigan/St's and that we had a chance of scraping in to the playoffs for what would be one extra game to end what would have been considered a good season.

Now, it's more a surprise if we don't win, or don't win by x amount vs the rest of the league. Is this the price we pay for being semi successful, or just me growing old and boring?

We were clearly the best team last season and of that there can be no doubt or argument.
The play offs are just one off Cup games and as with all Cup comp's the best team does not always win.

The rest of your post is spot on and I agree with what you say, but you need to get over the fact that Wire are now better than Saints and will be for the foreseeable future and stop decrying our achievements though misplaced jealousy.

Oh and by the way now that your site has allowed RG back in has the Pie people relented and lifted your ban?

I don't think Saddened is being confrontational here FB. I think what he is saying is that by DEFINITION, the team that wins SL is the best team. He is saying that the cup is all that matters.

Wire clearly played the best rugby last year and beat everybody out of sight, even Rob Burrows said Wire were the best team when interviewed on the SL show early in the season. But because of the structure of the playoffs, we didn't win the cup. We are all ed off about that, but can't do anything about it.

I think your analysis is probably pretty close Saddened. I think the only way the current problems can be resolved, is if the RFL's push to get strong youth development going at all clubs gets results. There is plenty of amateur RL being played now, particularly in the South, so there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to get more quality players coming through.

Just as an aside. Saints have always had a very strong youth / academy set up. Why are you currently struggling to get quality youngsters through to the 1st team ?

WO I didnt take the Saddened's response as being confrontational
either and agreed with a lot of its content.

However, for accuracy, I didn't say we were the best team last season in my post, but, said something along the lines of to be fair a few of our opponents recognised the fact that we were. Perhaps my use of the word 'fact' set this semantic trail off?

I understand that just because I thought we were the best team last year, which I did, doesnt make it a fact.

I'm proud to admit that I am a Warrington supporter without fear of ridicule............. therefore I'm happy. Simple!

You are right, we will all blame you !

On a more serious note, I don't think there are any quick fixes for the current problems.

League system; Would result in massive scores as Saddened said. Plus low attendances for clubs that had no chance of winning league and no longer qualify for play offs.

Current play off system; results in better teams resting players and low intensity
matches.

Smaller league; Probably not acceptable to Sky as not enough matches.

Could the sky money not be divided by the clubs as much with big incentive prize money, the higher up the league the more money you make?

That is a clever idea. Some sort of money incentive could work and would help the club to buy better players or push more money into their youth development.

surely the higher up the league you finish is relative to the % prize money you get already??

Although I've not thought it through, does the culture of a win bonus exist anymore and could this be applied in some way? Everyone gets a basic cut to cover operating costs and there is some performance related element.

As far as enjoyment on a match by match basis goes, I enjoyed most games last season, particularly the second half, more so than the first half of this. However, the novelty of walloping teams would soon wear off (with some notable exceptions) and I would suggest that one sided games aren't good in the long term, or for the league as a whole.

Best regular game for me this year at home, Catalans. If I could watch that level most weeks I would be happy

Yes, best game for me too. Even if we had lost, it stood head and shoulders above most of the games we played. I have been thinking about going to the Cas match, and at the moment I am still dithering. I suspect there will be about 5 changes after listening to the TS interview and if we lose our play makers and field players that are not yet match fit, it could be a less than rewarding game.
What may swing it for me is the chance to watch the U20's beforehand.