Barring Leeds’s treble-winning side in 2015, the last decade of grand finals has shown that the side not finishing top (and often looking mediocre and downright rubbish at times) grinds out a GF victory. Take Wigan in 2016 for example, or Leeds in 2017. Plenty of rubbish performances throughout the season where fans were calling for the coach’s head. Then they somehow turn it on for the final. Of course, I’m not suggesting Warrington will do that, but looking second best all season has worked for most champion teams in recent history.

I do however agree that Saints are the most consistently good team, just as they were last season.

I think we're very poorly led on the field. It can lead to often to losing our heads and poor discipline.

Instead of grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck, Hill will more likely be seen moaning to the ref. After all the final losses, we should have made a clear change, not a halfway house with a co-captain.

I don't buy this 'standard dropped across the board' stuff.

There's always been 2 or 3 teams fighting out. The difference is its not Wigan or leeds this time...it's Wire and Saints.
Just because Wigan are shat...it doesn't hold up that suddenly all the league is shat...when it's just the status quo.

The problem this year with SL is it’s missing the class that is Widnes!
Seriously though RD you are absolutely spot on!

That’s the great enigma about the Wires, it doesn’t matter whether we actually are the best team in the league, or whether we just think we are, the outcome is always the same, losers.

It’s in our DNA

Let's just see how saints handle the pressure seeing as everyone has carved their name on the trophy this year already. They might be the best side this season but me, they are hardly the 1982 Australian touring side people make them out to be!!

Without Clark and Ratchford the opposition can concentrate on Austin. Then factor in our indiscipline which has been an increasing worry and most teams have a sniff against us. If we could sort out the penalties we would be a much better team.

PS I am also going to stop listening to matches on Wire FM, every time I do we lose.

As it stands we have an opportunity to win the Challenge Cup and the Grand Final of Superleague.

It's only a case of being good enough on the day of the Cup semi and then final, and each play off match to the GF (assuming we get in the top 5). We don't even need to good and could be bang average, or even crap for all I care, as long as were better than our opponents on the scoreboard after 80 minutes, in the games that matter.

I think we are a good second, but as the weekend match showed we have an achilles heel and an occasional attitude problem.
The match against Catalan showed that we do have a reasonable defence and a coach that can get tactics right on big matches, but then the players seem to switch off on so called 'easier matches ( including last year's c.c. final where we were shocking).
Saints are head and shoulders above everyone else. The gap is huge. End of.
Having said that there are a few clubs who can challenge them - we're one of them, but it depends which Wire turn up.
Hull are another, but they yoyo from brilliant to absolute cr@p.

If teams keep Austin and Clark quiet and limit our go forward then we struggle.
I think Saints have far many strings to their bow.

I think our best...is better than Saints again this year as it was last...regardless if how many points up the league they are, or runaway scores they have.

Sorry RD but this is nonsense. We embarrassed ourselves against Saints earlier this year and I worry about next Friday. We really blow hot and cold far too much, I don’t care if we’re second, we don’t seem to know how to build consistency and momentum, I think Fez in the post above yours has summed us up. Shut down Austin and Clark and we fall to bits. In that respect we are easy to play against. Perhaps the possible cup final against our sister-loving rivals will bring the fight out of us but I really don’t see anyone matching them this year, when it counts. I worry they’ve learned from previous failures, whereas we have been to the well many times now (12, 13, 16, 18) and still don’t know how to win the one that counts. I suppose time will tell but I don’t buy into this nonsense that we will miraculously turn it on when it counts. We wait and see.