It's going to be a difficult start to the season but we will be in the playoffs at the end of the season and we will still be a potential threat on our day.

What has changed is we are probably not going to be front runners this time like we have been for the past four seasons so there will be some adjustment of expectations which is why the first few months of the season will be hard to accept for us, especially as on this forum we will have some gleeful delight from fans of other clubs that have been under the cosh from us in recent years, loving their chance to poke some fun at the the mighty Wire.

The reality of the situation is we lost four players that were central to our success of recent years and didn't replace them. On top of that several senior players last year appeared to be going backwards and those might be our biggest problem. For the first time since about 2002, we started a season considerably weaker than the season before.

Now of course in the off season you get optimism bias because when someone leaves you can always name a player from the Academy that will play the same position and you can assume they will "step up" but in the real world guys like Briers, Morley, Hodgson and Carvell were legends because they were rare players proven against the best and you don't just replace them easily. In over a decade we've not produced one player in their calibre. We haven't replaced them and we are weaker, so we have less chance of being in major finals this year.

But we still have a top coach, we still have some players that other clubs look on with envy and we will still be too much on the field for most teams this season. We have got a great infrastructure and over the long run we are likely to be competitive in a way we weren't through the 1990s and 2000s. Its just gonna be a tough few weeks when the penny starts dropping for all those that were deluding themselves through the off season.

Wire need to start using dummy runners in attack, they moved the ball ok but there was nobody to make the defenders make a decision which meant they could get 2/3 men into the tackle every time

A good post, and I broadly agree with most of the comment ........ but just out of curiosity, name one, certainly one that the top six clubs would look on with envy or find a starting 13 place for.

Because now I come to think of it, I can't.

From a saints POV, I'd love Joel M, Ratchford and Grix

Ratchford
Hill
Westwood
J Monaghan
Myler
Higham

I wouldn't read too much into one game. It's a long season.

You look like saints last year

Plenty quality and no direction . You'll win plenty games against average opposition but when quality, organised opposition turn up you'll be buggered

In no particular order: Ratchford, Westwood, Hill....even Higham still.

An earlier comment suggested that the club hadn't produced any noticeable talent in over ten years; is that so? And if it is, surely that's a worry....although with the concentration of (supposedly) bigger clubs in the vicinity, perhaps talented youngsters are being signed by what may appear to mums and dads as better propects. Maybe the last few years challenging for stuff will add appeal.....?

I just don't get Ryan Atkins. Absolutely fantastic physique for rugby league, shows every now and again his quite strong and got decent hands. All the attributes to be a top centre, yet for me he is absolutely rubbish! Scores a few tries against poor opposition but once the big teams turn up he hides imo.

I'll guarantee (barring injuries) that Percival has a better season for Saints.

Forget all them Ben Currie is the player i'd take at Saints any day of the week and i know Saints tried to sign him which is why Warrington offered him a big contract for one so young. Poor game tonight but this lad will be Englands best forward soon imo.

I can see us Widnes doing the double over u again this year We have got a little stronger while u have got a little weaker and well we all know what happened last year .only time will tell. Have the wheels fell of at warrington

This. Can't remember the last time we started a season at full pelt (I actually remember seeing a quote in the last week or so from someone, possibly TS, admitting we wouldn't be starting at our best) and we've got plenty of time to get it right. Some of the reactions on here are well over the top.

Saddened makes a good point, hearing that bench announced was what hit me. 12 months ago we had seasone internationals coming off the bench and making an impact, that wasn't the case last night and it really told with the way Saints completely controlled the ruck and made us play the entire 80 minutes at their pace. Things like attacking football can be relatively easy worried but I think the lack of power up front will cause us headaches all season.

Another disappointment for me was the way that nobody really stood up to lead from the front. Waterhouse ran his blood to water in the first half but that's probably it. The heads went down way too early and there was nobody attempting to get them back up which should not be happening in round one.

In a nutshell, simply not good enough. I get that it's a long season etc but for me you should never accept a performance like that against local rivals. Leeds will be one heck of a challenge but if we can address the above I think it will do wonders RL go there and earn a bit of respect.

Never dull!

it is an indication of the performance level that Waterhouse was our best player. That never happens!