won us

Because as professional sportsmen you should aim to win everything. The question is why wouldn't you want a massive team performance against Cas? what better way to prepare for a final than going out with your first choice team and getting that confidence that comes when everything comes together?

Squad is pretty much full strength for us, only Ellis missing.

Opportunity this weekend to put some daylight between us and the pies. Saints are stringing a few wins together where Wigan a struggling a little.

Its not as if we are playing Wigan this weekend with a guaranteed 3 or 4 players injured for the following week. Lets get the best team on the park, try and get the two points and maybe at the end of the weekend we could be 3 points above third place. That then gives TS the option of resting a few for the trip to France.

It also gives the team more opportunity to start hitting our straps before Wembley.

It wasn't the RFL's fault you're playing on Saturday, I believe the club have arranged some sort of fun day?

Exactly. Nothing to do with the RFL, it's the clubs choice to play on the Saturday. Could've easily played on the Friday, so the 'why have Hull got longer to prepare for Wembley' argument isn't really a valid one.

Be different if you had 5 day turnaround, but you dont get many 7 day turnarounds in Super League anymore

To clarify my point Castleford are a team we, as a top 4 side, should aim to beat at the Magic weekend. We have beaten Cas comfortably at home (56-12) and away (26-42) this season. Cas sit 10 points and 4 places behind us in the league currently. We should have also beaten Huddersfield who finished the regular league flat bottom of the table. 4 lost points in my view.

Was it beyond your ability to make your point without resorting to insults?

so should we, fc, finished the rounds with one loss against wigan seeing as we are a top 4 team we should've beaten leeds twice, hudds, widnes and cas


bugger thats 10 points lost!

Something that may influence Saints next 3 games...Perceval injured & Walsh & Thompson up before he beak on grade C charges.

Smh let's risk a real chance at grand final success to win a trophy that only really requires a handful of good performances n we can call it a successful year!!


Yes Let's rest the starting 17 until Wembley not like anything else matters it actually makes more sense to just drop out of superleague altogether and just focus in winning the challenge cup as it's got to be the big one it's on the beeb!!

THE MOST IMPORTANT GAME IF THE SEASON IS ALWAYS THE NEXT GAME!!

It baffles me people want a "good. Day out" over league success, bonkers

Looking back at previous games before the final. Smith will not field a weakened side.


2012 game before final. Lost 62-18 against London (2 x 1st teamers missing)
2010 game before final. Won 36 -18 against Hull (1 x 1st teamer missing)
2009 game before final. Lost 28-40 against Wakefield (2 x 1st teamers missing)

I'm coming round to this view too. We have 3 x CC Final wins in very recent history, but the league has eluded us since 1954/55. The monkey on our back.

We should be looking to challenge on all fronts not looking to one or the other as our best bet..

We can still win all 3 bits of silver so that must be our goal. If a player needs a break then fine but to just rest a player for an upcoming game is wrong.

Why are Challenge Cup and Grand Final success being viewed as mutually exclusive?

2011: Knocked out in the quarter-finals of the cup, won League Leaders, no Grand Final
2012: Won cup, lost Grand Final to Leeds who also made it to Wembley.
2013: No cup final, lost Grand Final to Wigan who had won at Wembley.
2014: No cup final, no Grand Final.
2015: No cup final, no Grand Final. Leeds win both.

There doesn't appear to be much evidence that success in one of the competitions has a negative effect on the other.