After 40+ years of watching the Wire, I never think that it's going to be our year





Edit: not only is the glass half empty for me, it's also dirty!

Well first off, I thought it was a great game. High intensity, punishing defence and played at punishing pace in sweltering conditions.

There really wasn't much in it and in a tight game a sin binning was always gling to be stamina sappingly crucial. And don't even get.me started on the forward pass.

[iHowever[/i, our half backs fluffed their lines. aeven when we were on top our last tackle plays were woeful.

I'm not going to turn this into Patton bashing because Austin was equally culpable, and frankly he's running low on brownie points.

There were plenty stories that Austin starts well enough but then turns in poor displays...frustrated coaches drop him.
He's not been the same since he was welcomed to SL by Hull.

It's a what if for me...one injury from getting Ratchford back into the halves...best creative half on our team...Austin can step off either foot...that's about it...lomax embarrassed Austin tonight.

Things I learnt tonight

1. Saints can only beat us if we play with 12
2. Saints need the officials to help them onto the scoreboard against us
3. Forward passes are allowed if they're by Saints
4. Wire promotion of games is top notch
5. Saints fans still celebrate a regular season win against us as if it's a semi or a final
6. We are some way off where we need to be... which is 80 mins better than last year
7. Widdop is a great signing
8. Saints fans singing 'Austin's going home' is the lamest thing I've heard grown men chant in a stadium.
9. Thaler is a disgrace

To be fair you had a good go but tired badly after half time and from that point onwards Thompson and Walmsley tore you a new one. Two world class players, don’t think anyone will be arguing Philbin is better now. I told you all Austin was a flat track bully ages ago and I was right, completely anonymous and just as bad as Patton tonight, who everyone knows is Championship standard. The missed forward pass was a bad call from the touch judge but so was the missed crusher from Hill and you got what you deserved for playing so negatively. Good game though.

Have to say, I had great fun reading that post and do you not recall your fans singing Barba’s going home? Anyway, I hope Austin doesn’t go home, goes missing in the big games.

Twice this season we’ve had Saints in completely even games and we’ve got a sin binning which changed the game.

But worst of all for me tonight was that we kept messing up sets when we had them on the ropes. We had their line all over the shop and created gaps yet we’d try a stupid pass or a needless kick early on the set. Game management or lack of composure cost us.

Saints were just calmer and more composed.

Every man and his dog knew Barba was going home though. He didn’t give a about Saints the club, St Helens the town, or Super League.

And how does anyone know if Austin goes missing in big games? The big games don’t come round until later in the season.

Nobody argued Philbin was better you WUM, just not 1/10th of the player.

Only managed to read No. 1, then realised you know nothing about rugby!

Thats a long list of disappointing perspectives.

It was a great game which Warrington were on top for 60 mins of the 80, going for 3 penalty kicks eased the pressure off us for a few short spells. I should imagine it was a very intensive absorbing game for the neutrals. For me we saved Walmsley and Thompson for the last quarter and the Wire pack looked a bit gassed from then on.

For the amount of ball you had in the first half I don't think your half backs created enough and Blake Austin really struggled in the last quarter with a gassed pack of forwards. I think you also missed Ratchford style of play for this type of close game.

Well this season we are yet to see if you can beat us with XIII v XIII for 80. In both games it’s been utterly even in quality and play until we’ve had a sin binning.

Indeed.

Add Ratchford and Roby to a game of that intensity later in the season and the games are going to be immense.

Just hope we can cut out the brain farts.

Same old to be honest we have a really good go then get pipped at the end, pretty much the same script all the time. Never thought i'd say but christ i hope we can get Kevin Brown back playing to replace Patton.

The forward pass ruined the best game for ages, without it you may win on golden point and maybe that's fair but for 60 minutes that was amazing them thaler turned it in to a farce.