The improvement in defence has coincided with the introduction of Bateman. I don't know if it's causal but he does a lot of tackling.

I noticed that after our Wembley loss, there is a different style of play since then that we have adopted.

We are definitely more focused on defence now than we were before.

Maybe Burgess thinks this will give us a better chance of winning at Old Trafford?

I saw a TV interview where he quoted that the teams with the best league defensive records had been successful in winning the GF in the majority of times.

Relishing the chance for a change. Usually i would be like yes lets avoid this team but nope this year im more confident.

However be a tough ask to be saints well anybody really 4 times in a season!.Then onto Hull KR if we get through.

The if we beat Hull and then Wigan no one can say we had easy games and will definately be the worthy winners.

Saints are so difficult to read, we all suspect that there is an excellent team in there waiting to click into gear, but it just doesn’t seem likely based on what we’ve seen over months, not just weeks. Granted they have had players out, but they were almost at full strength last night, and weren’t a million miles off against us really, balancing Dufty & Vaughan missing on our side.

I’d argue that if you had no knowledge of history or context, looking only at the form and evidence you’d prefer to play Saints over any of the remaining 6.

I hope it's a tough grind out win for us. We need Saints to be on form, but just not quite as good as us. This is the best preparation for the following week.

As things are, rather play Saints than Leigh. Hope that doesn't come back and bite me on the bum.

We were never going to play Leigh. If they had lost on Friday they would have been overtaken by Catalans yesterday and finished seventh.

I wanted Catalans. It's Saints now though so hopefully the players are a bit mentally tougher than I am!

look, you have beaten us 3 times already this season and I don't see that changing on Saturday. We are so poor with Wellens in charge it will be a relief when the season is over. If by some miracle we do win we would have to go to Wigan and that would be a massacre.

I stand corrected, but my sentiment still stands though.

Leigh, Salford, Tidworth Sheds Locomotive East Divisions' 2nd XI, or whoever, as things stand I'd rather play Saints. When I posted I had no knowledge of the Catalans result, as I couldn't be arrised to find out what it was.

Whoa Tidworth Sheds 2nd XIII would muller us glad we avoided them.

2nd XI Karetaker, I was referring to the cricket team.

That’s worse we would be lucky to get nil.

I’m glad you worked that out.
I was thinking of looking in to that.

Wire to win by 24. If Stains get away with what they did at Leigh, then wire to win by 14.

Ironic, isn't it a flip of last year's playoff game? 3rd v 6th?