i have to say i attended the match sober (work straight after) and wished i hadn't!

We had our chance and let them off the hook, we'll get chances again and we have to be more clinical. It's as simple as that.

On 30 mins, we had them, we we're dominant, they didn't look like scoring, then two things happened, a charge down didn't pay off (by a fraction) and a wayward St Helens kick gets a flat bounce and we get caught in goal from a 55 meter kick. Game changers that we had no control over. From there, Saints took their chances that we offered up with our poor timing. That's what it is with most of our errors, timing. And we will get that with a rotation policy. Ball's behind/infront of people, running the wrong line and the pass not going to the target. But sticking with the same backline (potentially, pending Hodgson's fitness) will help to eradicate that and passes will find the mark.

I think we need one of the Ben's back, McCarthy as eager and enthusiastic he is just doesn't deliver the same meters as those two, neither does Simon Grix. But the key for me is simply timing our plays. We could have, and maybe should have, seen that game over as a contest in the first 30 mins. Grix should score, Hodgson 2 on 1 and grubbers off the outside of his foot to Riley, the Monaghan scoot when he drops it and the charge down opportunity. On a different day it could have been 12, 18, 24 or anything by 30 minutes, but we just didn't take the chances.

You can tell what you've been doing when "working" from home this morning!

with a 54% completion rate and an error count of 16 we would of struggled to beat a championship team nevermind a superleague side

I don't think I heard Thaler ask for checking in touch? at the time i was screaming at my in-laws TV because we'd scored and I've not had a chance to watch it back as the In-laws are still smarting and won't sit down to watch it with me.

saying that, you had your chances but wayward passing let the chances slip - Saints cashed in and took the initiative

the thing that would annoy me if I were a Wires fan (God forbid !!!) was the attitude of Tony Smith - he seemed to be smiling or smirking as though it was a bit of a joke, there didn't seem to be any great motivating going on - it all appeared to be a bit of fun to him whereas many coaches would have been quite animated with some of the things that were going on !

did anyone else get the same feeling ?

I think that's what the stats mean - we made mistakes instead of making the most of those chances. The sad thing is that we've been playing with stats like those for large parts of the season and still finished 2nd...

As for Smith's attitude, I noticed it but felt the opposite way - I thought he was very professional in not getting angry and upset about it. He watched the mistakes, had a bit of a laugh (same old Wire), stayed calm and tried to sensibly sort them out. Effing and blinding might look more passionate, but then you struggle to keep a level head and make the right decisions for your team, and also other team's fans poke fun at you for it.

yeah, see what you're getting at - he is a top coach as his record suggests but I suppose lacking players of the quality of the two Bens didn't help though I thought Puletua and the others did well to keep possible MOS Hill and Morley & co at bay - Westwood has been awesome this season maybe as influential in his position for your lot as Burrow is for Leeds in his position

It was actually the closest of the three contests between Saints and Wire this season despite the final score. Up until about 65 minutes it was very much in the balance with neither side any better than the other

The earlier game at the HJ was much more comfortable for Saints. The game at LP was as one-sided as you'll get, if it hadn't been on Sky then Wire would have won by about 40

I still wouldn't put Saints as favorites to qualify even with home advantage. We've only really played well against Leeds at LP this season

I definitely think Wigan will be in the final though

fancy W***n v Leeds myself with Burrow the key man - Catalans had no answer to him last game but dominated the game in Perpignan when he wasn't playing and so not able to weave through the fragile Catalan defensive line

Blimey, it's Planet Of The Apes man

Damned dirty apes!