There is a difference between identifying plays and having the players actually stop them. Did it ever cross your mind that those plays are just well executed? They don't just do it to us you know, they are good at it. If players started charging out of the line to stop it then they would just simply pass it round and go through the hole.

That had not occurred to us, Dude.

Thank you for summing up this seemingly complex subject so concisely.

Well now all this new information has come to light, I hope your satisfied.

I dont think there are a big three any more.

This is the most competitive super league i have ever seen, Saints and Leeds have lost some very "easy" games, we have won our "easier" games but foooked it against the "big 3".

We boomed harlequins, they beat wigan. Catalans beat us and saints, then crusaders stuffed them.

A couple of years back, if someone had said "within three years, you can be second in the table, semi of the challenge cup and current challenge cup holders BUT you will be beaten twice by saints, would you take it?" Damn Right I Would.


If someone said to me now "you wont beat saints for the next three years, but you will win the cup and league, would you take it?"

Yes sir i would.

Roll on Catalans on Sunday

Good god people!!

I really hope they beat Leeds this weekend and we beat them in the final to silence all you doubters!!

Like ive said in a previous post, until the playoffs come round we are not playing knockout rugby! So as long as we give ourselves a decent league position to go into the playoffs and keep our players healthy, who cares at the mo?? When the pressure is really on, and i mean in the CC final (if we face stains) or in the playoffs if we face them also, and we still lose to them.....then you lot can criticise. Until that comes round, as deflating as it is, the loss to Stains really isn't a major problem.

Have faith in the boys, they will do us proud!

All that's fair enough but I would just prefer not to have to find a way to beat St Helens for the first time in years in front of 70,000 people. I'd have liked us to have the confidence that we have already done it.

The loss to Stains isn't a major problem!!!!

Since we moved in to the HJ, we must have played Stains nearly 20 times, and we've yet to beat them. I'd call that a problem. Or would you care to sweep all those games under the carpet.

When your're at home WWRLFC78, do you hide your bills in a drawer, hoping they'll go away?

I've been keeping "having faith in the boys" since the last kicking we took off Stains in 2004. Unfortunately, the boys have yet to deliver.

...and again, I'm not a doubter....just a realist.

I like this thread. It's an updated version of the Cullenistas vs the Pessimistas!

And it will turn out to show the "pessimistas" correct, yet again.

You know I think the pessimistas are due a public apology from the Cullenistas.

You'll be waiting a long time, Judas.

But back on the thread, it's a really interesting one. We have had several coaches and several squads of players and many of those who played on Saturday won the first Challenge Cup since 1974, but still the losses come against St Helens. It took us until 2006 to beat Wigan away in Super League and then we did it two years running and then again this year. Of course, the laws of probability don't apply, but the improvement in our performance does and I'll let that dictate our chances against St Helens, not the view that our players bottled it, or they couldn't see St Helens' tactics, or we are just not good enough.

Typical, slag off those who wanted PC out, then join in with the success that came about from his departure with a proper coach installed. I'm glad you missed the final now as you would not have enjoyed it. It would have rung hollow.

I was delighted as I assume Cullen was.

A little late on the topic but I've been away all week through work and only had chance today to rewatch the match.

I thought Thierry Alibert had miscounted a tackle count on the night but had forgotten all about it.
When I watch a recording I still find myself counting the tackles and the same thing happened today.
I even rewound to the start of the set just to make sure. It's definitely not from a zero tackle as Saints had been awarded a penalty and there's not even a whiff of the tackle count being wiped clear during the set.

It's the set immediately prior to Saints scoring directly from a scrum down the blind side - at approximately 29:30 in the first half.

The Warrington defenders clearly had trouble counting two Saints attackers so I don't suppose you can be too upset at Alibert miscounting to six in a language other than his own.

Apologies if the error has already been mentioned elsewhere on the board.
Oh, and I'm not suggesting it was the difference between winning and losing.