Although I don't want to predict how well brown will do at saints (I was focusing on poor saints are for the last 3 or 4 years or so) smith went from a team that was 1st and regularly beating yourselves to a team that was well out of even the play off positions in ONE season- cc win and a playoff position. Brown will go from a team that is falling down the table (and has done for the last few seasons at hudds) to 'the almighty' saints. Hardly the same. Brown is as far away from smith in coaching terms as I am away from brad pitt in sexiness terms. Soz.

Speaking of extent of delusions, how long has it been since saints won a trophy?

Furthermore, is that how far it has come? Saints can only crow about very specific defeats of warrington. I'll tell you know, I'd sign a deal right now that warrington will lose away to saints for another 20 years if it meant that saints would remain trophiless, while wire win something every year.

As I said, I know where I"d rather be and it isn't in a red v.

80% of this thread is utter tripe, and I'd include a few of Saints views in that.



What are you even talking about here?

I haven't really seen many Saints fans say that 'Friday's game was top class' and that 'Saints are close to the Saints of old', so your post is rather pointless really.



Surely if you are including Leeds in your little grouping then you should include Saints? Before the CC semi game who actually would have put Leeds in that category? One game proves nothing...(or maybe it does in Leeds' case!)



What from any of your games makes you believe that you are supreme to us?

Was it when you were absolutely battered by Catalan in France? Was it getting beaten by Saints? Was it getting beaten by Salford? Oh sorry, you were 'having a bad day' I suppose....

Anyone can pick out odd games - you aren't going to win every match - the fact is that Saints have won the last 11 of 14 SL games (two against Wigan who are the stand-out team and a draw against Hull which is something that you could only manage too...), so I don't buy the fact that you are so far ahead of us at the moment.

Warrington and leeds are in a final. A saints fan said that wigan were the best team, I agreed, so I included them in the GF hunt final.



If we were to put a hypothetical number to how far warrington are ahead (and let's). I'd put forward the number... 3.

If you think warrington's loss to saints this year (which is the only thing a saints fan, like yourself, can have over warrington) was the best warrington have played, you're wrong. Sorry.

In a final that has nothing to do with the league?



Why so?



What are you talking about? What I said has nothing to do with whether you were at your best on a particular day, but that comment just agrees with what I said: 'anyone can pick out odd games - you aren't going to win every match'.

Why can you make such a statement for when you lose, yet you can point to the fact that we almost lost to Widnes (*insert excuse*) or when we lost to Bradford under a coach that was sacked?

Do you still think Saints would be in a good position if you had Roby out for most of the season? This is an honest question, as I don't see enough of your games to comment on whether you'd be able to fill the void.

You have a strange idea of a “rout” when a team wins by a mere 11, and a great deal of assistance attributed to diabolical officiating, regardless, the best team (on the day) won. I would think your word “rout” could more correctly be attributed to Pies win at Leeds in June 8-50 but then I am just a bias Pie, and the battering the Wire gave us in March 20-22, well that no doubt in your mind was also a “rout”. How would you describe the performance on Sunday at Cas? a job well done, a walk in the park, a mere blip,just enough, what? Maybe we should ask TS the um, ah man who makes SW look like a great orator! Hombre open your other eye! Wire are a good side, not as good as last season, but a good side, but like some of you like telling everyone else, “YOU’VE WON NOWT YET!”

Rock 'n' Roll.

I would direct your question to St Pete regarding the 'top class' comment. I am still awaiting a response.

I added the Saints of old, myself on the premise that we are looking over our shoulder, fearfully.

I'm very concerned about the Saints away and Wigan home back to back. We can afford to lose one of them because in truth I don't think first is our target, second is, but we really can't afford to lose both.

I still dread every game against Saints despite last year's double, and as said above we haven't actually beaten them in St Helens in a long long time. To win the first match between us at Langtree Park would be brilliant though, as it would immediately stop it becoming the haunted house that Knowsley Road was for us in the last 15 or so years of it's existence and it would also be a major boost to our top two chances as it would give us a bit of leeway.

Obviously if we could then beat Wigan as well it would be a perfect six days and keep us in the hunt for top which would be very nice!

You have to be pragmatic though. The proximity of the CC will have bearing on these games, despite all the noises that will imply otherwise. This is when squad rotation will come to the fore.

I don't have a problem with squad rotation, but Saints away is not the place to utilise it. I'll accept it a bit more against Wigan IF we have won at Saints first.

There's no more margin for error though, so if we lose even one of those two games we can't afford London to be another Salford because there's a big difference between what second gets you and what third gets you. Home advantage really does count in my opinion - we do not want Saints away in the play offs and we REALLY don't want Catalans away!

Top two is crucial.

I think squad rotation should be reined in now, with the last half-dozen games of the season left, if we want to gather momentum for the playoffs and also make a move on the top spot (which I would love to get in addition to everything else ). The impression I'm getting from the radio broadcasts and the Sky games is that people aren't working well enough together in defence - everyone is trying hard, but comunication is failing and holes are appearing where they shouldn't be, which I think is due to the constant rotation. It seems to have done us okay so far, but if we carry on I think we risk losing out again this season.

A big few weeks coming up.

I can see Saints winning the games either side of the Wire match (Hudds and Wakey), and I can see a league focussed Wigan beating a cup fatigued Wire in three weeks time.

In which case, 2nd place appears to be riding on the Saints/Wire game in a fortnight . . . . but only for a short period of time as I can't see Saints winning at Wigan in the last game of the season, so we would need to beat Wire and hope you lose another game too. Looking at your fixture list, that looks very unlikely.

I think Saints will finish 3rd at best, and there is a big chance we'll be 4th as Catalans have an easier run-in (no Wire or Wigan to face).