graham & wellens

Quote: Wirefan "1% fit 100% fit 10% fit what does it matter any more? We'll still all be back here at 10pm whinging about yet another loss.
You've got a great chance this time IMO:

1 - The Keiron Cunningham factor - He would simply not let you beat us. It could have been him and the academy and he'd have sneaked over to win it in the 83rd minute. He's no longer playing.

2 - It is not at Knowsley Road - Anyone who has played sport will know there are fields/stadiums/pitches you just don't feel comfortable in and don't look forward to playing on. The 'fortress' is in the process of being knocked down and the game is at Widnes. I don't know how many neutral games there have been during the 'run' but I'd guess at not many.

3 - The burden of expectation isn't there - This time there won't be 8,000 Warrington fans marching to the game insisting they will win comfortably. The players and staff are also not crowing as much as they usually are. In a typical Saints v Wire game during the 'run' we've had injuries and you have been bang on form. Particularly recently you've gone into games wondering if it's even possible that you could lose. The players also feel this as well and it hasn't helped them IMO. This again is not a factor this time. The defeat to Huddersfield and the few injuries were a reality check for a few at Warrington no doubt (Particularly the younger players who haven't got the experience).

4 - Leon Pryce isn't playing - With King Leon playing even I would throw the kitchen sink in with the swimming pool, the bike and the car in a bet that we would win. Without him Saints have the ability to look very lost and confused, like in the Grand Final last season. Paul Wellens is another who may miss the game. He's probably not a player you would worry about before a game, but he's still 110% reliable at the back and Briers would look forward to testing Foster or Lomax with kicks than Wellens who fails to deal with a kick about once a decade.

Another possible game-changing thing is the Kyle Eastmond situation. If he has made his decision and chosen Union, it is bound to affect things at Saints. It looks very unlikely but if he announced he was staying it would make the atmosphere electric. If on the other hand he announced he was joining Bath, the crowd at Saints would no doubt be really hard on him about it.