Write Saints off at your peril. That said, next season could finally see Leeds and Saints come back into the pack so to speak.

Stains fall won't be huge (if and when it happens), but they have definitely 'declined' from their devastating best of 2/3 years ago. I think that Wire will be a massive threat next season, sadly.

And then the RFL will be happy - not that other teams have caught them up but they have come back to the pack. Maybe explains the lack of sell outs at all the big games this season.

What I find interesting is some Saints fans belief that decline can't happen to them! They only need take a look at ourselves for an example of how an all-conquering team has a finite lifespan. For a more recent and alarming fall from grace take a look at the Bulls. Just a few short years have seen them go from near unbeatable to not even making the playoffs. There are even parallels with regards to the rumoured finances of both clubs. Of course that could never happen to Saints.....could it?

Saints will be up there again next year, no doubt about that in my mind.

They'll be in one of the final eliminators at the very least.