Quote: Phuzzy "Fair comment, it's all down to different opinions in the end and I can't say I disagree with much you say to be fair. It's more the interpretation of the same data, so to speak. Far worse can be equally seen as far better. It all depends if you're a glass half full or half empty type of person.
You say we've played more poor games than good and, again, I'd agree. However all the stinkers were at the beginning of the season and, as we now sit in 2nd with our destiny in our own hands, those are largely irrelevant. Had we missed out because of them, that would have been a different story, but now all that matters is recent form and I would argue that is a different matter.
The last 11 games have brought only 1 loss. Those performances have ranged from average to good overall with pockets of excellence. Is that good enough to win the GF? Well, it's significantly better than Wire's and Saints performances have, as last season, been tailing off at the back end of the season. The loss at London, the struggle against a championship team in the semi final and a resounding bottle job in the final among them. Last Friday they were again worse than anything we've served up in months! So in answer to that question I would say "it shouldn't be but, in reality, it probably is". We would only need to see a Catalans at home or Hull KR on Easter Monday, an 80 minutes like the first half away at Castleford or, in truth, a dogged defensive display like we saw from Warrington at Wembley for it to happen.
I'm certainly not saying we're the finished article but, perhaps where we differ, is I've seen enough improvement in the team to believe we may well do much the same as last year. Don't forget everyone, yourself included, was saying we weren't good enough last year and it was only come the playoffs that we became the 'champion team' that you say Lam inherited.'"
We might do as well as last season, you're right. We might go undefeated in the playoffs and win the GF, if so I'd gladly change my scoring; of course. But at this stage I'm reviewing the season so far, not the hypotheticals of what might happen; which is impossible to do.
Re last year. At one stage I would have given the 'season so far review' a poorer result, obviously, we weren't looking like a winning side, but things changed and we finished on a stormer, so of course I'd change my thoughts and scoring considering the new information considering how well we performed at the end of last season, that's when we became a champion side, which is the simple facts of the matter, as we won the championship.
I am however excited to see what this season brings, I still have faith that we can improve, put together 80 min performances and, fingers crossed be back to back champs come October; which after the start we had; would be pretty fantastic.