Quote: Phuzzy "I know injuries can still play a part for all teams but Saints are never going to be "fully fit". I've said this repeatedly and I've seen nothing to change my mind.
Let's be honest here; they are reliant on Walmsley as the one player who could change things around for them. He isn't due back until August and takes quite a while following a long lay off to get back up to speed. By then it might even be too late for them.
It's worth remembering that, should we win the next 2 games*, we'll be 4 points ahead of the pack with a game in hand. That allows us more leeway to rest and rotate so the likelihood is we'll be going into the business end in better shape than a Saints team needing their best players to be flogged.
*I know there's an "if" there.'"
It is unlikely they'll be fully fit, as in having every single player available and at 100% for the play offs but that probably goes for everyone. If they can get a fully fit spine out, along with Walmsley, Paasi, Knowles etc come the play offs, they'll be massively dangerous. Those games are just different to the week to week stuff and no other side has that experience like they do. Most play off games and grand finals are a war of attrition and a total grind and that's pretty much how Saints play every single week.
Just out of interest, if Saints aren't our biggest threat (presuming you don't think they are), who do you think are? There is no way we do to Saints what we did to HKR in the Cup and Play off semis and they wouldn't make things as easy as Wire did in the cup final. I can't see that this seasons Catalans would offer a bigger threat either, so that leaves Salford. They actually could shake things up if they were brave enough to keep play the expansive/off the cuff rugby they do in the weekly rounds but again, it's just so different in plays offs and especially Grand Finals.