Exactly - it wasn't that people thought they would win it - just that they couldn't be written off in a three match play off series. Combine the experience of Saints with Warrington's history of screwing it up in the big games and it's no surprise it was close yesterday.

INOUT
I can't speak for anyone who said they would be easy beats. I certainly never said that. I have, however, consistently said they weren't our biggest threat when many people, yourself being one of them, were trotting out the "when they get their players back" line. Well, they got players back and still went out at the first hurdle. I simply don't get this deference for them based on what they've been in the past. All that matters when discussing their potential threat is what they are in the here and now and, in the here and now, they barely scraped into the 6 and were dumped out of the playoffs at the first attempt. Plucky losers is not, and was never going to be, our biggest threat as many were trying to suggest.

This is not to gloat, demean their past achievements or to suggest they won't be challenging at the top end of the table in the future. I am merely pointing out that one plucky loss doesn't, and shouldn't, change the narrative of where they stand at this present time. In fact I only mentioned it at all when you said that this one plucky loss somehow confirmed that you were right not to write them off. What it actually shows is they managed to raise their game for a one off performance that still wasn't good enough to progress any further than the first round!

Finishing 80 minutes from being 80 minutes from being 80 minutes from a trophy does not a biggest threat make.

No team can be written off in any game. That's a long way short of being "our biggest threat" as many people were saying in those exact words. The 3 remaining teams are a bigger threat than they were which is why they're in the semis.

In fairness to myself, I always put the stipulation on them being our biggest threat of them having all their players back fit and firing and they didn't have that. Hurrell out, Sironen out, Mybe out and others not looking fully fit. All excuses really but they were always going to need to get to a position of having all those guys and having built up some momentum in the last few weeks of the season. I said last week after Leigh that it looked unlikely that they could end up being that biggest threat to us but their performance level yesterday was well in advance of even where I thought they could get to pre game.

Maybe on my part it's a mental block with them, which refused to let me think they're done for (in the short term). We've had spells in the Superleague era of turning up for derbies knowing they're going to absolutely batter us and they have. We haven't had that, they pretty much always give us a hard game. When a side 'always' makes the play offs, even in their worst seasons, I think that just makes me extremely wary of them and I thought yesterday showed exactly why. Very few clubs could've played as they have this season and then turned up like that yesterday, regardless of the fact they got pipped by a Golden point drop goal.

I'm glad they're out anyway

Saints were never going to beat Wire Away, then Wigan Away then Hull KR in the final.

Bilko put a great comment on Twitter saying Saints had lost the last 11 out of 12 games against their Top Five opponents (and then only winning against Salford in golden point).

I'm convinced we'd have beaten them on Good Friday had we not been down to twelve men, despite their good start to the season.

Saints are the 6th best team this year and was proven by not getting past the first hurdle.
They wouldnt have beaten us in the semi I am sure of that if they had won that.
St Helens just arn't that good anymore,they will bounce back at some point but now they are not that good.

50 missed tackles Saints had on Saturday. Warrington had their worst performance of the season and still had enough to scrape through. I think they will upset KR on Friday I know they can't play any worse than Saturday

Intriguing game on Friday, Rovers have to be clear favourites with being at home in front of that vociferous crowd.

But you never know.

The 'mental block' is probably what I'm alluding to. I don't really get it but then I've probably been around long enough to know reputations count for very little in the here and now. One of the most successful teams in the Superleague era have, for the last decade, plied their trade in the 1st division, another has spent years trying to get past no longer having their 'Golden Generation' and a third has allowed the sentiment for their 4-peat champions cloud their succession planning. I've purposely included Saints among that group because I think that's where they currently belong. As I no longer fear Bradford (obviously ) or regard Leeds as genuine title contenders, so it is currently with Saints. Reputations are for the history books.

That's not to say all 3, including Bradford, won't have their say again. I'm sure they will. It was just never going to be this year for any of them.

One final point. Had Saints won I could have understood the "I was right not to write them off" stance. That would have made sense. But they lost. That, to me at least, doesn't.

Both scratch on sky bet any one of them can win.

Some really fair and honest points made.

It was heartbreaking for us on Saturday to lose in that manner but too many errors from experienced professionals costing us. It took Wellens 60 mins and 3 tries conceded down our right side to move Percival over. I saw a stat that said 6 out of our last 7 tries had come down that side and it was blatantly obvious that Matautia is not a centre and Warringtons left edge is their strength

Fans can see it, pundits can see it but seemingly Wellens couldn't until it was too late.

In some ways it would've been easier to have been hammered as most of us expected rather than to lose in GP. I would rather have lost on Saturday though than to have been beaten by Wigan. We wouldn't have beaten Wigan so much like a dog being put down whilst ill, we have been put out of our misery.

In some ways I am relieved that this awful season is over and I can get back to having my weekends not ruined. Unfortunately for my sins I am a Utd fan as well so my misery continues!

Saints have been absolutely outstanding this season in comparison to that rabble at Old Trafford. That was an absolute disgrace yesterday.