I agree up until the penultimate sentence. I'm actually looking forward to this as much if not more than the previous few years and I think the controversies of the week have actually got more neutrals talking too.

I think the atmosphere tomorrow will be unreal and it'll be very much Saints v the rest which is fair given what's gone on

You would have to hope that Knowles has a pretty anonymous game otherwise the talk will all be around him.

Bound to be Harry Sunderland winner now

Look on the bright side NK. If we lose we can't blame injuries

Strongest side we will have had out in months.

No that wouldn't be OK because not intending to knock someone out with your shoulder doesn't mean you don't get banned for doing it. The real comparison would be Knowles did actually break the guys arm with force by moving it much further than he did but said he didn't mean it. They'd both still be banned for doing something with an unacceptable risk of causing injury whether they meant it or not. If they meant it the ban would be longer.

I expected Knowles to get a ban given where the disciplinary are at this year and nobobdy would really have complained. It was just so stupid and didn't look great. But it wasn't some heinous action - he grabs a wrist in a tackle to slow a PTB and does it in a way that wasn't clever. He got penalised and a yellow card for it. I think the Salford player play acted (not the first or last in that game, see trying to get Roby in trouble for a non-existent crusher) which made it look worse.

My view is take out the nonsensical Salford player reaction and take it on its merits - as someone else said maybe reposition it as a Toulouse player in a nothing game - people would just say yeah that was daft he deserved a yellow. Maybe 1 match ban. I think the profile of the player and following game is the difference here - there are people desperate to see a player banned for a pretty minor wrist grab professional foul even though most people are also saying he didn't mean to hurt the player (and probably didn't despite the play acting).

So he's trying to slow a PTB (a professional foul) not trying to hurt a player, doesn't move his arm into a dangerous position, it's acknowledged there is no unacceptable risk of injury. But he should be banned for two matches on top of a yellow card?

I struggle with it.

Anyway it's done now, bring on the match.

Double post

He literally grew up a Wigan fan

Saints would have to win this year's GF, and then the next 3, plus every Challenge Cup in the next 5 years to get anywhere close.

They aren't the best Saints side in history. Wesley won't know about that though!
It's a Grand Final week one liner, nothing more!

I agree, he is. He does it via foul play though.

We all know RL started with the advent of SL

Maybe not but a 1 match ban would be justified. However, the RFL are the RFL and here we are

The record books speak for themselves Stu. That is why Wigan are the greatest club of all time, not hard to figure.