You're probably right there TBH

Well to be fair I did defend Lam by saying that he would have done a lot better last season if he had Field and French available.

Agree that we have been fortunate with injuries the past few years, that can't be denied.

I've not said we have great squad depth, other Saints fans may have. I think we have better depth in the forwards when we can bring in the likes of Norman, Bell and Wingfield but we haven't got that same depth in the backs.

Not to have a back-up half back was poor planning.

Agree. I was amazed that we didn't bring someone in on loan when Dodd got injured and then Lomax got the arm injury (even though he has played with it)

When Amor left I was convinced that it was to create room for a half but it never materialised. There was lots of talk of Mellor from Leigh coming in. We are probably too top heavy in the forwards and light in the backs.

Its what Wigan got right SC wise with having TL, Field, French, Smith and Cust all able to play in the halves and thats even without the emergency cover that a Powell or O Neill could provide.

Its a funny old world.
From Wanes World to Entertainers and the entertainers are now the Grinders.

Your defence is exceptionally good and that may well prove sufficient tomorrow unless we can unleash French & Field.
I think the bookies have it about right (as they do on the majority of games) that there will be less than 4 points separating the teams. Hopefully, this will be in our favour but if if you guys sneak it by a point or two I wouldn't be surprised. It's how games between the two clubs should always be perceived before the kick off.

My big concern about tomorrow is that Wigan haven't played well in any game since the Hull one in mid July. Flashes here and there (half an hour in the 2nd half against Warrington for example) but generally its been average to poor. I'm sure they'll raise their game but they'll need to raise it a fair way.

We'd have had them two digging us out of a hole (Bevan in 2020) but we wouldn't have necessarily been better. We certainly wouldn't have been at current levels.

The whole team has improved. Let’s not forget that Bevan was absent earlier in the season.

Maybe not but take those two out of this years team and where would you be?

French- 27 tries, 16 assists
Field- 19 tries 20 assists

That's a hell of a lot of firepower to add to last seasons team and a hell of a lot to lose this season.

The same can be said about Lomax and Welsby at Saints.

20 assists for Field, not bad for someone who can’t pass

The point I was making was using those stats to show that if they had been added onto last seasons totals at Wigan, you would have been significantly better. Both didn't play.

They wouldn't have been in the positions to score half of those tries last season.

You make a valid point MD in fact I've said something similar to the lads I go to the match with.
Our passing seems to have lost a bit of the crispness that we had. I'm quite hopeful that we are just going through a tired spell and that come the playoffs and tomorrows game we will pick up the momentum and play a faster game.
I think Cooper has a critical role to play and i'm quietly confident that he will deliver.

Numbers missing for both sides:

Saints…3, 4, 5, 7 and 11

Wigan…3, 4, 7, 9 and 17