Pride, that’s what I feel tonight. The side has come a long way in 12 months. I want to credit both sides tonight, they were immense and went to places I’ve not seen rugby players have to go to before. One or two things could’ve dropped the other way for us tonight but that’s rugby and that’s life and you can’t win them all. It’s been a tough period for everyone this last 8 months but tonight I felt alive watching that.

Well done to St Helens. I think we’d have beat any team in superleague by 20+ points tonight playing at that intensity but they, like us, refused to break. It feels like the first of a number of upcoming battles tonight between the two clubs.

Sat on the sideline is a marquee signing who if it was anyone else would’ve tipped that war in the middle in our favour. It’s been disappointing at times this last 6 months but to have the uncompromising my aggression back leaves me with a lot of hope for the future. It’s going to be difficult with an arthritic Burgess sucking the salary cap dry though.

It's ok to blame Hardaker for taking on a match winning penalty but shouldn't we also be looking at the Smithies tackle on half time? Had he just wrapped his arms around then there would have been no penalty!!

It’s not a night for talk of George Burgess IMO. Until you mentioned his name I forgot he existed. They had a half crippled Walmsley trying to play, so it wasn’t perfect for anyone.

In an ideal world we’ll manage to part ways but it’s likely he’ll just sit in his deal.

Yep.

3 key moments and we came out the wrong side of them all

Novel thought to some but how about we dont blame anyone?

I thought we were outstanding across the 80 - our defence was essentially impenetrable.

He didn't need ti touch him at all, absolute nothing kick, was as good as a pass.

So it would have been 6-4

I don’t have the energy to look at any isolated incident at the minute. Smithies penalty was silly, Hardaker I’d never back for any 50/50 kick even in a run of the mill league game against Salford, so certainly not in this game and the penalty to level the scores at 4-4 was a really really harsh call but all these things can happen (shock horror you Saints fans calling for Kendall not to get the game).

The best side won’t I felt. That’s tough to take when they were the best side by about 0.0001% but they just had enough to warrant the win.

Jeez I can’t wait to get back to watch a game against then next year. They should be pretty special again.

I don't think we should be pointing the finger at any player, all 17 gave their all. You can't win a game of rugby league on your own. Hindsight is a great thing but at the end of the day we lost because the rugby gods were not on our side. On the whole we were excellent and until the last second Saints didn't look like they would get over the whitewash. If our execution had been better we would have won comfortably but it wasn't. Saints had the lion's share of possession and we had to tough it out, but when Bibby scored I was confident that we would go on and claim the spoils (what do I know?). It is easy to say what we should or should not have done from our armchairs, if Zak's kick goes over he is an hero, if Bevan knocks the ball dead we are into Golden Point, if the ball bounces over off the crossbar rather than out would we have won? If the touch judge doesn't rule a penalty do we win? Finals can be decided on small margins and on this occasion the bounce favoured our rivals from over Billinge Hill. We need to focus on the positives because we cannot change the result. Our young players have come of age, our recruits will improve us next season and all our players will be even more hungry for success.

A great game of rugby league delivered by two well matched teams. If that doesn't bring the crowds back nothing will.

Just seen the clip of the Saints lads, including coaches, support staff and juniors all get together to clap Lockers down the tunnel.

What a game we support. Full credit to all of them to take that minute, in a night of celebration for them, to acknowledge a legend of the game.

Saints fan here, wanted to come on here to say how great both teams were. Either could have got the win. We have both showed ourselves to be head and shoulders above the rest of the league tonight and the Wigan players should feel proud of themselves - especially SOL on a fantastic career. Cheers

I wasn't pointing finger, just redressing the balance against not taking the penalty. If Hardaker kicks it we win, if Smithies doesn't make that "tackle" we may win.
Lets just appreciate one of the all time great Grand Finals.

Good on you mate, it was a special game and I know the old cliche of ‘nobody deserved to lose’ is boring but it summed up the night.

Have a good one.

Some posts age better than others.




This is not one of them,.,,,,,