Phuzzy wrote:Then there'll be the wildcard banning that no one saw coming...

MadDogg wrote:Tbh I think a lot of people are underestimating the length of ban that Smith will get. If the panel deem it a deliberate elbow to the head of a prone player he could get 4 games plus.

Stu M wrote:There’s a couple of Wigan fans suggesting that French may be back for next week but it would be foolish to throw him into a game that Wigan can afford to lose (local bragging rights apart)

Stu M wrote:Fully appreciate the games you’ve played and yes I expected a drop post WCC which to give you credit didn’t really happen. Maybe this is the dip

However in mitigation to the points you make about next week, our pack has been flogged. Due to the number of injuries we’ve had Clark, Lees and Sironen have been playing 80 mins every week more or less so there’s some fatigue to consider there too.

Delaney played busted which resulted in a reoccurrence of his knee and Stephens has played way more games than envisaged at just 19

It’s hardly like we are fresh as daisies going into next week and I’m also not sure you’re missing 6 of your first choice 17. That’s 7 if Matautia doesn’t make it and that’s not including Wingfield and Delaney who would be first replacements

Stu M wrote:There’s a couple of Wigan fans suggesting that French may be back for next week but it would be foolish to throw him into a game that Wigan can afford to lose (local bragging rights apart)

Stu M wrote:Not sure how you work out we will start as favourites? I bet the bookies won’t have us as favourites- pardon the pun

We’ll have Welsby, Lomax, Dodd, Knowles and Batchelor out. Matautia is a chance I believe and that’s not even including Hurrell and Delaney

Also we keep being told that Wigan have the best squad in the comp. You signed about 10 props for a start. It’s on Peet for not rotating better. Farrimond was soon back to the Reserves after a couple of cameos but will now no doubt play next week.

It’s interesting how much Wigan fans argue against the one man team jibe yet they’ve lost 3 from 5 with no French and arguably only beat us because of the sheer number we had out.

We are 2 from 2 with no Welsby (I accept one was Hull)

And yes if I had to bet on a team winning the GF to save my life I’d still bet on Wigan but they’ve got to get back to form quickly and keep French fit

Phuzzy wrote:I accept that Stu and, if you'd also just played 3 games in 10 days I'd put us back as favourites. Wellens has definitely flogged players too. Both coaches need to be better at rotating players and trusting their squads.

We'd argue all day about what constitutes a first team player for Saints Stu as I don't actually think anyone knows what your first choice is! Lomax and Dodd have both been awful this year. Hurrell is an unfit liability and you have a tendency to count several back towers, who can't all play at the same time, as first choice players. Then we have the perennial Ritson/Bennison argument and whether Mbye is better at 9 (he isn't) or in the halves (he is) anyway. Also should he play there before either of Dodd or Lomax (he should).

I don't think Hurrell, Lomax and Dodd are big misses for you currently and their replacements are doing better for you. Yes, technically they're absentees, but not in the same way as a French, O'Neil or Smith is for us.

Matautia, Knowles (if banned) and Welsby are big misses. Everyone else is a Cooper for us. It would be nice to have him back and would be in and around the 17 but that's all. In fact, given what we've just been saying about prop rotation I would argue that Cooper and Isa would probably make this week's starting team if they were available and would make us better. Could you honestly say the same about Dodd, Hurrell or Lomax?