Joined: Oct 13 2004 Posts: 36131 Location: Poodle Power!
Mild mannered Janitor wrote:I don't need to take other teams form into account. If that starting 13 id quoted had played together for most of the season, there would be natural improvement in form for them as well.
Saints???? They are streets ahead of the rest of the pack, not only in points, but in performances. They can afford to rest a lot of key players in the 8's knowing they will finish top. They can have all their big hitters rested and raring to go for the cruitial games come the end of september / start of october
Sorry but they are not, we beat them once and had there been a decent ref we'd have done them twice, so your last comment is utter nonsense and I'm not having it. They are nothing like streets ahead, they are the form team nothing more and very beatable.
Joined: Feb 09 2004 Posts: 7735 Location: Here there and everywhere
vastman wrote:Sorry but they are not, we beat them once and had there been a decent ref we'd have done them twice, so your last comment is utter nonsense and I'm not having it. They are nothing like streets ahead, they are the form team nothing more and very beatable.
And we ran St's close in the cup, effectively losing the game because we had 11 players on the pitch when they scored half of their point. It was one game, like yours against them. Over the course of the season, as the table suggests, they are way out in front.
Joined: Oct 13 2004 Posts: 36131 Location: Poodle Power!
Mild mannered Janitor wrote:And we ran St's close in the cup, effectively losing the game because we had 11 players on the pitch when they scored half of their point. It was one game, like yours against them. Over the course of the season, as the table suggests, they are way out in front.
So, it was not utter nonsense.
Care to comment?
Saints have had show ponies written all over them imo and today proved it. When teams step up against them they look exactly what they are, a big standard top 8 team. They are nothing like the dominant teams of the past. Super 8,s is good at showing these teams up, because once the other 7 take it seriously Saints are caught out as they just have been in the cup.
Will they be champs? Maybe but it’s far from certain.
Joined: Mar 23 2018 Posts: 6675 Location: Kingston upon Hull
vastman wrote:Care to comment?
Saints have had show ponies written all over them imo and today proved it. When teams step up against them they look exactly what they are, a big standard top 8 team. They are nothing like the dominant teams of the past. Super 8,s is good at showing these teams up, because once the other 7 take it seriously Saints are caught out as they just have been in the cup.
Will they be champs? Maybe but it’s far from certain.
See you hedged your bets there, calling them “show ponies” but maybe champions!
Joined: Oct 13 2004 Posts: 36131 Location: Poodle Power!
Riderofthepalehorse wrote:See you hedged your bets there, calling them “show ponies” but maybe champions!
Not really, there hardly crap, so sure they could win it - however a lot of that will depend on the opposition accepting there rolls as also rans and I’m not convinced they will.
Joined: Feb 09 2004 Posts: 7735 Location: Here there and everywhere
vastman wrote:Care to comment?
Saints have had show ponies written all over them imo and today proved it. When teams step up against them they look exactly what they are, a big standard top 8 team. They are nothing like the dominant teams of the past. Super 8,s is good at showing these teams up, because once the other 7 take it seriously Saints are caught out as they just have been in the cup.
Will they be champs? Maybe but it’s far from certain.
As previously mentioned, have a look at that league table and try and convince yourself they are not streets ahead.
Joined: Oct 13 2004 Posts: 36131 Location: Poodle Power!
Mild mannered Janitor wrote:As previously mentioned, have a look at that league table and try and convince yourself they are not streets ahead.
That would be the same table that saw Cas at the top of last year, now remind me what happened there?
Seriously you were just wrong why not admit it. Or are Catalan now the ones who are streets ahead? Nothing is as yet decide but it’s clear that Saints are not what you claimed.
Joined: Jan 30 2004 Posts: 8221 Location: Never never land away with the fairies
Mild mannered Janitor wrote:
vastman wrote:Care to comment?
Saints have had show ponies written all over them imo and today proved it. When teams step up against them they look exactly what they are, a big standard top 8 team. They are nothing like the dominant teams of the past. Super 8,s is good at showing these teams up, because once the other 7 take it seriously Saints are caught out as they just have been in the cup.
Will they be champs? Maybe but it’s far from certain.
As previously mentioned, have a look at that league table and try and convince yourself they are not streets ahead.
To be fair to Vastman he does has a point. St's this year are on top because they have been the most consistent team so far this season no one is arguing that however much of that has been due to a fit and healthy squad. Had we had a fit and healthy squad for most of the season I am pretty sure we would also be up there at the top. Us, Wigan, Warrington, Cas even Leeds have all suffered with a heavy injury list this season with a lot being long term and to crucial players. So that has made life easier for St's to stay at the top and extend their lead, You mentioned we nearly beat them with a very depleted side which we did but if St's really were an exceptional side we would have been out the game by halftime.
Catalan fully deserved the win yesterday and showed that if you get into St's and physically dominate the middle then they are nothing great. I thought Pervical & Makinson must have been sat in the stands as hardly saw them in the game and Barba was average at best. Yes it may have been a bad day at the office for them but they simply had no answer to Cats and were second best in every aspect not what you'd expect from a team that are supposedly far better than any other team and one that has a wealth of experience in these games.
Whilst I think St's are a good side I don't personally think they are way ahead of any other team I just think they've been fortunate to go through the season relatively unscathed on the injury front a bit like us in 2016 and then ran out of gas at the final hurdle after the CC cup win.
I really enjoy long walks especially when they are taken by people I don't like!
Joined: Jun 28 2002 Posts: 11184 Location: Castleford
Chris71 wrote:Whilst I think St's are a good side I don't personally think they are way ahead of any other team I just think they've been fortunate to go through the season relatively unscathed on the injury front a bit like us in 2016 and then ran out of gas at the final hurdle after the CC cup win.
This is exactly what I said to t'other half last night. The downside to no injuries is players starting to burn out this stage in the season which is exactly what happened to us in 2016...well that and a 4 day bender following the CC win
Holbrook can only do so much, time for the players to see if they are capable of battling through these final 10 weeks although a week off for Wembley will help to a certain extent.
Black 'n' White's Best Female 2006 & Runner Up 2007 & 2008 "We will not accept a top eight finish as a barometer of supposed success at any point in the future whilst I am the owner of this club", A Pearson 23/09/2011
Joined: Mar 23 2018 Posts: 6675 Location: Kingston upon Hull
Catalans would have beaten every team in Super league with that powerful controlled performance, they took Saints apart up front, it was not the performances of Percival and Makinson which was the downfall of the Saints, but the domination of Amor Roby Thompson and Wilkin by the Catalan pack which set the platform for a Wembley appearance.
As an aside do Catalans still have dispensation to sign players without adherence to the salary cap, or are they in line with the rest of us, just wondering.
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