I would have 2006 Richard Horne in my side now

As an aside, thin it will take a long time to forget the scenes in the concourse after the match sunday. Epic.

Interesting context from Cooke on Radford, Pearson, Tony and Last and the challenges faced: http://m.hulldailymail.co.uk/Paul-Cooke ... story.html

Interesting context from Cooke on Radford, Pearson, Tony and Last and the challenges faced: http://m.hulldailymail.co.uk/Paul-Cooke ... story.html

I think my combined side would be.

Shaul
Talanoa
Domic
Yeaman (2006 version)
Raynor
Horne
Sneyd
Taylor
Swain
Watts
Ellis
Minichiello
Cooke

Houghton
Carvell
McMenemy
Pritchard

Think it's too soon to be making comparisons to 2006, that side won a Challenge Cup, finished 2nd and made a Grand Final, this team is on a very good run but hasn't done that YET! There are some comparisons with the team showing similar hard work and team spirit though, McMenemy for example wasn't the most skilled player but he gave us 100% every week.

On another note that Saints team does show how SL has declined IMO, almost all of that team are international class, household names, whereas now the league is more competitive but has less stars.

There are parallels with SL in 2006 where we took advantage of an unexpected drop off in form by leeds and bradford while wigan were floundering at the foot of the table. Before this season, no one would have predicted leeds and huddersfield in the bottom 4 at this stage of the season which has created a good opportunity for someone to step up. At this stage it could well be us if we can keep the momentum going.

I don't actually think we're playing that well consistently but we're playing with a lot of belief and resilience and we're looking really good in patches. I think the saints game showed what we're capable of if we actually put a performance together.

Signs are good but I still think wigan and wire will be firing at the end of the season and with sandow back wire will be a tough side to beat.

On the flip side though that Saints team was probably the best of the SL era, and we were the only team that really came close to challenging them. This year we have imo a much stronger team on paper than the 2006 one.

Some teams have less quality in their squads than 10 years ago (Saints have probably fallen the furthest in this aspect, Bradford aside), some have an awful lot more. I think the standard of the top handful of clubs has indeed slipped, but the quality across the board is better, and that makes for a much more interesting comp.

I'm not sure there is more quality but the game has moved on and there is much less of a gap between the top and bottom team than there was in 2006. Then, there was no real likelihood that a bottom side would beat a top one unless the better side just didn't turn up on the day. Now, any side can genuinely beat any side which is what we've been wanting in the game

Interestingly Salford have won their battle to have their 6 point deduction appeal heard by an independent body. If revoked they'd be back in the top 8. Been a really surprising season so far.

Got to agree with come on you hull... While its great to be top of the tree for me its all about opening up a gap to 5th so we have a bit if breathing space come the 8's . when and we will taste defeats its about how we bounce back (I'm very confident we will if I'm being honest)
Long way to go but things ate looking better than I've seen in many a year .. Coyh

It would be great to open up a gap between us and 5th. If we could maintain that, it becomes a one off 80 minute game to get to the Grand Final. Anything could happen!