Sun 4th Jul: SL: St Helens v Wigan Warriors KO 19:30 (TV)

[John Drake]

Discuss St Helens v Wigan Warriors here.

[Davo5]

Given Wigan’s form, injury list/suspensions and the disparity in workload of the 2 clubs recently,keeping Saints under 40 will be an achievement.

[Waynebennettswinger]

You won’t read this very often but I feel sorry for Wigan, 3 defeats and then an in form Wire a few days before the derby. 
 

There are times in the past when they’d still pull of a victory in one or the other in this situation but it’s a tall order.

[Rupert Prince]

Crazy scheduling and Saints conveniently were given a free pass and 28 - 0 win.

[Waynebennettswinger]

8 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

Crazy scheduling and Saints conveniently were given a free pass and 28 - 0 win.

Not sure where you see the convenience really. Saints have a cup final soon and I would rather they were playing games than being handed ‘wins.’ Saints have played one league game in June and scored no tries. We need to shake off this rust and matches are needed for that.

[yipyee]

37 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

Crazy scheduling and Saints conveniently were given a free pass and 28 - 0 win.

28? Dont remember that last try 

[Rupert Prince]

16 minutes ago, Waynebennettswinger said:

Not sure where you see the convenience really. Saints have a cup final soon and I would rather they were playing games than being handed ‘wins.’ Saints have played one league game in June and scored no tries. We need to shake off this rust and matches are needed for that.

And the other team was Castleford...

But I must apologise for being jaundiced.   I am far from happy at last week's scheduling.   But the Final is 17 or 18 days away!

[Waynebennettswinger]

3 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

And the other team was Castleford...

But I must apologise for being jaundiced.   I am far from happy at last week's scheduling.   But the Final is 17 or 18 days away!

We’re all jaundiced mate . The scheduling is crazy, I agree on that but the clubs are to blame for that, I think.

[Exiled Wiganer]

Just catching up with the Cas default, We should do the same, and take the 24-0. Saints didn’t bother to play Cats last year, so there is precedent for going thanks but no thanks. 

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

Saints by 18.

[Exiled Wiganer]

After last night, I wonder if Saints are taking a look at that 75-0, and thinking that looks within reach. I do wonder about the phrase “they’ll be better for it” when applied to young lads after a thrashing. I am not convinced it doesn’t leave lasting scar tissue. 

Ours is a cruel game, especially I suppose under the new rules. Blink and that’s 3 tries let in... will have my Anti Dalek cushion to hide behind. 

[FearTheVee]

43 minutes ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

After last night, I wonder if Saints are taking a look at that 75-0, and thinking that looks within reach. I do wonder about the phrase “they’ll be better for it” when applied to young lads after a thrashing. I am not convinced it doesn’t leave lasting scar tissue. 

Ours is a cruel game, especially I suppose under the new rules. Blink and that’s 3 tries let in... will have my Anti Dalek cushion to hide behind. 

I think we will win the game but we are very scratchy in attack - I suspect it will be much much closer than you think.

[Barley Mow]

Saints by 10.

[Davo5]

47 minutes ago, Barley Mow said:

Saints by 10.

What about the last 70 mins ?

[MZH]

The way Wigan are playing and now having to back up 4 days later against a fresh Saints team, this could be carnage.

If Wigan don't start well it really could be a cricket score.

Saints by 36, but that's a conservative estimate.

[Cheshire Setter]

I’m going to go against the grain and pick Wigan for a gritty win. They struggled in attack last night but the effort was there. 

I’m not sure the rest will have done Saints that much good, as Wigan have a short turnaround which won’t give them much time to worry about what happened last night. 

If Wigan do indeed get hammered like most are predicting, then I think that indicates Lam has lost the dressing room and he’ll go. A bit like when Millward’s side had that collapse in the mid-noughties.

[Waynebennettswinger]

1 hour ago, Cheshire Setter said:

I’m going to go against the grain and pick Wigan for a gritty win. They struggled in attack last night but the effort was there. 

I’m not sure the rest will have done Saints that much good, as Wigan have a short turnaround which won’t give them much time to worry about what happened last night. 

If Wigan do indeed get hammered like most are predicting, then I think that indicates Lam has lost the dressing room and he’ll go. A bit like when Millward’s side had that collapse in the mid-noughties.

Very good assessment

[Damien]

Saints by a mile.

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, Cheshire Setter said:

I’m going to go against the grain and pick Wigan for a gritty win. They struggled in attack last night but the effort was there. 

I’m not sure the rest will have done Saints that much good, as Wigan have a short turnaround which won’t give them much time to worry about what happened last night. 

If Wigan do indeed get hammered like most are predicting, then I think that indicates Lam has lost the dressing room and he’ll go. A bit like when Millward’s side had that collapse in the mid-noughties.

Or maybe it’s  the lack of talent in that dressing room is the problem.

[Hela Wigmen]

It’s just nice to be playing again. It seems like an age since we’ve last played and while the rest was good ahead of a busy month, I’m glad we’re getting back out there before the cup final. 

We’ll go at full strength, we have no reason not to having had the time off we’ve had so I imagine we’ll have a stronger side on show than Wigan given their injuries, though I can’t see them resting many for a derby game, especially off the back of the run they’re on. I had a look, that 75-0 was Wigan’s fourth consecutive defeat, they ended that run the week after, beating Leigh in Super League narrowly. I can’t think of a time where they’d have lost five consecutively, perhaps when they got relegated, so it would be nice to earn the bragging rights and keep their streak going even longer. I think if we do win, especially in a similar manner to Wire’s win, Lam doesn’t last till the end of the season. 

I can’t really see much more than a Saints win, I can’t see a 75-0, we’re not that side and our attack is still a bit clunky and we’re happy to grind and wear down teams rather than blowing them away. 

[Saint Toppy]

44 minutes ago, Hela Wigmen said:

It’s just nice to be playing again. It seems like an age since we’ve last played and while the rest was good ahead of a busy month, I’m glad we’re getting back out there before the cup final. 

We’ll go at full strength, we have no reason not to having had the time off we’ve had so I imagine we’ll have a stronger side on show than Wigan given their injuries, though I can’t see them resting many for a derby game, especially off the back of the run they’re on. I had a look, that 75-0 was Wigan’s fourth consecutive defeat, they ended that run the week after, beating Leigh in Super League narrowly. I can’t think of a time where they’d have lost five consecutively, perhaps when they got relegated, so it would be nice to earn the bragging rights and keep their streak going even longer. I think if we do win, especially in a similar manner to Wire’s win, Lam doesn’t last till the end of the season. 

I can’t really see much more than a Saints win, I can’t see a 75-0, we’re not that side and our attack is still a bit clunky and we’re happy to grind and wear down teams rather than blowing them away. 

Aside from the long term injuries there's still question marks over the fitness of Walmsley & Lomax .

Walmsley was in the squad but was due to have a late fitness test before the Cas game and Lomax was out, so it remains to be seen whether either will play on Sunday.

[Hela Wigmen]

9 minutes ago, Saint Toppy said:

Aside from the long term injuries there's still question marks over the fitness of Walmsley & Lomax .

Walmsley was in the squad but was due to have a late fitness test before the Cas game and Lomax was out, so it remains to be seen whether either will play on Sunday.

I don’t think we’d have risked either in that game given the short turnaround, if we could have helped it but I’m half expecting both to play. 

[Cheshire Setter]

4 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Or maybe it’s  the lack of talent in that dressing room is the problem.

Not so sure.   At the start of the season most fans were saying Saints' and Wigan's squads were miles ahead. They've only come into question after a run of losses.   In reality there's very little difference in squad quality across the top 4, including squad depth.   Wigan have always had a greater number of quality academy prospects to back up their preferred XIII but last night they were outplayed by Warrington's academy products and a bigger pack.   There's not that much to be tweaked at Wigan, and even if there was there isn't a big pool of talent to acquire from.

I predict Wane will come in to steady the ship.

[Davo5]

26 minutes ago, Cheshire Setter said:

Not so sure.   At the start of the season most fans were saying Saints' and Wigan's squads were miles ahead. They've only come into question after a run of losses.   In reality there's very little difference in squad quality across the top 4, including squad depth.   Wigan have always had a greater number of quality academy prospects to back up their preferred XIII but last night they were outplayed by Warrington's academy products and a bigger pack.   There's not that much to be tweaked at Wigan, and even if there was there isn't a big pool of talent to acquire from.

I predict Wane will come in to steady the ship.

Behave,We are relying on a pack full of kids,supplemented by a couple of plodders that wouldn’t get into any other top 6 side and have been outmuscled in most games this season as well as playing our 2 best backrowers at centre because we only had an injured Gildart to cover the position.

We also have a 36 yr old halfback who’s only contribution these days is the odd big hit and who only intended playing 1 season before joining the coaching staff,4 yrs ago !

[Josef K]

On 29/06/2021 at 19:26, Rupert Prince said:

Crazy scheduling and Saints conveniently were given a free pass and 28 - 0 win.

Ruddy cheating scousers, telling the Cas squad to get injured and catch Covid19. The RFL is so corrupt but only for the bigger clubs, and that is why you never see the SL minnows in the finals.