Outside Leeds & St Helens Is Anyone Interested in Another Sts V Rhinos Grand Final

[OMEGA]

Not really, in my case

[Gerrumonside ref]

Didn’t the other teams have their chance through the league campaign and the playoffs?

[Chris22]

Probably not best placed to answer this one, but these two sides haven't contested a final in 11 years. That's a new generation who would know little or nothing of the 07-11 finals. 

[Jughead]

Whilst Rugby League is absolutely jam packed with the negative, sour fanbase it has, it’s always going to be where it is. How sad that some have the energy they do to slate the game as much as they do, I often think that if even half that energy was positive, we’d be a far richer sport.

It’s been ten years since Saints met Leeds in a final and for reference, they haven’t met in a Challenge Cup Final for fifty years and met once, in 1975, in the Premiership final so five major finals in forty-seven years is an average of one final every nine and a half years.

I’m a Saints fan, so yeah, I care, obviously. That said, it’s an easy sell from a marketing perspective. I went to all four Saints v Leeds finals (they’ve almost all merged into one big horror show in my mind) and we deserved to lose nearly all of them, if memory serves, and the Saints angle is finally getting one over Leeds. The Leeds angle is easy. They won three in a row themselves, which Saints have matched, whilst none of the Leeds players will have played in any final against Saints, they won’t want that record broken. We’ve also got an in form Leeds side, picked up at their lowest ebb in a generation or two, against a Saints side who’ve won the league leaders shield and been one of the best sides in the competition all year. 

But Rugby League, hey? It’s nothing without negativity. 

[Pie tries]

This thread is everything that’s wrong with RL fans….

[Number 16]

Perhaps the GF should be played on a triangular pitch with three sets of posts and three teams. 

Statically we'd have more chance of a unique trio of finalists.

Should boost interest.

[Chris22]

Just now, Number 16 said:

Perhaps the GF should be played on a triangular pitch with three sets of posts and three teams. 

Statically we'd have more chance of a unique trio of finalists.

Should boost interest.

Don't give Martyn Sadler any ideas!

[doc]

Yes, cos it'll be great. Hopefully.

[OMEGA]

Keep your knickers on,
Of course I’ll watch it, I might even go to Old Trafford

Just a bit of a knee jerk reaction to the same teams reaching the Grand Final time after time

[Damien]

I went to a fair few of the Saints v Leeds Grand Finals but they were a good while ago now. Im not sure they are particularly fresh in the average persons mind. There will be a great crowd and atmosphere so it should be a great occasion. 

[Stuff Smith]

Would Saints v Wigan have been more interesting?

No.

[GeordieSaint]

12 minutes ago, OMEGA said:

Keep your knickers on,
Of course I’ll watch it, I might even go to Old Trafford

Just a bit of a knee jerk reaction to the same teams reaching the Grand Final time after time

5yrs since Leeds have been in the SL Final - half a decade! 

[koli]

45 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Whilst Rugby League is absolutely jam packed with the negative, sour fanbase it has, it’s always going to be where it is. How sad that some have the energy they do to slate the game as much as they do, I often think that if even half that energy was positive, we’d be a far richer sport.

It’s been ten years since Saints met Leeds in a final and for reference, they haven’t met in a Challenge Cup Final for fifty years and met once, in 1975, in the Premiership final so five major finals in forty-seven years is an average of one final every nine and a half years.

I’m a Saints fan, so yeah, I care, obviously. That said, it’s an easy sell from a marketing perspective. I went to all four Saints v Leeds finals (they’ve almost all merged into one big horror show in my mind) and we deserved to lose nearly all of them, if memory serves, and the Saints angle is finally getting one over Leeds. The Leeds angle is easy. They won three in a row themselves, which Saints have matched, whilst none of the Leeds players will have played in any final against Saints, they won’t want that record broken. We’ve also got an in form Leeds side, picked up at their lowest ebb in a generation or two, against a Saints side who’ve won the league leaders shield and been one of the best sides in the competition all year. 

But Rugby League, hey? It’s nothing without negativity. 

44 years since last Saints v Leeds CCF in 1978-one of the best finals ever.

[Futtocks]

I reckon it'll be a cracker of a match. 

[paul hicks]

will draw interest from people who may well support an underdog scrapping into the grand final from 5th.  certainly, better than yet another saints v wigan game yet again.

should be interesting to see who people support as its the much hated by other Yorkshire clubs leeds rhinos v the arrogant saints who according to some of their supporters would not lose a game all season.

I'm all for an underdog .

 

[Gerrumonside ref]

50 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Whilst Rugby League is absolutely jam packed with the negative, sour fanbase it has, it’s always going to be where it is. How sad that some have the energy they do to slate the game as much as they do, I often think that if even half that energy was positive, we’d be a far richer sport.

It’s been ten years since Saints met Leeds in a final and for reference, they haven’t met in a Challenge Cup Final for fifty years and met once, in 1975, in the Premiership final so five major finals in forty-seven years is an average of one final every nine and a half years.

I’m a Saints fan, so yeah, I care, obviously. That said, it’s an easy sell from a marketing perspective. I went to all four Saints v Leeds finals (they’ve almost all merged into one big horror show in my mind) and we deserved to lose nearly all of them, if memory serves, and the Saints angle is finally getting one over Leeds. The Leeds angle is easy. They won three in a row themselves, which Saints have matched, whilst none of the Leeds players will have played in any final against Saints, they won’t want that record broken. We’ve also got an in form Leeds side, picked up at their lowest ebb in a generation or two, against a Saints side who’ve won the league leaders shield and been one of the best sides in the competition all year. 

But Rugby League, hey? It’s nothing without negativity. 

Don’t forget it’s the ‘marching’ derby too!

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, OMEGA said:

Not really, in my case

Go one. Give it a go. When was the last time there was a Saints v Leeds GF?

[EastLondonMike]

I honestly don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t be interested, apart from some Wigan and Salford fans of course. Quite obviously two completely different teams to any that played previous finals..

[Dunbar]

Of course I'm interested. 

I have been watching Super League (alongside lots of other Rugby League) all year.  Why would I suddenly not be interested in seeing who wins it?

 

[paul hicks]

6 minutes ago, JohnM said:

Go one. Give it a go. When was the last time there was a Saints v Leeds GF?

when was the last time saints won a leeds v saints' grand final . it's not often saints' fans have a chance of seeing a first is it.

must have been heart-breaking to lose to leeds in 4 grand finals during their run of the 5 in a row grand final defeat.

do they still have the bridesmaids' dresses in their kit bags .

[Futtocks]

5 minutes ago, EastLondonMike said:

I honestly don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t be interested, apart from some Wigan and Salford fans of course. Quite obviously two completely different teams to any that played previous finals..

I was hoping for the opposite result in both semi-finals (plus a Canberra win in the NRL payoffs - it's not been a great weekend).

But of course I'll be watching Leeds and St Helens in the GF.

[gingerjon]

It’s the Grand Final.

Of course, I’m interested.

[Phil W]

Yes, for one it's a Grand Final but also you have a Saints team who are considered the best In the league against a Leeds team who are on the crest of a wave. Should be a great final.

[Jughead]

1 hour ago, Stuff Smith said:

Would Saints v Wigan have been more interesting?

No.

Unequivocally. Four in a row or a double in the coaches maiden year whilst not even scratching the surface or the Derby would be Football or rugby Union’s dream final? Ours? “Nah, we dunt wunt sents un wiggin playing in’t final, why dunt new teams win it?”  

[Stuff Smith]

14 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Unequivocally. Four in a row or a double in the coaches maiden year whilst not even scratching the surface or the Derby would be Football or rugby Union’s dream final? Ours? “Nah, we dunt wunt sents un wiggin playing in’t final, why dunt new teams win it?”  

As a neutral, no. Sorry, no.

Wigan v Saints? Leeds v Saints?

Usual suspects. Therefore equivalent.

We're not football or RU.