Sat 24th Sept: SLGF: St Helens v Leeds Rhinos KO 18:00 (Sky)

[Futtocks]

 

[MattSantos]

I've not read the thread, so apologies if I'm duplicating commentary! 

How good is James Roby!? His distribution is porn. Christ I hope he's hungry for a World Cup

[JohnM]

12 minutes ago, Bostik Bailey said:

Compare Smith’s approach to a failing Leeds team to that of Powell’s to a failing Warrington team

In both cases it's about working with what you have to create a team. It's about more than acquiring players. It's about teaching them to be better at what they do, not leaving it to chance.

[Exiled Wiganer]

53 minutes ago, dkw said:

It's good that Saints doing well isn't upsetting you in any way...

Actually, it does bother me.
Well spotted. 

[Dave T]

32 minutes ago, Damien said:

You can't really judge until the end of next season as that is obviously what Powell is building towards, for better or worse.

We will also see what Smith does too. 

I'm sure James Lowes even did well at Wire on a short term basis. 

[Damien]

6 minutes ago, Dave T said:

We will also see what Smith does too. 

I'm sure James Lowes even did well at Wire on a short term basis. 

I meant we cant judge both Smith and Powell until then. Two different approaches, one of which effectively wrote off this season, so you can't judge the success of either yet.

[StandOffHalf]

Fair play to Leeds for sticking in the game.

I thought Saints looked very impressive and played the first half at something akin to NRL Finals intensity. It could easily have been a four-score game at HT. The try on HT was lovely and creative from Leeds.

Lomax and Welsby were both very important in pulling the creative strings.

Enjoyable game, albeit a totally predictable outcome.

Edited September 24, 2022 by StandOffHalf

[Just Browny]

39 minutes ago, Dave T said:

We will also see what Smith does too. 

I'm sure James Lowes even did well at Wire on a short term basis. 

Dave, it's been a long year can we not

[Loiner]

Well played Saints best team won, but I'm proud of our lads they never gave up. On the down side the sweet and lovely person Leeds fans that were fighting amongst themselves should be ashamed, dragged the clubs name into the gutter.

[GUBRATS]

3 hours ago, andyscoot said:

Congratulations Saints, clearly the better team all season.

Mention for Leeds too to get to that final aswell.

Add Dodds 

 

3 hours ago, Hvy wg said:

Imagine that team plus Lewis Dodds...

Add Dodds , who do you lose ? 

[Loiner]

2 hours ago, SalfordSlim said:

Some very harsh comments about the empty seats in the Saints end. They were just the reserved areas for Johnny Vegas and Stephen Bunting.

Johnny Vegas about as funny as a fire in an old folks home.

[bobbruce]

2 minutes ago, GUBRATS said:

Add Dodds 

 

Add Dodds , who do you lose ? 

 Bennison or Hopoate but there’s no way a fit Dodd isn’t getting in that team. 

[Leyther_Matt]

Game went as expected really. As has been said all season, the overall standard of the league hasn’t been great and I don’t think there’s ever been such a gulf between first and fifth. An amazing effort for Leeds to get there with the games they’ve had to win, but tonight there were a little reminiscent of the team that started the season rather than the one that has finished. Don’t think Saints even got out of second gear.

My two penneth of the ‘greatest team’ discussion is that the (lack of) overall strength of the league means Saints aren’t really worthy of mention alongside the Wigan sides of the 80s and 90s. Maybe some of the younger lads will go on to have great careers, but Roby aside I don’t think there will be many of them that we will be reeling off in 30 years in the same manner as those Wigan sides (or even some of the Saints and Leeds sides in the SL era)

[bobbruce]

2 minutes ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Game went as expected really. As has been said all season, the overall standard of the league hasn’t been great and I don’t think there’s ever been such a gulf between first and fifth. An amazing effort for Leeds to get there with the games they’ve had to win, but tonight there were a little reminiscent of the team that started the season rather than the one that has finished. Don’t think Saints even got out of second gear.

My two penneth of the ‘greatest team’ discussion is that the (lack of) overall strength of the league means Saints aren’t really worthy of mention alongside the Wigan sides of the 80s and 90s. Maybe some of the younger lads will go on to have great careers, but Roby aside I don’t think there will be many of them that we will be reeling off in 30 years in the same manner as those Wigan sides (or even some of the Saints and Leeds sides in the SL era)

It’s always the same when they are still playing. 

[north yorks trinity]

3 hours ago, Hvy wg said:

Imagine that team plus Lewis Dodds...

Ah but they'd have to leave someone out to fit him in. Who?

[dkw]

5 minutes ago, north yorks trinity said:

Ah but they'd have to leave someone out to fit him in. Who?

I expect wellsby back to FB, Lomax/Dodds as half back pairing would be the ideal.

[north yorks trinity]

3 hours ago, Exiled Wiganer said:

 

I can’t see any other winner next year, but now my heart issues have hopefully been sorted out, I have high hopes I will see the day I see someone else win a GF again. 

But apparently if we're true supporters, we're meant to be able to enjoy Saints winning it every year. 

 

[Magic Superbeetle]

14 minutes ago, dkw said:

I expect wellsby back to FB, Lomax/Dodds as half back pairing would be the ideal.

Neither Hopoate or Bennison is likely to be first choice going into next season. Woolf confirmed we’re looking to sign a new winger to replace Grace (paying a transfer fee to Wakefield for Murphy if you believe the Saints forum), and Dodd comes back in.

1. Welsby 2. Makinson 3. Hurrell 4. Percival 5. <New Signing> 6. Lomax 7. Dodd

[north yorks trinity]

52 minutes ago, Loiner said:

 On the down side the sweet and lovely person Leeds fans that were fighting amongst themselves should be ashamed, dragged the clubs name into the gutter.

From where exactly?

[yipyee]

Nearly 50% of the match pole wrote of the saints... that was always a bad idea, as Joynty said never write off the saints again!!

[yipyee]

2 hours ago, Stuff Smith said:

No, we will. Maybe not too many admittedly. And they'll be Saints "supporters"!

Just like Wigan in the early 90s. (Or Liverpool FC throughout the country then, now, and in the future.)

Agreed, the sports that have someone who dominates makes household names, there's then the glory hunters who support person/team and the underdog lovers who wants them knocked off their perch.

Man U dominated the prem for 20 years and that kept growing from strength to strength, Schumacher, Taylor, McCoy, Wigan, Barcelona/real Madrid, Federer/Nadal, celtic/rangers etc..

[Chris22]

Leeds and Saints both had absentees going into this match. But Leeds had more players out and less depth to replace them.

I thought before the match that Saints would need an off day to lose and they didn't have one. Lomax was masterful and Lees has stood up in Walmsley's absence.

I never felt worried during the game and thought we were comfortable. Thinking about it a bit more, it could have been closer. Saints scrambled to keep out Sutcliffe and Martin when they both would have scored against worse defences. Leeds let in a really soft score to Hurrell. Little moments that kept a gap between the sides.

Leeds were dogged and never gave up. I do wonder if Hardaker at full back and Myler at scrum half was a better option though.

A nice touch by the likes of Rohan Smith and Blake Austin who applauded the Saints crowd as they left the field. Didn't go unnoticed.

This is unquestionably the most ruthless Saints side I've ever seen. If an opponent switches off or makes an error, it is usually punished. Sometimes that ruthlessness manifests itself in ways I don't like too.

We've been spoiled over the last 4 years and I hope our fans realise and don't take periods like these for granted.

Edited September 25, 2022 by Chris22

[SalfordSlim]

2 hours ago, yipyee said:

Agreed, the sports that have someone who dominates makes household names, there's then the glory hunters who support person/team and the underdog lovers who wants them knocked off their perch.

Man U dominated the prem for 20 years and that kept growing from strength to strength, Schumacher, Taylor, McCoy, Wigan, Barcelona/real Madrid, Federer/Nadal, celtic/rangers etc..

All of those above were dominant, not all were great. Take out Rangers/Celtic who play in effectively a pub league so they really don't deserve mentioning in the same breath.

Edited September 25, 2022 by SalfordSlim

[Niels]

I thought the St Helens fans in particular were fantastic tonight. For me, Jonny Lomax summed it up perfectly when he described the working class bond of the team and town. He really understands his own fans which seems to really motivate him and his team to  play to the limit.

I really enjoyed the game. I don't think the result was ever in doubt except for during the half time interval,but it was exciting and skilful. 

 

 

 

 

[Gerrumonside ref]

Saints deserved it although Leeds gave a good account of themselves.

As for the rest of the league - it all starts again in a few months!

Upwards and onwards to having a great World Cup.