St George Illawarra Dragons v St Helens pre season warm up game (Live Sky Sports Mix 9am UK)

[Mr Frisky]

33 minutes ago, Butch said:

Saint’s do seem to like barra wingers. Les Ade and now tee 

He was called the Flimby flyer when he started at Workington 

[Dunbar]

I only managed to see the first 15 or 20 minutes or so but perhaps the most encouraging sign for me was the kicking of Dodd.  He was landing the high kicks 4 or 5 metres from the St George line time and again.

The chase from Saints has to be perfect next week (better than today) to stop tye big carries from the Panthers outside backs.

[yipyee]

3 hours ago, Eddie said:

Didn’t see it as I was watching my lad play football, but this thread is missing the most important issue - what was the attendance? 

Not many away fans for saints, its a joke they are playing as they bring nothing to the nrl, no away fans and are not even from Australia 

[Pigeon Lofter]

6 hours ago, dkw said:

Thoroughyl enjoying Vossys commentary as ever, hes brilliant to listen to, just gets the line right between "banter" and commenting on the action.

A "worm burner" was a good description of that Saints try! I wonder if it will be re-used by the UK commentators? 

[Davo5]

5 hours ago, Old Frightful said:

Happy to be corrected but did he ever play for the Flimby Vikings?, I guess he must have done.

Played his youth rugby at Ellenborough Rangers & was on scholarship with Salford for a year.

[arcticchris]

Thought it was an enjoyable game and, as a Wigan fan, I was surprised how much I got dragged into feeling warm towards Saints.

The front row and spine were excellent with the exception of Lomax who was abysmal. Welsby confirmed his World Cup form and the Roby/Lussick tandem set the tempo and direction in attack very well.

Penrith is a massive step up from today but in that evidence they can at least be competitive and emerge stronger with credit.

[Alan Robertson]

8 hours ago, Tommygilf said:

What is a hip drop? Is it leaving your feet during a tackle?

Yes, more specifically, a defender holding onto to the attacker's hips or torso to take their feet off the ground. Then, the defender 'releasing' and landing their weight below the knee of the attacker. 

I'm not sure whether the 'Welsby incident' will be classified as a hip drop by the Match Review Committee though.

[Old Frightful]

5 hours ago, Bostik Bailey said:

The Barra Arra, to join that other saints great signed from Barrow Les Quirk 

I remember travelling across to Knowsley Road to see Hull FC play there once, as usual, with very little optimism.

We were winning just about all game, if memory serves when that basturd Les Quirke scored a 90 yarder to pinch the game for Saints with about two minutes left.

Devastated doesn't even come close.

 

[bratman]

18 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

I remember travelling across to Knowsley Road to see Hull FC play there once, as usual, with very little optimism.

We were winning just about all game, if memory serves when that basturd Les Quirke scored a 90 yarder to pinch the game for Saints with about two minutes left.

Devastated doesn't even come close.

 

This?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iT4VDjGHH8

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

Just watched on full..enjoyed cheering them on and lovely to see an English win over there 

Really wouldn't want to be even watching Inthe 40oC predicted at Penrith next week (reminders of watching the Hurricanes last summer on that dreadfully hot weekend) 

Hopefully they can make a good account of themselves next week. Thought Walmsley and Parsi were dominant and apart from the odd sweaty ball drop Lomax kicked and moved well. Any news on why the Welsby tackle got out on report?

[bar red]

I wouldn't fancy watching St George every week.

 

[The Rocket]

5 hours ago, yipyee said:

Not many away fans for saints, its a joke they are playing as they bring nothing to the nrl, no away fans and are not even from Australia 

Reports over here said that 400 St. Helens` fans have come over to cheer them on.

[Alan Robertson]

I thought it was a fairly convincing win by Saints. Not Dragons' strongest side but you can only beat the team in front of you.

I think Penrith will take Saturday's game very seriously. As a Wigan fan, I can't say that I've ever spent too much time wanting Saints to put in a good performance. As an ex-pat, based in Australia, who always wants the best for English RL, I'm sure that next week will bring mixed feelings regardless of who wins.

I think the Panthers are heavy favourites, being the home side and also one of the most dominant sides for a 'long, long time'.

Saints will give it everything for 25 minutes but won't be able to maintain Penrith's workrate, I believe.

[Futtocks]

17 hours ago, Pigeon Lofter said:

A "worm burner" was a good description of that Saints try! I wonder if it will be re-used by the UK commentators? 

The first time I heard that term was from an American, commenting on (Association) Football, describing a daisy-cutter.

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, Alan Robertson said:

I thought it was a fairly convincing win by Saints. Not Dragons' strongest side but you can only beat the team in front of you.

I think Penrith will take Saturday's game very seriously. As a Wigan fan, I can't say that I've ever spent too much time wanting Saints to put in a good performance. As an ex-pat, based in Australia, who always wants the best for English RL, I'm sure that next week will bring mixed feelings regardless of who wins.

I think the Panthers are heavy favourites, being the home side and also one of the most dominant sides for a 'long, long time'.

Saints will give it everything for 25 minutes but won't be able to maintain Penrith's workrate, I believe.

Fully agree with your last paragraph Alan, it is the collective things that seasoned NRL players are accustomed to doing week in week out that SL doesn't quite reach that will be the telling difference next week, and especially when it is against a Penrith side that has proved to be better that all it's domestic opposition in the *last couple of seasons, they may have lost a few games on the journey but when it matters they know how to win.

*Yes I know Saints have done this also, but in my opinion the standards of the two comps are markedly different.

[Wigan Riversider]

5 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Fully agree with your last paragraph Alan, it is the collective things that seasoned NRL players are accustomed to doing week in week out that SL doesn't quite reach that will be the telling difference next week, and especially when it is against a Penrith side that has proved to be better that all it's domestic opposition in the *last couple of seasons, they may have lost a few games on the journey but when it matters they know how to win.

*Yes I know Saints have done this also, but in my opinion the standards of the two comps are markedly different.

Think your last sentence is the best I have read in some considerable time.

[Mr Frisky]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Fully agree with your last paragraph Alan, it is the collective things that seasoned NRL players are accustomed to doing week in week out that SL doesn't quite reach that will be the telling difference next week, and especially when it is against a Penrith side that has proved to be better that all it's domestic opposition in the *last couple of seasons, they may have lost a few games on the journey but when it matters they know how to win.

*Yes I know Saints have done this also, but in my opinion the standards of the two comps are markedly different.

Agree with that Harry but I still think this very good Saints team have a chance - now if we could just get them to play each other to see who's the best in the world....

[Bostik Bailey]

4 hours ago, Alan Robertson said:

I thought it was a fairly convincing win by Saints. Not Dragons' strongest side but you can only beat the team in front of you.

I think Penrith will take Saturday's game very seriously. As a Wigan fan, I can't say that I've ever spent too much time wanting Saints to put in a good performance. As an ex-pat, based in Australia, who always wants the best for English RL, I'm sure that next week will bring mixed feelings regardless of who wins.

I think the Panthers are heavy favourites, being the home side and also one of the most dominant sides for a 'long, long time'.

Saints will give it everything for 25 minutes but won't be able to maintain Penrith's workrate, I believe.

I think the weather will also play a big part expected high 30s-40 C, Saints will wilt under that heat.

It will be the reverse of when we beat the Broncos in the snow and hail at Bolton.

[dkw]

12 minutes ago, Bostik Bailey said:

I think the weather will also play a big part expected high 30s-40 C, Saints will wilt under that heat.

It will be the reverse of when we beat the Broncos in the snow and hail at Bolton.

I expect its ridiculously high humidity too? It's gonna hit a the players after the first 10, but obviously the northern hemisphere lads will struggle a lot more.

[Dunbar]

13 minutes ago, Bostik Bailey said:

I think the weather will also play a big part expected high 30s-40 C, Saints will wilt under that heat.

It will be the reverse of when we beat the Broncos in the snow and hail at Bolton.

An expected high 30's to 40c for an 8.00pm kick off?

[latchford albion]

15 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

An expected high 30's to 40c for an 8.00pm kick off?

6pm kickoff I think, but yeah still very hot.

[Saint Toppy]

On 11/02/2023 at 15:53, Dunbar said:

The chase from Saints has to be perfect next week (better than today) to stop tye big carries from the Panthers outside backs.

Keep hearing this about the threat from the big outside backs, thought Saints did pretty well in that department given they don't get much bigger than Ravalawa, Suli & Moga 

[Saint Toppy]

Overall that wasn't a bad performance for a first hit out for quite a few of those players. The forwards in particular looked to have the upper hand against the Dragons and as much I like Bell as a player he doesn't bring the same intensity in defence that Knowles will next week.

For me what Saints need to do in order to really stand a chance next week is to cut down on the errors. Hurrels mis-read cost them 1 try and a couple of missed tackles the 2nd. They also put the ball down a few times when not really under much pressure so ball control needs to improve as the Panthers will punish them much more than the Dragons were capable of.

Ok so the Dragons had a few missing like Hunt, Bird, Sloan, Woods & Molo but it was by no means a reserve team and lets be honest Saints dominated the majority of that game and even if the Dragons had been at near full strength I still fancy Saints would have won.

Bring on the Panthers !!!

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Saint Toppy said:

Overall that wasn't a bad performance for a first hit out for quite a few of those players. The forwards in particular looked to have the upper hand against the Dragons and as much I like Bell as a player he doesn't bring the same intensity in defence that Knowles will next week.

For me what Saints need to do in order to really stand a chance next week is to cut down on the errors. Hurrels mis-read cost them 1 try and a couple of missed tackles the 2nd. They also put the ball down a few times when not really under much pressure so ball control needs to improve as the Panthers will punish them much more than the Dragons were capable of.

Ok so the Dragons had a few missing like Hunt, Bird, Sloan, Woods & Molo but it was by no means a reserve team and lets be honest Saints dominated the majority of that game and even if the Dragons had been at near full strength I still fancy Saints would have won.

Bring on the Panthers !!!

Go on then Toppy I will put you on the spot - just a bit of fun, mind - scoreline prediction please.

I will go 24 - 12 to the Panthers 

[Saint Toppy]

20 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Go on then Toppy I will put you on the spot - just a bit of fun, mind - scoreline prediction please.

I will go 24 - 12 to the Panthers 

Personally I think its going to go the same way as the Roosters game a few years back with the majority of the game being fairly close but the Panthers managing to pull out something spectacular in the last quarter to win it

28-20