Sat 18th Feb: World Club Challenge: Penrith Panthers v St Helens KO 7:00 (UK Time) (Sky/C4)

[Damien]

19 minutes ago, dkw said:

If only we had some way of seeing which of 2 teams is the better one, maybe some kind of contest on some grass or something....

Geez, that'll never catch on

[FearTheVee]

12 minutes ago, Sports Prophet said:

Well there are many. The injections in their arms last night for one. I assume that is them injecting ice in their veins, but I really have NFI! If someone knows, let me know.

I must say that is an incredibly poor look for the panthers players.  Was surprised to see it.

The latest excuses I read from Panthers were their WC players only returned two weeks ago (lie) and they were preparing for hot weather footy for weeks then got that weather (whereas I assume Saints were training at some weather controlled stormy Eden project base camp for the last two weeks, the cheeky so and sos).

Edited February 19, 2023 by FearTheVee

[Sports Prophet]

1 minute ago, FearTheVee said:

I must say that is an incredibly poor look for the panthers players.  Was surprised to see it.

Absolutely, but, they are in Penrith afterall.

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

40 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Ok, I mean that game doesn’t prove Saints are better than Penrith. 

Just like any Grand Final or Challenge Cup Final, St Helens just needed to be the best team on the day, and they were

[Eddie]

33 minutes ago, dkw said:

If only we had some way of seeing which of 2 teams is the better one, maybe some kind of contest on some grass or something....

Fair enough, but as you know, what I’m saying is one game doesn’t prove who’s the best. If it did the league winners would go undefeated and win the challenge cup every season. It was a response to Yippee’s comment about Saints proving they are better than Penrith. 
 

However Saints won yesterday and I agree that’s all that matters, and I’m still buzzing about it. 

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

Just like any Grand Final or Challenge Cup Final, St Helens just needed to be the best team on the day, and they were

I’m aware of that thanks. My comment was in reply to Yippee saying the game proved Saints are better. It didn’t. 

[dkw]

3 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I’m aware of that thanks. My comment was in reply to Yippee saying the game proved Saints are better. It didn’t. 

So what did it prove then, will you think the same way about every result of a game? If Penrith won would it mean they aren't better than Saints?

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

I’m aware of that thanks. My comment was in reply to Yippee saying the game proved Saints are better. It didn’t. 

I think if you check the score, you'll find it did

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, dkw said:

So what did it prove then, will you think the same way about every result of a game? If Penrith won would it mean they aren't better than Saints?

It proved that Saints were the better team on the day and are now world champions. If Penrith had won it wouldn’t have proved they’re better than Saints either - one game doesn’t prove that, which you know dkw, so I don’t know what point you’re trying to make. 

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, Cumbrian Fanatic said:

I think if you check the score, you'll find it did

We’ll have to agree to disagree. Maybe when a non league team perform a giant killing in the FA cup you think it means they’re better than the defeated team, in which case fine, but I don’t. 

[dkw]

Just now, Eddie said:

 - one game doesn’t prove that, which you know dkw, so I don’t know what point you’re trying to make. 

Of course it bloody does, that's the whole point of a game. It's literally the only way.

This is ridiculous. 

[Oxford]

Just now, Eddie said:

We’ll have to agree to disagree. Maybe when a non league team perform a giant killing in the FA cup you think it means they’re better than the defeated team, in which case fine, but I don’t. 

By the same argument though, if any team wins a competition it never means they're the best side so there'd be no point in having the comp.

[Eddie]

4 minutes ago, dkw said:

Of course it bloody does, that's the whole point of a game. It's literally the only way.

This is ridiculous. 

So are you certain that Hull KR will finish above Wigan this season because they beat them yesterday? 

[Eddie]

3 minutes ago, Oxford said:

By the same argument though, if any team wins a competition it never means they're the best side so there'd be no point in having the comp.

A knock out cup doesn’t prove who the best team is, a league does.  It doesn’t mean the cup isn’t worthwhile though. 

[Oxford]

4 minutes ago, Eddie said:

A knock out cup doesn’t prove who the best team is, a league does.  It doesn’t mean the cup isn’t worthwhile though. 

Now Eddie you making your own rabbit hole here.

When a team wins a comp they are the best in that comp and have a trophy and yesterdays chip wrappings as a historical record to prove the fact.

Winning a League is much the same as a cup in that respect too.

[Dunbar]

Saints finished 3rd in the pre-season challenge as one of only 3 teams with two wins.

The WCC was significantly more competitive than the other games though with the usual 17 man game day squads and so there trip down under has been an overwhelming success.

[Cumbrian Fanatic]

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, Oxford said:

Now Eddie you making your own rabbit hole here.

When a team wins a comp they are the best in that comp and have a trophy and yesterdays chip wrappings as a historical record to prove the fact.

Winning a League is much the same as a cup in that respect too.

Look I‘m bored now so won’t respond again. If other people on this forum think a one off game proves that the winning team is better than the losing team then fine, but I don’t. A season long league proves who the best team is, all teams can have off days and lose against weaker teams than them. That seems quite obvious to me, but maybe I’m wrong. 

[Dunbar]

I do understand Eddie's argument but I think there are two key points.

1. The only way to prove who is best in sport is competitive games. Saints won so they deserve to be called the best.

2. If the Panthers had won, who would be here saying it doesn't prove they are better than St Helens. 

[GeordieSaint]

Full Saints post-match press conference:

https://www.nrl.com/watch/matches/pre-season-trials/2023/round-2/st-helens-world-club-challenge/

[Kayakman]

The Saints won...they are the better side until they are toppled....they have the trophy....it is theirs until they are beaten for it.

[Jughead]

2 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Look I‘m bored now so won’t respond again. If other people on this forum think a one off game proves that the winning team is better than the losing team then fine, but I don’t. A season long league proves who the best team is, all teams can have off days and lose against weaker teams than them. That seems quite obvious to me, but maybe I’m wrong. 

Do you know how the World Club Challenge works and what getting to play in it entails? Genuine question, because this is absolutely off the wall wild. 

[GUBRATS]

45 minutes ago, FearTheVee said:

I must say that is an incredibly poor look for the panthers players.  Was surprised to see it.

The latest excuses I read from Panthers were their WC players only returned two weeks ago (lie) and they were preparing for hot weather footy for weeks then got that weather (whereas I assume Saints were training at some weather controlled stormy Eden project base camp for the last two weeks, the cheeky so and sos).

Yes , I wondered what that was all about , not a good look , more saying " let's do drugs " , so which thick Aussie started all that ? 

[GUBRATS]

38 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Fair enough, but as you know, what I’m saying is one game doesn’t prove who’s the best. If it did the league winners would go undefeated and win the challenge cup every season. It was a response to Yippee’s comment about Saints proving they are better than Penrith. 
 

However Saints won yesterday and I agree that’s all that matters, and I’m still buzzing about it. 

So if Penrith had won , you'd be arguing that they aren't the best team ? 

You're a Wigan fan aren't you ?  

Make sure you put out your academy against the Leopards this year , just in case we win

[Eddie]

9 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Do you know how the World Club Challenge works and what getting to play in it entails? Genuine question, because this is absolutely off the wall wild. 

It’s not a genuine question Oliver, because you know exactly what I’m saying.
 

If you think a one off game proves that the winner is better than the loser then fine, but as I have said I don’t. By your reckoning you must also think Hull KR are definitely better than Wigan, and that London Broncos were definitely better than Saints the year they beat us twice and got relegated, which seems strange to me but each to their own.