Summarise the coming season : Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:19 am  

One way of summarising the coming season is by how many trophies you think we shall win.

There are 4 in all.

1. Challenge Cup.
2. League leaders
3. Grand Final.
4. World Campionship [counting the next World Championship]

Will it be no trophies --------disappointing
One trophy--------------------acceptable
Two trophies------------------Good
Three trophies----------------Very Good
Four trophies------------------Excellent

Personally I am HOPING for two. Anything else will be bonus.

Cheers

Ch.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:27 am  

If we win the GF it will have been an excellent season. That is the target for Saints, and I am sure is the primary concern for all Saints fans.

If we miss out on it I will be disappointed - particularly if it is a repeat of the manner of the previous two occasions.

A day out at Wembley is good, but make no mistake the majority want the GF.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:33 am  

Given how poorly we've done in player recruitment recently, we're being cheeky to expect to win anything. Our saving grace is that a lot of the other sides are still struggling to regain their former strength. Sides like Hull, Wigan and Bradford don't seem capable of challenging this season. Warrington do on paper, but we've said that so many times down the years and their coaching staff seems so weak. It's amazing that we're even in contention when you consider we've probably released 20 first team players over the past two seasons and signed 2.

We are starting the season stretched for players. Can you imagine how feable we would be if Gidley and Gardner got injured?

Leeds should complete a clean sweep this year, anything less will be a failure for them.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:35 am  

I'd be more than happy with it being "acceptable" and win the GF.

We have no right to win any and i personally think we might struggle to win any this year.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:32 am  

I think that this season we will have done well if we finish in the top 4.We have 17/18 players that can do well but we will get injuries and the young lads will have to come in.This is when we could struggle.This is not saying the young kids will let us down,it;s just a lot to ask when we play 2,3 or 4 of them together.I am sure a few of these kids will come good in the next season or two.We still have money left on the salary cap so if we could find a top centre this would be a big help.I will not be disappointed if we finish 4th and win nothing.The future is very promising.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:40 am  

Personally I don't think we'll be serious challengers for anything this year.

The youth development and player recruitment has nowhere near kept pace with players leaving over the last 4 years or so and I reckon this is the year when that policy comes home to roost.

Without Long and KC next year we'll be much worse.

Call me a pessimist but look at our squad and look at Leeds squad. Their youngsters are way ahead of ours as is their recruitment of senior players.

Re: Summarise the coming season : Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:40 am  

Champs wrote:

One way of summarising the coming season is by how many trophies you think we shall win.

There are 4 in all.

1. Challenge Cup.
2. League leaders
3. Grand Final.
4. World Campionship [counting the next World Championship]

Will it be no trophies --------disappointing
One trophy--------------------acceptable
Two trophies------------------Good
Three trophies----------------Very Good
Four trophies------------------Excellent

Personally I am HOPING for two. Anything else will be bonus.

Cheers

Ch.

That's a far too simplistic analysis of success. For instance, I would count winning the CC as an excellent season. Most teams fans dream about it, where as we have done it three in a row. Getting a fourth would be a superb achievement.

Ideally, we should be aiming for the GF, we have some wrongs to right there.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:18 pm  

Harry Pinner wrote:

Personally I don't think we'll be serious challengers for anything this year.

The youth development and player recruitment has nowhere near kept pace with players leaving over the last 4 years or so and I reckon this is the year when that policy comes home to roost.

Without Long and KC next year we'll be much worse.

Call me a pessimist but look at our squad and look at Leeds squad. Their youngsters are way ahead of ours as is their recruitment of senior players.

Unfortunately I fall into this bracket but I had similar-ish thoughts last winter and things turned out well. Hopefully the same again will happen although Potter has one big job on to match what we did last year.

Leeds to me are out in front - it would be really good if we stumbled through the league rounds, get to OT from 2nd/3rd and upset the appecart and do it against the team who should really run away with the Minor Prem. Would kind of make up for recent events?

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:24 pm  

Harry Pinner wrote:

Personally I don't think we'll be serious challengers for anything this year.

The youth development and player recruitment has nowhere near kept pace with players leaving over the last 4 years or so and I reckon this is the year when that policy comes home to roost.

Without Long and KC next year we'll be much worse.

Call me a pessimist but look at our squad and look at Leeds squad. Their youngsters are way ahead of ours as is their recruitment of senior players.

I agree with you in ridiculing our internal recruitment policies of late, but I think our saving grace is going to be the rubbishness of the other challengers. Warrington look better than us this season squad wise, but the rest are still lacking. Leeds are comfortably ahead, but in a one off game they are beatable, as we proved in the semi final.

: Wed Feb 11, 2009 12:46 pm  

To summise I'd say Leeds appear to be well in front of everybody, especially as Watkins looks a real prospect at centre. Probably the break through British RL needs given it paucity of quality backs.

I still see Saints as the challengers to Leeds given everyone else is crap, really.