af wrote:
In the case of Bradford in 2003, they had to defeat Leeds at Cardiff to secure the cup, at Headingley then Odsal to claim the hubcap and in the play-offs en route to Old Trafford. You say they could have gone either way. This suggests the result was, like a coin toss, determined by chance. But the Leeds-Bradford coin was tossed five times in 2003 and it came down Bradford-side-up five times. The chances of that occuring by chance are 1/32, or 3% I'd say it probably did not occur by chance.
How can you try and compare a rugby game to a coin toss? You won the CC final by 2 points, a league game at headingly by 2 points and a game at odsal by 1 point (which secured top spot). There were many incidents in those games, had they gone leeds way they could easily have won all 3.
It's exactly the same as, had things gone your way in games against leeds last year, you would not have lost a single game to leeds and would have finished 2nd and probably made the grand final
af wrote:
In the case of Saints, Leeds hit the auto-destruct in the CC semis and the first round of the play-offs, so Saints faced Hull and Huddersfield in the two finals of that year.
af wrote:
Saints may have been further ahead of the rest in 06 than Bulls were in 03. However, I'd argue that coming through each of a series of battles with your nearest challengers to record the perfect season is more aesthetically pleasing than an uneventful cruise laid on for you by the failings of others.
Not really true. Bradford played wigan in the final when leeds who finished 2nd were your closest challengers. You edged out wigan in an uneventful final. Hull were saints closest challengers, they finsihed 2nd and were the only team to beat them at KR that season. But saints brushed their closest challengers aside. Remember though that the game was well in the balance until 2 minutes before halftime.
Ditto the CC final. Hudds scored 1st and were giving saints a real scare until sean long snook over 1 minute before half time.
So i'd argue saints treble was better. They were light years ahead of the competition in terms of consistency. When it came to the finals they were given real tough games but saints superiority shone through, like the bulls they overcame whatever was thrown at them, in far mor emphatic style and unlike the bulls i don't think they need the rub of the green in certain key games.
Yup.
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