Re: Forward watch : Tue Apr 12, 2022 1:18 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

Huge test and a test we need. We’re going to have to raise a couple of levels to get close to them. The end result of Friday could be wildly different from a mental perspective. Do well and everyone gains loads of confidence and are excited for the season ahead but lose badly and it could really knock us back. It’s a massive opportunity to really lay down a marker. The best attribute this Saints side possess IMO is an ability to always look far more desperate to win a game than their opposition, well we can’t let that happen. We need this far more. To them it’s just another Derby and win or lose they’ll be in any shake up at the end of the season but for us it’s an opportunity to rid some demons, grow our confidence and show them we can be a threat.

Making a pitch for a job as Matty Peet's script-writer there, NK?

Re: Forward watch : Tue Apr 12, 2022 8:32 am  

moto748 wrote:

Making a pitch for a job as Matty Peet's script-writer there, NK?

I don’t charge a lot

Re: Forward watch : Tue Apr 12, 2022 9:37 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

I don’t charge a lot

There's a good reason for that.

Re: Forward watch : Tue Apr 12, 2022 9:40 am  

Will be a tough game on Friday. I'm not under-estimating Wigan at all, they have strike in Field and French and I was quietly impressed with them on Sunday. Farrell loves the derby games and is a superb line runner and Bateman is looking more like the Bateman that performed in the NRL. Mago offers something different and Havard is a great young forward.

That said if we play to our best we will win. We are the best team in the comp and seem to get better when it matters in the big games. Our two real big tests this season against Catalans, we have passed with flying colours and beaten them well both times.

I am concerned about Field up against Hurrell and our right edge does not fill me with complete confidence. However despite the horrible conditions when Wigan played Catalans in France, Field was well shackled so I expect Woolf will have something up his sleeve to minimise his threat. I also saw the Wigan v Salford game and to be fair to Salford they did a real number on Field probably the best of any team this season against him.

There is a clear blueprint to beat Saints but saying it and doing it are two completely different things. You need the field position first and foremost and thats easier said than done with our defence.

Sironen missing is a huge blow as he is really starting to show why we signed him now. Him and Matautia can both comfortably play 80 mins and allow full rotation of the props. Both are now missing which means we will more than likely need to rotate Wingfield if selected.

That won't be an excuse if we lose as of course Wigan are missing KPP, Ellis, Thornley and likely Marshall.

This is a different Wigan side no question and they come into the game in good form from Sunday.

Hopefully it will be a cracker and not ruined by a poor refereeing decision or a sending off.

Re: Forward watch : Tue Apr 12, 2022 9:44 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

There's a good reason for that.

I’d pull my team talks from old videos of Alex Murphy

Re: Forward watch : Tue Apr 12, 2022 1:36 pm  

Stu M wrote:

Will be a tough game on Friday. I'm not under-estimating Wigan at all, they have strike in Field and French and I was quietly impressed with them on Sunday. Farrell loves the derby games and is a superb line runner and Bateman is looking more like the Bateman that performed in the NRL. Mago offers something different and Havard is a great young forward.

That said if we play to our best we will win. We are the best team in the comp and seem to get better when it matters in the big games. Our two real big tests this season against Catalans, we have passed with flying colours and beaten them well both times.

I am concerned about Field up against Hurrell and our right edge does not fill me with complete confidence. However despite the horrible conditions when Wigan played Catalans in France, Field was well shackled so I expect Woolf will have something up his sleeve to minimise his threat. I also saw the Wigan v Salford game and to be fair to Salford they did a real number on Field probably the best of any team this season against him.

There is a clear blueprint to beat Saints but saying it and doing it are two completely different things. You need the field position first and foremost and thats easier said than done with our defence.

Sironen missing is a huge blow as he is really starting to show why we signed him now. Him and Matautia can both comfortably play 80 mins and allow full rotation of the props. Both are now missing which means we will more than likely need to rotate Wingfield if selected.

That won't be an excuse if we lose as of course Wigan are missing KPP, Ellis, Thornley and likely Marshall.

This is a different Wigan side no question and they come into the game in good form from Sunday.

Hopefully it will be a cracker and not ruined by a poor refereeing decision or a sending off.

A fair post, difficult to disagree with any of it.

Re: Forward watch : Wed Apr 13, 2022 11:27 am  

I’m still concerned that we can’t reach the intensity to trouble Saints. There were some positive steps against Wakefield but they were significantly under strength and I think people have gone a bit overboard with praise of the team to be honest, not that I blame them after the dross we’ve put up with in recent times.

Re: Forward watch : Wed Apr 13, 2022 1:00 pm  

DannyT wrote:

I’m still concerned that we can’t reach the intensity to trouble Saints. There were some positive steps against Wakefield but they were significantly under strength and I think people have gone a bit overboard with praise of the team to be honest, not that I blame them after the dross we’ve put up with in recent times.

I don't think it was overboard Danny. We had more missing than them. They had first choice winger Johnstone missing, we had first choice winger Marshall missing. They had first choice forward Fafita missing, we had first choice forward Ellis. The only non like for like was Miller.

I know you could argue that the missing players are more important to them than ours are to us but they've been winning without some of those players recently anyway and, in truth, didn't seem to be hindering them too much, particularly in the early parts of that game. We were just better.

I found it annoying that the report of the match posted by the news hound said Wakefield had players missing while we were almost at full strength when we had the most players missing. I put that down to lazy journalism but perhaps Wigan missing players doesn't count as much as other teams missing them. I'm at a loss as to why though.

Re: Forward watch : Wed Apr 13, 2022 7:48 pm  

Stu M wrote:

Will be a tough game on Friday. I'm not under-estimating Wigan at all, they have strike in Field and French and I was quietly impressed with them on Sunday. Farrell loves the derby games and is a superb line runner and Bateman is looking more like the Bateman that performed in the NRL. Mago offers something different and Havard is a great young forward.

That said if we play to our best we will win. We are the best team in the comp and seem to get better when it matters in the big games. Our two real big tests this season against Catalans, we have passed with flying colours and beaten them well both times.

I am concerned about Field up against Hurrell and our right edge does not fill me with complete confidence. However despite the horrible conditions when Wigan played Catalans in France, Field was well shackled so I expect Woolf will have something up his sleeve to minimise his threat. I also saw the Wigan v Salford game and to be fair to Salford they did a real number on Field probably the best of any team this season against him.

There is a clear blueprint to beat Saints but saying it and doing it are two completely different things. You need the field position first and foremost and thats easier said than done with our defence.

Sironen missing is a huge blow as he is really starting to show why we signed him now. Him and Matautia can both comfortably play 80 mins and allow full rotation of the props. Both are now missing which means we will more than likely need to rotate Wingfield if selected.

That won't be an excuse if we lose as of course Wigan are missing KPP, Ellis, Thornley and likely Marshall.

This is a different Wigan side no question and they come into the game in good form from Sunday.

Hopefully it will be a cracker and not ruined by a poor refereeing decision or a sending off.

I’d be more concerned about Hurrell running at Field!

Re: Forward watch : Wed Apr 13, 2022 9:26 pm  

Shabino wrote:

I’d be more concerned about Hurrell running at Field!

To be honest I would be more concerned Field/French running around Hurrell