Saints will be blaming fatigue from their Penrith friendly in October

2 defeats each for Saints and Wigan probably makes the season more interesting. Wakefield and Cas aside - all teams look competitive and the league table after 4 games is not what people predicted.

Although if Saints finished 6th and went into the playoffs fit and on form then they'd still be favourites.

Ban for Knowles, surely there must be an appeal https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/65017886

Ban for Knowles, surely there must be an appeal https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/65017886

Star? Who writes these columns? https://www.totalrl.com/paul-wellens-co ... -fc-clash/

Star? Who writes these columns? https://www.totalrl.com/paul-wellens-co ... -fc-clash/

Quote Zig="Zig"Star? Who writes these columns? https://www.totalrl.com/paul-wellens-co ... -fc-clash/'" Now now, he's a member of the greatest squad of players in the history of the sport, "star" is a barely adequate description

Quote Zig="Zig"Star? Who writes these columns? https://www.totalrl.com/paul-wellens-co ... -fc-clash/'" Now now, he's a member of the greatest squad of players in the history of the sport, "star" is a barely adequate description

When Phil Clark mentioned " the Rugby Gods" it was alluding to this St Helens team,everyone a god of some description-
Welsby-God of "petulance"
Ben Davies- God of "who is he"
Bennison-God of "dropsie "
Knowles- God of "the offside rule doesnt apply to me "
LMS- God awful
Hurrell- God of "Hamburger stall"
etc etc

It's going to hurt to write this but here we go.

Taking the Michael out of them as a squad at the minute sounds daft. They've just gone and beat the NRLs best on their own patch. No way would an NRL club just let that happen.

There is of course a debate over whether they are the best that SL has had to offer or whether they've benefited from a poor competition, but that win has quite rightly sealed their place in history alongside one other. Calling all their players just seems daft.

Granted I'm claiming we still lead because of the Canterbury win in 97

Agree with all of that, and i have posted on both forums, that this blip is all down to the WCC. Saints will probably be factoring into their season 3-4 losses by Easter / late April time, and will feel they are good enough to win the GF from 3,4 or 5th, but its just a little harder

the one thing they probably hadnt factored in, and is having an impact has been the bans picked up. Was chatting to one of my mates who is a Saints ST holder, and he said they look laboured / lethergic, especially in the last 20-30 mins of the games he's been to, and falling off tackles, so no doubt some of this is brought on by the fallout from the WCC. That then impacts on ability to rotate squad and try to keep them as fresh as possible.

I'm not writing them off in the playoffs that's for sure regardless of where they finish. We lost 8 games last season and finished 2nd. Catalans lost 11 and finished 4th.

They'll finish top 4 no worries, and will need to win 3 games as opposed to 2.

Agree with you and your mate. We definitely aren't defending with anywhere near the same vigour as the last few seasons, we do seem to be falling off tackles and are missing way more than we normally would.

The Knowles/Sironen/Matautia ban bingo game has started in earnest, its Knowles's turn this week although to be fair he won't be as big of a loss as previously in my opinion, as he has started the season poorly. A week off may do him the world of good.

I also feel we may have under-estimated just how good Woolf was. He goes to the Dolphins (granted not as head coach) and they are 3 from 3 and smashing teams in defence.

I was very critical of us at the Hull game however in the cold light of day when I reflected, we had Batchelor, Hopoate, Hurrell and Matautia all missing and then lost Percival in the warm up. That then meant Makinson went to centre and Ritson came in. We then lost Davies in the first half who had been playing as centre so Sironen had to play there. The back line was decimated which was reflected in our clunky attack.

Also it was obvious that Hull were going to have a response after being smashed by Salford and played quite well.

At this stage in the season it was just good to get a win again. Worryingly though both Lomax and Walmsley are way below par.

The loss of Woolf is massive. He took you backwards in attack from the Holbrook days IMO, but what he added in defence and the ability to do the basics right time and time again is what you made you so tough to beat.

I do wonder, and of course hope, as an oppposing fan whether the WCC win was your peak. Everything you worked towards over the last few years was to win the WCC (Woolf being there was a strange one for me) and now that you have (as well as doing a record 4 in a row) you'll start the downturn now that might see one or two tough seasons whilst you replace the likes of Walmsley, Lomax, Makinson, Percival with the next cabs from the rank.

EDIT - Just to add to the above, I'm likening it to Leeds in 2015 and the retirements of Sinfield, Peacock, Leuluai and then their rebuild since.

No doubt they’ll be up there at the business end of the season but it has to be said when Roby is absent they don’t look half as cohesive as a team, managing his workload will be key for them. Massive loss for Saints if he really does pack in at the end of the season.