Quote ="BORORHINO"I full understand your point. Unfortunately it is not held up by the fact that Saints chose to put out a weakened side the week before the final. This happened before the competition was moved to the summer. It is the fault of the rules that allow teams get away with this dubious practice.
Contrary to your assertion, Saints did not lose "form" last August. They maintained their run all the way to the Grand Final. I suspect that your view is based on the fact that Leeds imploded after the final against Hull. Don't Leeds implode at this time every year, shag, irrespective of involvement in the CC?'"
It's not about primarily about losing form... it's about priorities and taking your eye off Super League when still involved in the latter stages of the MM Cup. That's why Saints only just scraped past Quins at home 30-24 and beat Wakey 52-36 just prior to the MM Cup Final last year. And this from a team whose defence was rock solid all year apart from that particular period. Then they fielded a weakened team away at Catalans Dragons, basically throwing the game.
This is also the same period that saw Leeds lose at home to Stains, away at Hull and at home to Wigan, though you have to take into account Leeds familiar late season chokes as well. And what about the all-conquering Hull KR from NL1 last year? Their run in the MM Cup meant they lost to Leigh twice, 18-22 and 12-36, then got thrashed away at Whitehaven 48-12 in the run-up to their MM Cup Semi Final.
The previous year, Hull lost at home to London and Wigan prior to their late MM Cup involvement, and then went on a disasterous losing run immediately after beating Leeds at the Millennium. Saints scraped past Leigh away 27-20 as they had the MM Cup Semi on their minds, and Leeds got trounced 42-10 by the Bulls at Headingley.
There is clear evidence that MM Cup involvement in the shape of MM Cup Semi Finals and Finals affects those clubs focus, results and form in Super League throughout that period and that shouldn't be allowed to happen.
