Much moaning about the ref
Much congratulatory slather about a close, entertaining game.

Meh, Wire were inept. The British game needs to set its sights higher than that level of performance if wants to compete when it matters.

Thought it was brilliant. That was a good close game, and confirmed that it is rubbish that our top teams can't compete.

The tacle on Penney looked horrendous at the time, but more viewings from the inside angle showed he was right with shoulder first.

Would have loved to see my own team playing in these games.

Was really impressed with Hill, England, and Sims, who looked really strong.

Despite both high shots starting somewhere other than the head, both were, in my opinion, reckless to say the least. Ten minutes sit-downs were in order.

And a good game. Warrington made too many silly errors.

We missed Ratchford, I'm getting more frustrated with Myler as the years roll on.

Agree with Gotcha I thought it was a cracking game that showed we can compete with the Aussies. A few daft errors really cost Warrington. I also thought they lacked a bit of leadership. I reckon if Briers had still been playing that Warrington would've won that.

Keep Wheeler fit stick him in the halves and Ratch at 1 and I'm good, if Myler went tomorrow i doubt I'd raise an eyebrow, love his support play, i think it's 2nd to none but if that is all he has to offer then he needs shipping out.

A cracking game, in the sense the sides were evenly matched and there was a decent level of intensity about it.

Beyond that, I find your post contradictory. It's precisely those daft errors and that lack of leadership (plus a second rate kicking game) that costs us again and again at international level - major reasons why we don't win are still at the forefront, it would seem.
Although I thought the score flattered Wire slightly, they may indeed have won with Briers. But that would have been against a side that finished, what, 11th and is still a fortnight away from their season proper.
I would agree that we can compete, I just feel that that game fell some way short of demonstrating it.

As a neutral I thought it was a really entertaining game - it had everything and could have gone either way right down to the last minute.

As a Wire fan I'd be thinking we got the sh*tty end of the stick regarding the leniency with some of the ref’s calls.

I thoroughly enjoyed it. Leaving aside arguments about quality it contained a level of intensity so often lacking in Super League. Warrington were very competitive and, remember, Warrington weren't the English Champs, Grand Finalists or even cup winners. They finished fifth in our league table last year.

I've always liked Wheeler but he has never looked physically fit which is why I think he has been so injury prone. I've a mate who is a Saints fan who says he was one of the most naturally gifted players of his generation.

i would have concerns with warringtons back line. both wingers looked average at best

Sorry but as I've said in other forums St George are not a top team, they have plenty of quality but will struggle to make the 8.

You say you were impressed with Sims but he coughed up the ball on more than one occasion which lead to points. I thought he let wire down but was not alone.

It was an exciting game though and was a bit gutted wire didn't win. They made plenty of cheap errors and that's why they lost. I would argue that it says we are still well off. I hope the pies and Saints can do it.

Like at international level, the Australian's superiority in halves and execution of the basics were the difference. Widdop and Marshall came up with the right plays at the right time where as GOB, Myler in particular were total gash. I used to really rate Myler but to me he's become an example of why it's best for young players not to move to big clubs early in their careers sometimes.
I'd also like to add that I thought the St George hooker (Rain) looks like a top player, he played Clark off the park IMO, in fact I think having a hooker on the bench has now had it's time, and it's time clubs in this country this country moved on to another tactic.

For Warrington I thought Westwood and Hill were outstanding, I'm going to be controversial and say that I think Westwood is a better player than Gareth Ellis, and has been for at least 5 years now. I also thought England went well, and Penny was as good as anyone could've expected him to be, I was really pleased for him, the guy has definitely paid his dues.
On the flip side I thought Sims, Clark, Atkins and Monaghan were poor, Monaghan looked his age, and I've never really viewed him as a very well rounded winger in the modern sense. He's good when attacking kicks in the air, and falling over the line but his overall contribution is average IMO.
As for the ref: I thought he reffed the game brilliantly over all. However, he got the 3 key decisions in the game wrong IMO. That's not an excuse though, Warrington had enough chances to win it.

If I were a Wire fan I'd be beyond frustrated. I don't watch him very often, but never find myself impressed when I do. Last night I thought he looked average at best. Was that performance at the lower end of the spectrum of his performances?

I've read that Benji Marshall (& I'd guess Widdop too) has twice weekly sessions with a kicking coach.
The quality of the Dragons kicking game was one of the major differences between the two sides & an area where we always seem to be inferior when compared to the teams down under.
A major lesson to be learned there as has been evident for as long as I've watched top class RL.
One other thing that I really noticed was that the Dragons players always played the ball correctly, if they can be made to do that why can't our players?
We, the Rhinos, are some of the worst culprits & it really bugs me.
It is solely down to the referees.
Re Thaler I thought he reffed the game pretty well, both high shots started on the shoulder. Yellow card? Maybe? But he did get the Atkins reef wrong.
All in all a very enjoyable start to the weekend's games.
I'm not too bothered about tonight's game but I'm looking forward to the proper game on Sunday, let's see how good Saints pack is against the Rabbitohs.

70% of his performances are like last night, then the other 30% he'll be a world beater, that is why i'm frustrated with him, he has it in him but more often than not he flatters to deceive.

An enjoyable game, thought simms looks a good forward , I am assuming that he won't keep on spilling the ball every time he plays.
Not certain what Mylers problem is, as a young player he looked like he would develope in to a top player.
Unfortunately he has not progressed , if anything he has gone backwards. Time to go out on loan to a championship side?
As a rhinos fans but also a rugby fan it was pleasing to see penny coming back to the wire and looking better for his travels .
A bit more composure and the wire could have and should have won.
On balance they will finish up in the top four play off.
I have a slight fear that the Aussie teams will make it three nil, whilst I like the Australians and enjoyed a month in Australia watching rugby. They can be a pain in the backside when they beat any british team.

Myler needs to go to a club lower down the league, either on loan or for a couple of seasons. He'd be playing every week and there'd be far less pressure on him and so I reckon he'd get some confidence back.

Neither are Warrington.

Not getting why people think last night shows that SL can compete with the NRL.

St George were 11th on the NRL ladder. They were playing away from home, in what for them was a pre-season game, against a team that will most likely finish in the top 4 of SL.

And yet they still dealt pretty comfortably with most of what a one-dimensional Warrington threw at them.

I'd love to see fixtures like these take place on neutral ground when both teams are in the middle of their seasons, although I suspect the results might represent something of a wake-up call for SL.

It's funny how normally it's oh top teams in Super League would get hammered by bottom clubs in NRL. When it doesn't happen its, oh they are only a lower team in the NRL.

The top four in super league can compete with the top in the NRL. The problem is that the bottom four of the NRL can compete with the top of Super League. That is because the NRL is much more even. But a top four shouldn't be tarred with the same brush as our bottom dwellers.

Looking at that St George side i dont think they will miss out on the play offs this year.

I agree with Gotcha,i have always been of the view that our top few sides can be a match for the NRL sides.Yes they would be favourites in most of the games if played mid season, but the gap isn't that big.Warrington shot themselves in the foot last night if they didn't make silly errors at the play the ball drop the ball in there own quarter, and throw the ball away (Atkins springs to mind) they would have won imo.

The problem with the teams in SL, even the top teams is they lack quality and composure in the key pivot positions. I reckon the top teams in SL can give any team in the NRL a game because physically and defensively they're pretty even. However, the lack of craft from the halves and the hooker is evident in most SL teams when you compare them to their NRL counter parts.

That first "high" tackle on Penny was brilliant. High on the chest and that was it, Penny's pace helped propell him in the air. The Benji Marshall yes was higher but I've seen worse. Otherwise out of the three games I thought that would be the worst but a cracking game

Plus, George Rose, what a hero

Joking aside, he's actually a very good player IMO