This isn't a pop at the current Saints team.

I can't believe how far the standard of quality RL has slipped. The biggest cheer of the night was for "operation omega". Earlier this week I watched a clip from "Saints Redvee" about 1992 41-6 win against a dominant Wigan team arguably at their peak.
The standard of rugby in those days bears no resemblance to current superleague offerings. Forwards running into gaps, offloads, half backs in true control etc etc. Yes I know it's a different game these days but to me the current game is robotic - little or no off the cuff flair, players over-coached, gameplan and structure dominant etc.

Yes, defence is so structured and dominant these days but, I ask, as a spectacle what is better for entertainment and enjoyment - the current era or what was offered up in former days. No brainer for me!

Agreed.

Unfortunately we can't play the game in the past. (Even though Wigan try to!!!!)

We play in the manner of the previous coach-up the middle most of the time rarely moving the ball wide-its deadly tedious

I thought the whole night was flat but I expected it. These sort of games can be very boring but we got two points and put some points on the board.

It was freezing cold tonight and the wind was cutting thru me and was glad to get home to be honest.

you play to your strengths and opposition weaknesses.

Saints are very much a team that plays it tight down the middle and wears the opposition down, because we have a big mobile pack that is good at making yards and playing the ball quick, with Roby scooting from dummy half.

As for the earlier poster comparing it to the Wigan match in 1992. You are not comparing like with like.
That was two top teams slugging it out, with the game opening up in part because three players were removed from the field, Skerrett permanently for elbowing McCraken in the face, and Platt and Nickle for 10 minutes due to fighting.
I remember watching many matches around that time were Saints went through the motions against weak opposition, such as happened tonight.

How McCraken got up from that elbow I'll never know!

OMG it was freezing..

It was a bit of a case of going through the motions tonight. No more and no less than needed to beat Wakey. But Gawd we did stick to the middle just a bit much. The centres where having to do drive ups from dummy half they were so bored. In the end though it was an easy win and it picks us up one spot up the table this weekend. So after our worst start for years we hit the half way mark (more or less ) as we have played everyone once in 6th. (yes I know we are 5th now but one of Hull or Leeds has to go above us).

PS I think we have found out new flying winger, pity he plays in the Hooking role.

I wasnt there tonight but I agree about SL as a whole being poor this year.

I used to watch every game that was on TV, now I watch a half at most and its usually so one sided its pointless.

There has been a lot of talk of change, looking at things to improve the game etc.. and I think it seriously needs to be looks at.

Yet, Featherstone provided one of the better games to watch against Wigan???

Any news on Sia, he seamed to pick up an inoccuous looking bump, but then went off never to be seen again???

We have to keep in perspective that we were very comfortable and that side would have 5-6 changes to be our prefered starting line up.

Tonight was dire. Very one dimensional attack, we was constantly bunched around the ruck area. All in all just a pretty poor game.

He'll be fine for next week.

Following the quick ruck up the middle will get you so far, but teams can learn to play against it and we rely on it far too often. We need to find plan B. Shenton and Makinson must have felt they were playing rugby union at times.

Wane won't have to watch many videos to see what the moves will be next week.

Lance hohaia had another poor game.

He did. Unfortunately he's starting to look like Eastmond last year, content whit shipping the ball on whenever he gets it.

You really need to finish the screwfix.

It was almost tropical at the DW.

Will you please just **** off, you pathetic, sad, rotting old ****ing troll. You're so far beyond boring now it's not even funny. Noone on a Saints board gives a flying **** about anything you think.

Why don't you just go the whole hog in your desperate search for attention, buy yourself a bottle of Strongbow and start sitting outside Wigan Town Hall (or St. Helens' given how much you obviously prefer being around all things St. Helens to the Wigan alternative....) in a puddle of your own urine shouting random profanities at passers by instead? Good ****ing grief....

But you know that's not my style, it's far easier riling MK Dons supporters who rarely attend RL games.

I hope Huddersfield do a great job next week.

Have another cider on me.

Where were you sat tonight?



So which game will it be Hudds v MK Dons or Wigan v Saints.

Or will it be a tele jobbie?

In the Players' Lounge at Stadium:MK actually attending the new kit launch. Very nice it is too, although it lacks the red band that made this season's kit look like a classic Saints strip, and they're ditching ISC for a local kit manufacturer to further lessen the Saints look, but hey ho you can't have everything. It does however have a picture of the stadium watermarked into it (MK, like Saints, own their own stadium by the way) to celebrate it being completed this summer.

Oh, and Hudds/MK all the way. Being forced to have sit in with the inbred hoi-polloi (as you've apparently been turfed out of half of "your" stadium by a butterfly watcher's convention or summat who have higher priority on use of the Latics' Function Rooms than "The World's Greatest RL Club" do) settled that argument rather tidily. Wembley here I come - twice probably now that Bent-One isn't around to save your sorry asses....

a bit harsh-he must have run the ball at least 3 times!!

He wasnt that good mate,gets pushed off more tackles than Gaskell did as well.

I'm not knocking him for effort but it's just not happening for him. His kicking game is one of the worst I've ever seen.

Maybe it's just not going his way or he's just not a halfback but I hope it's true he wants to go home and we bring finch in.

I have to say last night raised the question about whether Lance helps Lomax's game or not. In the end most of our plays came off the back of dummy half. Lomax and Lance had little to do and did little. Lomax certainly has played better since Lance came into halfback, but then there were other changes in the team at that time.

I thought LMS put in some effort into his running last night. Once again the pack did it's job, but Manu will be a great addition as he will provide some much needed offloads in the tackle. hopefully!

I think it's obvious lomax plays better with hohaia, god knows why as he don't do anything but IMO its clear he does.

Maybe is having someone with experince makes jonny more confident ?

In the games against the lesser teams I think we can get away with lance being at 6 but when we come up against the likes of Wigan we really need that experinced halve with lomax.

The ain't a chance in hell we will get finch here next year but I think it would be a massive coup if we did, him playing alongside jonny will do the team and jonny the world of good.

I like to think that Lances relative invisibility last night was more down to a desire to keep the cards close to the chest so to speak, because of the far more important fixture occurring next saturday at Wigan Athletics ground.

If not then he is looking like a solid but unspectacular signing.

He must be keeping them close to his chest all year then because he's been invisable nearly all year.