Y'know, Pete, my little cupcake, you're repeating yourself, which is dull and therefore quite boring. Why not try a different introduction? Like 'That was a daft thing to say' or 'I think that was a stupid reply'. At least you won't then read like an online version of Wigan's attack.




And as bewareshadows so intelligently said, there is an argument which could say that what James Roby does is also predictable (gosh! sacrilige!) but there is no doubting its effectiveness and that he is hard to stop. Someone/something can be dull and effective, you know. Wigan are dull but effective because they are repetitive. The key, IMO, is not to let Wigan build up their well rehed attack but instead get in their faces in defence, which is what Wire did when they met Wigan earlier in the season, and Wire won. Because Wigan are so well rehed, if you screw with their pattern they don't know what to do. There are really only two players in the Wigan team who appear capable of true off the cuff rugby - Leuluai and Tomkins.


Well, you see, that is what I said!

Sorry my little flower but Wigan ain't dull and certainly not boring to watch.

Well you know, my little rosebud, if everyone agreed with each other the world would be almost as dull and predictable as Wigan passing to Pat Richards for a try. I'd hate it myself so I'm glad you have your view and I have mine.

Well my little buttercup, that's exactly what I've just wrote in your defence.

If Saints scored tries like Wigan did yesterday there would be no stopping her "great", "wonderful", "sublime" and any other adjectives she could use.

To say that was boring, dull, predictable rugby yesterday is disrespectful of the game of RL itself.

Rogues, steady on, next you'll be doing her in the Hague for Crimes against RL. Lets face it your wigan and the games over, any leanings I had towards wigan were only cause I did not want wire to do 3 CC on the bounce.

As Far as I'm concerned it's open season on Wigan again until you meet Wire penultimate game and my support will lean depending on how close to the Wire, Saints are at that point.

Looking at Wigan, you do seam to go at it a million miles an hour in the the first 30, if we can control the game in that 30 like we did at the DW, I reckon we have your card marked, just like we did at the DW until Hoffmister used under hand tactics to take out one of our last halfbacks. But now we have 4 available. So if you take out 1 we can replace them.

It's a good tactic as putting everything into that first 30 means most teams can't live with you, but I reckon we can. And we will.

Lets stuff the pies in the semi.






=#FF0080Hull KR permitting

Back on topic....

Wigan have shown in some of the big games this year that they're a fantastically drilled side both offensively and defensively.

Sure, they can be really frustrating to watch and play at times, especially when they hold down and slow the play the ball down, but if the refs allow them to get away with it, why would they stop doing it? At the end of the day, the rest of us need to wise up to it and be as effective in the tackle.

I think offensively, whilst they may not be as off the cuff as Warrington, they are very well structured and use dummer runners better than anybody in the country. They always create overlaps and it's difficult to defend especially when Tomkins is 3rd man out and uses his speed and slipperyness to evade opponents.

They would be big favourites against us in a potential Semi or Final and whilst we're capable of beating Wigan (they are beatable as the 24pts conceded - could've been 30pts if Hodgson had kicked the goals), we haven't shown form this year anywhere near capable of challenging them at the moment. We need to defend much better and play much smarter if we're to compete and not get blown away like Warrington did in 2 spells yesterday. IMO, we need a practically full strength side and a firing Leon Pryce playing to compete.

Ah. This makes my heart beat with pride! At last! A true Saints fan talking!

what a game, wow! best game of RL i've seen all year, it was always going to be a big ask for wire without Briers, Morley and others

Oh so true!

You know, my little flower, your repeating yourself with this silly smilie.

I can agree in part, but we do have the capability to beat them. Lets not forget how out gunned we've been all year. I think this week is about the only week where we have gained a player without losing one.

There hasn't been any consistent form, but in our games against Wigan I reckon we have shown enough that we can live with them, we just need a few players on the pitch.

We did in the opening two games, but in our last game against Wigan we were comprehensively outplayed like we were in last years Grand Final. It worries me that we haven't learnt our lessons and Wigan know how to play us. Good Friday gives me hope that we can challenge them on our day.

Wigan are certainly not unbeatable but if they play how they did in the first 20 mins we will struggle to compete. I don't think we can play at that high pace and physical like Wigan did. They was very physical in defence and that's something we don't seem to have.

If we could weather the storm for 20 mins either side of the first and second half we'd be in with a chance but they tackle very hard and very well.

I know what you mean, the last game against Wigan was woeful. But even in that game we created chances against a tiring Wigan, but we could not hold the ball for toffee. I think our completion in that game was about 40 - 50 %. Which is about as bad as we have performed all season. We were totally out muscled in the forwards. It was also the week after the exiles game, in which nearly are entire pack played and backed up 2 days later. I know Wigan players also played. But it was mainly TP, Soliola, Graham, Wilkin, who we needed to have an impact against wigan and these where the ones backing up that week.

The next week against Wire, they where much better, but where let down by Gaskell who had a bit of a shocking opening 20.

I'm not saying we are favourites, but I think we have the ammo to hurt wigan and Wire, we just need to get it to the field.

Well Evans and O'Brien looked the part when stepping in and we have a very good U20s team, are they good enough? god knows.

Also with said players retiring that would also leave a rather large chunk of cap space and signing on fees isn't a problem with our owner.

So predictable that the other teams haven't been able to stop it yet

Damn you!!!!! was just to post the same....

"Off the cuff " rugby equates to desperate rugby in my book.... hate it...

As predictable as Wigan passing to Pat Richards for a try?

Thats why Josh Charnleys scored 18 this season, and Sam has scored around 15 I guess?

If you want to go down that route, them years the likes of Ade Gardner topped your try scorers, is that just because Saints were dull and predictable because all you did was pass it to him via Jamie Lyon/Matt Gidley?

Take your Saints specs off and enjoy good rugby league.

I've already posted it, so best you both to it.



The days of off the cuff rugby are pretty much gone these days with teams being well drilled and well coached to play by the game plan the coach wants.

Wigans rugby ain't boring, it's just well structured rugby thss drilled in to the players abd has been very effective for Wigan.

Off the cuff rugby leads to drop balls, missed placed passes, forced passes and passing when it's not on.

The game has moved on.

Really, I think you can have structure and off the cuff. Tomkins is fairly off the cuff and we have done so good stuff too.

I don't think there are any absolutes in sport and as soon as you think you have discovered a winning formula that's when other teams go by you by rethinking the wheel.

Sometimes it's big players that are the fancy of the day, other times speed, other times a mobile pack. Some times it's ball handlers other times it having a kicking machine that help.

Some would say defence is the key at the moment, but it will only be a matter of time when an attacking side rules the day as when all defences come to a standard it takes the team that can attack to make the difference and as soon as everyone latches onto that, defence will be king again.

Tomkins is so off the cuff he doesnt even know himself what he is going to do when he gets the ball. A rugby genius like Sam does cause problems for his own team, sometimes all you can do is give him the free reign and back him up when he produces another gem of RL genius

I said elsewhere on this thread that the only players who are off the cuff at Wigan are Leuluai and Tomkins.

Congratulations. 1460 posts and finally one that's worth reading even if you have lathered it in sugar-coated Wigoon cheese.