at the end of the day the roll of honour will still say....
winners 2007,2008,2009......LEEDS
To lose three in a row is something that you will be tarnished with......FOREVER












BYE BYE SAINTS YOUR A SPENT FORCE

At least we were there though eh

You won the Challlenge Cup in 2001, shame a Wigan fan has to remind you





No, you were in ascent.



But then you had a squad of brilliantly talented players at their peak, not fading 30-somethings and kids coming through who get pasted by Wigan.



Sh*t happens!!





We sure will

I know but losing 3 in a row is a terrible legacy.

When you look at the record books and see

Winners: leeds runners up: saints
Winners: leeds runners up: saints
Winners: leeds runners up: saints

It just reeks of leeds ownage.

Winning 3 on the trot is unprecedented.......but so is losing 3 on the trot!

The recent saints team has been a very good team but it will be remembered as that team who were leeds b*tches in the grand final for a few years.

In a similiar way the early sl era bulls team is remembered as the 'anyone but saints' team.

read in the programme thats 5/2 for a saints leeds final next year, bet you can get good money on leeds turning us over again.



i really hate leeds

Pity you don't rest it in your mouth.
Can't you just go and play with your pie eating friends (sorry forgot you don't have any apart from jonh - in whatever re-incarnation and that buffoon fistula) and stop spouting this ugly mixture of spite and jealousy?

Get a fecking life.

Whilst i far from think it's the decline of Saints, and I was genuinely upset for you guys tonight (some of my best mates at work are Saints fans), I think Rogues's reaction is maybe just a small reflection of some of the patronising childish crap that's been posted by a [ismall[/i minority of your fans on our board for the past few years - you only need to look at the antics of your south park flavoured friend on pretty much every other board going just as an example.

I'm not condoning it, as personally I think we're all RL fans and shouldn't be looking to point score.

Super League needs all the teams to be growing stronger, and I think this is just a blip for Saints (I can't envisage a long term decline). It will be hard to replace KC, Long, Gilmour, Wellens etc, but you'll get through it.

Brian , you have not won more than the mighty Wire though. Now the North West 's premier club

Look at your INS and outs.

You ain't even got a real coach.

If were a spent force then it doesn't say much for Wigan or the rest of super league.

The game last night could have gone either way and even Leeds will say the is nothing between us.

Just check the odds for next year. Even Warrington are above Wigan with the bookies.

Wigan have huge problems as squad is rubbish. Look at your starting pack in the semis when we knocked you out.

Did we? Oh. We have won so much silverware over the last 10 years I've clearly got mixed up.




That makes no sense in relation to silverware won and lost. Warrington could hardly be said to have been in the ascendency this season - they are the same team as last season and a number of seasons before! - yet they won silverware this year.


We do have some fading 30 somethings although we are getting rid of them in twos. But that doesn't mean that what we are replacing them with will not perform well next season. In fact, they could actually be the breath of fresh air we need. Kyle Eastmond certainly is!


Indeed. But of all teams in the league it was us who built our play on a speedy PTB. We weren't expecting the change and adapting to it, with a team who has been playing a certain way for years, has proven difficult.


Indeed. Interesting times ahead.

Indeed. Sinfield would never have opted for that drop goal so early in the second half had the team and the coach not thought the task a tough one. An early drop goal is always a sign that a team knows it is on the rack and needs every point. It's just a pity a couple of our players - Meli and Cunningham in particular - couldn't have borne that in mind themselves when they were gifting points to the opposition!

Please tell this to Mr.Peacock and Mr.Senior.

Being 30+ doesnt seem to have dented their abilities too much does it.....

I agree and whilst i'd take our squad over yours those saying the decline of saints is on are way off the mark.
You are rebuilding no-doubt and the resonsability within the team is changing but IF you are in decline then the rest of the league must be looking to improve 110% because you are still the 2nd best team in the league.

Spot on mate. That's what I'm saying.

It will be Leeds and saints again in 2010 with maybe the wolves there or there abouts.

why the pie-eaters keep coming on here mystifies me..
theyv'e had more coaches than the national express bus company and still won naff all.

It is quite amusing really to see Wigan fans crowing over Saints not winning a trophy, rather than bemoaning the fact that they were beaten in 2 semis! As a Wire fan, I would still be very wary of any Saints team, whoever they are playing.
But, if this crowing helps them through the dark winter nights in King Street, who are we to deny them.

There seems to be a lot of understandable anguish on this board. But it was extremely close. As a Leeds fan I thought our disputed try was offside but then again I thought Eastmond's was a knock-on. What I do see from the outside is a club that seems to not be clicking as they once were. If this is your worst year most clubs would take it and be pretty pleased about it.

Saints have had the backbone players of Long, Cunningham, Wellens and Sculthorpe throughout the successful era with equally good supporting players like Martyn, Joynt, Newlove, Albert, Lyon etc. Those good supporting players have been replaced with Wilkin, Pryce, Gidley etc but there haven't been any replacements to the backbone players and that is why when KFC retires that will be it for you men.

Flannery/Clough has replaced Sculthorpe



Eastmond to replace Long (Decent player but has he the character to deal with the pressure of organising/playmaker for a full season?)



Roby/Moore to replace KFC- Both decent players but not the same league as KFC in his prime.

Lomax to replace Wellens - Half decent player he could be a cracker in a few years along with Wheeler but not ready yet.

As with Wigan when we lost backbone players like Farrell, Radlinski, Newton, O'Connor etc we didn't replace them but now are bringing them through in O'Loughlin and Tomkins.

Face facts, a few barron years await for Saints fans I'm afraid.........oh wait no I'm not.

The last two seasons have seen the same prophecies.

The fact is the club needs to think carefully about the direction it's going in, and some decisions need to be made on players who have become fixtures at the club (Gardner, for example: as much as I admire his earnest approach, he is no longer improving and offers nothing beyond tidy close range finishing. Despite this he's taking up an international's wage on our SC).

That said, we are hardly in dire straits. We'll be stronger next year with an actual front row, and with Eastmond providing a lot more zip from first receiver (say what you like about how we'll miss Long ... he's been either injured or rubbish for most of this season). Add to that some power out wide with Soliola and hopefully Puletua out in the second row where he belongs.

The question is whether the likes of Wigan will grow some balls and actually provide a genuine challenge to Saints and Leeds rather than toughing it out with the likes of Wakefield and waxing lyrical about their reserve teams.

Great post

Transition period. Phase out the old gaurd and bring in the new. Only thing that would have me worried if I were you is if the club decided to go skinny on the funding for the rebuilding part (like bradford have done) and expect to stay good on reputation.

Long is passed it. Eastmond is a much better replacement.
You need a left centre and Gidley only has a season or 2 left.
Meli is a liability.
Pryce will never lead from the front but brings alot to the party in a on form well run team.
Few aged pack members. You need 2 signings to help out graham.

Potter is just the man for the job imo.

I'd agree with most of that ... except we have a left centre in Soliola, and having brought Fozzard back (hopefully as 4th choice prop), one more front rower would do it.

Throw Morley in there too.

It does tickle me, these pie eaters questioning the potency of Saints, citing the junior set-up as the indicator of strength. Wigan have had a strong junior team for years, hasn't really aided them over the past few years, has it?

The last two years we've supposed to be in decline/transition and yet we've managed to make consecutive Grand Finals on the back of them. We now have an opportunity to give ourselves some more zip in the middle of the field with Eastmond playing at seven. He might not be the great organiser yet but if Rob Burrow (who has a weaker passing, creativity, intelligence and kicking game than Eastmond already) can be a key player for Super League winning side then Eastmond certainly can.

We will be a touch stronger next year with our youngsters getting another year under their belt. The test will be how much stronger other teams will be e.g. Giants, Wigoon, Rovers, Wire.