My prediction at the start of the season was Saints will lose 7 games to stay in the top 4.
We,ve played and won 12 from 16 so far, the majority of the games well below par. So on a positive note if we win 8 from the next 11 we will be in a good position if we can keep the team stable and healthy.

Not necessarily "all is well" but it will prove we can win a big game against Wigan which is what we need to prove.

We ain't top.

A win against Cas would be nice, but wouldn't really tell us a great deal. A win at the DW would be a big deal, though, especially given the recent tendency to surrender in fear when playing against Wigan. Winning there would, I think, remove a massive psychological hurdle for our players and would signal (both to the fans and the players themselves) that we are capable of rising to a stern physical challenge.

Unfortunately, though, I think a humiliating thrashing is more likely.

Whoa!!!!


A win against Cas is no big deal. Sorry, but to me that's building a bit of a straw man.

We can't be our own arbiters of what is or is not a big game.

Cas are playing very well, nearly had the beating of us at their place. Beat Wigan at Wigan, just could not back it up a week later.

We discount Leeds at home as a big game but count the cup.
We discount Warrington away but count the Magic Weekend.
We count Huddersfield in the Cup as a lucky game, but Huddersfield at Saints as not a big game, even though they bounced us at home last year.

We may as well say every game we win is irrelevant, every game we lose is the only big game. There has to be some consistency in our critic of the club. A win this Sunday will be a good win indeed. I'm sure if we lost this Sunday, people would be out in force saying we can't handle important games.

I don't think Sunday isn't a big game. It's just the kind of game that, traditionally speaking, we're comfortable with and used to winning. It's a game we'll probably go into with some confidence. So I suspect we may very well put in a good performance and win. But what this team needs to learn is how to stand up when it's outside of its comfort zone. That's what the Wigan game will provide.

Wigan have just played a mid week game and have injuries so that could factor into next weeks game... but I still cannot see us winning. We haven't played well for months now and our pack has gone to pieces in big games recently with the absence of Kyle Amor.

I think Sunday's game is going to be really tricky aswell. We've got Amor, Walmsley, Laffranchi missing from our front row and Cas will welcome back some good players who didn't play last week. After their defeat to us early in the season they'll be up for it, I just hope we can match up.

Two wins would give us confidence though and I agree that this is a crucial phase of our season more for psychological reasons than anything else. We've hit a lull and haven't really found that early season form.

I think Powell rested those five v Wigan as he thought even with playing them they would lose and also could end up busted.
He maybe has targeted the Saints game as the one most winnable of the two.
The five missing were Lynch, Clark, Sneyd, Shenton and Webster.
They will make a difference to Cas.
Saints have to win this convincingly to go into the Wigan game with confidence.
Lose significantly and the team's confidence could be shot to bits.
Your Chairman's script in Sunday's programme will be interesting reading for those going to the game.

Totally agree with you on this post. Not sure what some fans are actually posting on here sometimes, they contradict themselves all the time and make themselves look stupid.

Also agree this is one of the games of the season against one of the most consistent teams in the comp, the "fans of doom" seem to have a distorted viewpoint and need to generate a positive mindset.

I'm sure those who don't think this game is important wouldn't come on here complaining if we lost. . . . .

Come on you saints

Well the pies will have their hooker missing.

For this weekend or next week?
I posted on the Wigan board that his arm looked in a bad way the other night.

For the season I'm told

Big blow for them. Talk on their board of SOL retiring too due to injury

Think you'll find I already posted that before they mentioned it. He has the look that scully had at the end.

Apologies, it was more a point of pressure building up for the pie eaters! Not sure who they can turn to in a tight spot if they lose them both (and green at the end of the season)

Yeah you did say he looked knackered and didn't think he would many years left in him.

Magic Superbeetle, I can't be bothered looking at their board, is it rumours coming from the club or still just fan speculation?

To be fair, only Saddened has said that.

Therefore that is the opinion of the people.

Hard to say, there certainly an element of 2 and 2 equalling 5, but equally there are definitely "the last days of scully" feel about it too. Even those denying it are " I hope it isn't true" as opposed to it definitely isn't true, so it doesn't look great at the moment. Only time will tell though...

Plus what I've been told as well.

I'd say one more year for SOL

Could be this is your bit of positivity!

No not all!

Why would it be positive that a player retires?