It's very tight at the top and points difference could be crucial as far as the final positions of the top 3 are concerned.

We've now scored the most points in SL, but are still third best on points difference:

Wigan - scored 506, difference +270
Wire - scored 486, difference +258
Saints - scored 518, difference +236

Putting the quarter final aside for now, we have some absolutely massive games coming up in SL and the next 6 weeks will probably define our season with:

Hull away - June 4
Huddersfield home - June 11
Wigan away - June 18
Salford home - June 25
Leeds away - July 3

I think the Hull, Hudds and Salford games are very winnable, but wigan and Leeds away will be real struggles. Can't see us making up any ground points difference wise with that little lot to come.

If we want to remain in with a shout of top spot I think we need to win at least 4, including the wigan game. 3 wins is a minimum to stay in top 2 contention I reckon.

Really looking forward to the coming weeks, some titanic battles await!

We have some very hard away games coming up -

We have 12 games left this season, every single one of our away matches we have remaining, except 1, is against current, top 8 opposition.

Hull away
Wigan away
Leeds away
Wakefield away
Warrington away.

Those will be very tough away games, we do have a very difficult 'run in' of away games between now and the end of the season.

Be nice to get a consisten team out on the paddock for the run in. Instead of chop N change like it has been all year. The lads know how to do it, they know how to ramp it up when called on, and also know that the waire away is 2 points in the bag, as per the last 100 years !

How many players have Saints used this season?
Wigan have used 28.

In Super League?

Twenty Five

Yes, according to Super Bilkos stats.

surely when considering injury problems it make more sense to consider how many games have been played by players outside of the "first choice 17" rather than just how many different players have appeared?

It may be that the stats are still in Wigan's favour, I've no idea and no inclination to add it all up!

How would you define the first choice 17?
If you did it by squad numbers then at Wigan Deacon would be included when I don't think he should, and at Saints Maurie Fa'asavalu would be excluded which I don't think he should.

And I have no inclination to work it out either.

Truce called then.

Just had a look at our outside backs this season - I can't remember the side ever being so unsettled:

Soliola/Meli - never
Soliola/Wheeler - 1 game
Dean/Meli - 3 games
Dean/Lomax - 1 game
Dean/Gardner - 3 games
Wheeler/Meli - 6 games
Wheeler/Foster - 2 games
Gidley/Lomax - 3 games
Gidley/Gardner - 9 games
Flannery/Gardner - 2 games
Flannery/Meli - 1 game
Flannery/Foster - 1 game
Armstrong/Foster - 1 game
Foster/Lomax - 1 game

Crazy.

With Wellens missing games, Wilkin/Moore playing in the halves, long term injuries to Soliola, Maurie and Wilkin, Meli not being in the country etc etc it's a mystery how we have scored the most points in SL and are sitting joint second, 4 points off top spot.

Young guys want to prove they can make the grade. There's nothing better for our chances than feisty young guys!

And to think, if we hadn't wasted two points at Salford - totally needlessly IMO - then we would have had the best points difference as well. Grr. Stupid boys.

And if Wigan hadn't thrown away 20 point leads (twice) we would have been eight points clear.

Ifs buts and maybes eh!!!

It certainly is, considering Potter would apparently struggle to coach the Aussie Test team to beat Thatto Heath Under 12s, Eastmond isn't fit to lace Matty Smiths boots and Pryce is a winger hiding at 6.

It is a lot of that for sure, quite easily Saints could have won 3 of the 4 games they have lost this season and have been joint top - even if Wigan hadn't thrown away the lead in them games - both teams have reasons to be annoyed about some performances and happy about others.

And at the same with Warrington could have beaten us both (and should have beaten Wigan in that game) and been top on their own!!

One great thing about that for Saints fans (of whom many who thought after Hull in the fog the top 8 might have been pushing it) is that it shows that we are still there or there abouts again despite having major disruption to the backs and injuries in the forwards.

Anybody who really thought that is a knee jerking fool.

Oh i know I couldn't agree more - but they were a good few of that train of thought sadly.