Did he ever have it to lose? Honestly don’t get why some rate him so much, is it only because other Sky guys are so bad?

Well we have time now to improve towards the end of the season. I think we only have to win 5 out of the last 9 games so we can focus on spelling the players a little.

I don’t agree that spelling players is necessarily a good thing. You can lose momentum that way, I think Cas tried that a little bit in 2017. Leeds never really did that and were fine. Best thing for Saints would be to involved in some proper contests between now and the playoffs, resting players or one sided wins won’t help you in the playoffs, you need to be battle hardened.

Do we? Can you show me where weve said that?

But we have been rotating our players since Easter Monday all it has done is we don't perform for the full 80 mins that will come 4 or 5 weeks before the play offs. Last season we didn't spell any players and it was a bad thing, so we are doing it different this year.

You HOPE it’ll come 4 or 5 weeks before the playoffs, ain’t no guarantee. When was the last time a LLS winner won the league comfortably with games to spare and rested players and went on to win the GF?

Like I alluded to earlier Leeds always had to go hard right up to the playoffs whether it was to climb to 5th or to win the LLS with 4 seconds to spare at Hudds. Be wary of this theory that resting players will be the key to GF success.

But things change its a squad game these days and we concentrated on having a squad with depth. I don't think Leeds (sir Kev) has realised that and has shipped out quality players to other clubs whist sitting at the bottom of the table.
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We might not win expected silverware but we are challenging at top level and playing pretty decent rugby for our fans, Leeds have completely lost their identity now and I didn't think they would end up as cannon fodder at times.

As has been said Warrington were well up for it tonight and they played with real intensity but in attack they were dreadful. By going for 2 at every opportunity, it was clear they had little belief themselves. Questions should be asked of Steve Price for their inability to put anything together. We weren’t great either but I think just deserved to win.

I got slated when I called Blake Austin a flat track bully, but that’s exactly what he is. Another tight game against a good side and he was anonymous. With Patton being championship standard, Austin needs to step up in a big game for once or Warrington will win nothing.

Twice this season we’ve had Saints in completely even games and we’ve got a sin binning which changed the game.

But worst of all for me tonight was that we kept messing up sets when we had them on the ropes. We had their line all over the shop and created gaps yet we’d try a stupid pass or a needless kick early on the set. Game management or lack of composure cost us.

Saints were just calmer and more composed.

The sin binnings are simple to resolve, there was no need to shoulder charge. It was a brain fart.

The errors with the ball will be harder to solve.

We’ve been talking on our forum for a bit about “brain farts”. We do everything right up to a point and then - BANG - someone does something daft.

Hughes with the head shot, Patton with the kick, JClark in the first half when we had Saints looking tired after building momentum and he threw a mad pass and lost it... three moments of madness.

I,m not sure were Wire will get more improvement, Saints have got the "squeeze" on your half backs whilst ours seem to be able to handle the pressure a bit better. Looking at Austin v Lomax effect stats on the game

Austin 10 tackles........ 5 missed.........3 tackle busts..........88 metres..........0 clean breaks

Lomax 16 tackles.........2 missed.........5 tackle busts..........134 metres.........1 clean break


There was a lot of reliance on Clark when your half backs are squeezed out of the game, he should have been better especially when he wasn't playing against Roby or his deputy Smith.

I think Sean long gave a very good analysis of Warrington both before and during the game. There was lots he liked about your game. I think as close and intense as the game was both sides have improvement in them.

Ratchford at fullback may have been more secure and also more of a creative threat near our line.

Roby and taia for us were massive losses, our attack looked very hit and miss without that structure from Roby.

Against other sides it would have been 40+ points for either saints or Warrington. Against each other that missing top quality meant defenses dominated

It's fascinating to see how much you dislike Blake Austin. Not his best game last night, no doubt, but you'll forgive the rest of us if we take the views of the MoS panel, which includes the likes of Ellery Hanley and Paul Sculthorpe, over an anonymous poster on RLfans.

Its a bit fortunate that for Warrington there are only 3 players who consistently stand out in Clark, Austin and Ratchford compared to Saints who probably have 7 or 8 players who can muster MOS points. You just need to look at Makinson for instance plays flat out for 80 mins with loads of effort, courage and steely application but doesn't get enough MOS points because each week it could be Coote, Lomax, Fages, Roby, Walmsley, Thompson etc. etc.

The new method of voting for MoS favours a stand out player in an average team because he will most probably get 3 points every match whereas in a good team the points would be spread out

I can’t believe people actually care about MoS.

Only if they've got someone in their team who is in with a shout of winning it

It’s very rare that the winner also wins the GF. Even if you do have the best player in the league, no one will care when you don’t win anything.

You forgot abdul

Their attack is the biggest worry for them if they reach a final. In 2016 & 2018 they reached both finals and they’ve scored 14, 10, 6 & 4 in those 4 finals. Under two different coaches but as a club they’ve struggled to attack well in 4 showpiece occasions in a row now.

Clearly the club is and has been working on improving the attack, with signings like Austin, Burrell and Widdop testimony to that. Also, Austin was meant to be the 'running foil' for Brown but has been left in the role of principal playmaker due to Brown's long-term injury. However, Wire nonetheless are the second-highest points scorers in SL.

No question you would be a more dangerous side with Brown and Ratchford in it. When are they due back?

Both towards late August/early September, I think.

Oytside chance of the cup final then if you get there.

Wire with Brown and Ratchford back in will be a very, very strong side and I wou;dn't back against them winning the GF if they are relatively healthy towards the back end.