So the redvee machine rolls on with yet another victory, currently 100% in all competitions. I must say the mob that have rolled off the production line this year, are a cut above the rest.

They have the perfect blend of power and mobility in the pack, creativity in the centre and pace out wide. They have a good blend of youth and experience as well. The big thing is that they have pace out from the back, they suffered for years against leeds in the grand finals because of this, but no more.

They have that winning mentality back and they'd be my tip for at least 1 of the 2 trophies on offer this year. I would have them down for the CC but it looks like once again wigan will get a bye through to the final.

You think Wigan are lucky after than win that Bentham gave you !

What is wine vinegar made from?

Woah woah woah. Let's just hang on before crowning the champions.

Saints were poor today. The first 20 minutes they were breathtaking. The makinson try in particular was as good as any try scored so far this year. But then they got sloppy. I'm not sure if it was a mental thing, or deliberate - but they decided to just stop playing - I think they knocked on 6 times between the 20th and the 30th minute! They invited hudderfield back into the game (not to take anything away from Huddersfield, I think their forwards controlled the game from the 2nd quarter onward) it then took ALOT of repeat sets on the Huddersfield line to get over for makinsons second - saints were disjointed today and under firing because of the job Huddersfield did.

That said, they found a way to (controversially) win. Which is something saints have been lacking over the last few years.

The draw so far (with Hudds and one of Leeds/Saints) out before the quarters does open it up for a dark horse to make a bit of a run. Cas could well be that team or the winner of Salford/Widnes.

Flex is a Leeds fan I believe :s

I won't comment on the drop goal/ no drop goal. I will say, even after the incident, you shouldn't of let saints get close to go for their own.

The draw has probably done for us after a poor showing today.

They've one their last 3 games all after contentious refereeing. And troothys are not handed out yet, we've heard all this before about various teams who then end up winning sweet FA. Long long way to go and other teams are still not hitting there straps yet saints have just started well

I support leeds, thank you very much.

So you think Wigan are lucky and saints arent

A few victories and the Scousers are getting gobby again... lol

I didn't comment on luck specifically, though wigan are currently on a run of very favourable CC draws. Just because saints won by a point in a game high on controversy, doesn't automatically mean they were lucky. I thought on the balance of play the game was fairly equal, but saints did a better job of taking their chances and thus deserved to win IMO.

The OP is a Leeds fan you clown.

is the same team, players and coaches that most saints wanted shut of last year because they weren't winning regularly?
must admit i have been very impressed with saints so far this season but the fickleness of some saints fans is unbelievable

I'd say it was a 50/50 split rather than most. A lot of us realised Brown needed time to put his own structures into place and assemble the team he wanted. Not only that, we were massively injury struck and threw out numerous debuts last year, some were too stupid to realise that but certainly not 'most'.

fair enough, as in 'most' i meant most that i had seen post things.
i don't mind saints if im honest and hope browny does a good job, you certainly have some cracking young players coming through,which can surely only benefit the national team.

There's about 50 regular posters on RLFANS who are Saints fans. We have 10k fans who go the game. Go figure.

I will openly admit that midway through last year I was questioning browns appointment. We had injuries yes, but we were playing some truly dire rugby. In the second half of the year, I am happy to eat humble pie on the matter, and were playing some truly fabulous rugby. He still has his moments (in retrospect it probably would of been wiser to stick with the more experienced players in lms and laffranchi over greenwood and walker on a wider pitch, but equally I was very happy to see greenwood play, as I'm a big fan)

Never doubted the players we had/ have - but our recruitment this year has to be up with some of the best

God, we were awful at times last year. Not just losing, but looking completely clueless and toothless.

The hope was, as I alluded to at times, that Brown had written the season off before it began and assigned it to experimenting with his players and moving away from an old, ineffective playbook in order to establish a whole new approach - essentially breaking us right down to build us up from scratch in a better mould.

Fingers crossed, it looks like that could have been what's happened, but god, it was hard to take at times.

We looked dire but only because (and I said this at the time) Brown was in the process of trying to have the squad playing his brand of rugby after years of stale up-the-jumper stuff. It was more apparent as the year went on that the team was growing into Brown's methods and structures. I was embarrassed by the fans (a large number of them) calling for his head like fickle soccer fans.

We'll have to play a lot better than we did yesterday if we want to collect any silverware this season - Brown was spot on in saying we saved up our worst performance for the biggest game and we were lucky to pull through.

Having said that, it was a Leeds-esque performance where sheer will to win got us there in the end. We've been missing that sort of steel in recent years (together with someone who can kick goals - Walsh had a poor day with the boot but managed to knock one over from the touchline and drop the goal when the pressure was really on).

Most Saints fans are not thinking we are going to win the lot this year but just glad we are back to able to compete for honours in Superleague for a change, as the last 4 years has been average to say the least

Saints would be my tip for honours this season. However, every team has purple patches and injury problems throughout the season, so nothing's ever certain. It's the ability to overcome those obstacles that single out the winning teams. There's quite a few teams that can upset the top four if they are not on their game. More than in previous seasons imo. I don't think current form will equate to finishing form come the end of the season, it rarely has done in the past. Should be interesting to see how things pan out.

I do find it funny that people are using the OP as an example of Saints fans being the big I am.

When the OP ain't a Saints fan.

You are more than welcome to come to visit the Saints board, where you will find Saddened who backs against us every match, several people (me included) who think Lance has had 1 (maybe 2) good games in 3 years. Where people want to play all youth, were people want Wellens out, where people want Wellens in.

We are as mixed a bunch as anyone. I think most feel we are in with a real chance this year. Last year was not aweful, but it did have a large experimental value to it which bothered a lot of people who pay week in week out to see players just being moved about for the sake of it. Also playing with no halfs for 2 years was a strategic mistake by the club.

I'll be happy for them to be grand final winners, if we can't (some hope there I know), but I'd rather someone else won the challenge cup as I think their win at Huddersfield was an early Christmas present from Bentham.