he will play on friday with wilkin at stand off

Was confident until I heard this news.

Anyone want a ticket?

I doubt that. If Smith is playing then he will probably be partnered by Moore, since Moore was originally a halfback and has been moving in and out of the role as our various halfback combinations have appeared over the season. Wilkin won't be anywhere near the halfback positions.

Why bother naming a 19 man squad?? Understand a 17 but if u can replace someone with an hour to kick off who's not in the 19..what is the point in it??

I would be a lot more worried if both pryce and eastmound was available for selection and you would be a lot more confident..

If Pryce and Eastmond were playing even I would bet on Saints winning. With them both out it hands an enormous advantage to Warrington. It was the same in the Semi final against Leeds, we were better than them in most areas but just didn't have the control and threat to win the game.

If you lot had Briers and Monaghan out against a full strength Saints side I'd be 100% certain of a Saints win. As ever this season our lack of luck with injuries had ripped the heart out of the side and it'll be a mess again. A scrappy and narrow win is the best we can hope for.

The idea of naming the 19 was to stop what Millward used to like doing: fielding a team of reserves when he wanted to rest his first team prior to a final by claiming they were all injured! But the RFL do make exceptions to the ruling when there is a genuine injury crisis. Leeds were granted an exception earlier in the season for the same reason. Having no halfbacks in the playoffs is what I would consider a genuine injury crisis! Salford's season is over, they agreed to it, Matty agreed to it and the RFL said ok. What's the problem?

Strange question, as the 'problem' only exists because of saints fans complaing about paying to watch the first team, and ending up seeing the reserves get beaten. I agree it's stupid, if you want to play Smith or whoever you want on Friday you should be able to. It's a shame that your club created this situation.

Saints could have Gus O'Donnell and Shane Cooper at halfback and still beat us. We've made average players like Clough, Jonkers, Edmondson, Arnold, Hayes and Bennett etc look great for years.

Clough isn't average by any stretch of the imagination.

[urlhttp://www.superleague.co.uk/statistics_player.php?hs1=2010&hp1=1813&hs2=2010&hp2=1810&stat=tries&season=2010[/url

Er, we aren't complaining about being able to recall Matty Smith though. We aren't complaining about paying to see our first team either. If we're complaining at all it's at the miserable run of injuries we have had this season which has now left us without our halfbacks at the most important time of the season. I think even Wire fans would complain if it happened to their team at this stage.

I would say it is conditioning. I don't think it is fluke. Ratehr it is planned to be healthy at this stage. Good conditioning and resting players has obvously worked. ISWT

And no doubt that is what you will get.

Ssh..

Can't help it, pal. Not confident in the slightest tomorrow.

Have faith in the players and the team. Believe. In Smith [size=200WE[/sizeTrust

Many of us are thinking similarly. This is the second consecutive season when we have endured mass injuries. We hardly had any injuries under Anderson. We replaced our coach and our conditioning team at the same time. Either Potter's training regime is ruining us or the conditioning is crap or both. But Wire have certainly been very fortunate to have escaped with so few injuries through the season and it will reap benefits on Friday night. We will no doubt be knackered by halfway through the second half, probably fighting to keep hold of a meagre lead! (Or screaming for a drop goal to try and secure one!)

Like many others who leave Saints he'd look awful in a lesser side.

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha




we save them for the big games




ah the old "all Saints players are average who are only carried by all the world class Saints players". I dont quite know who is carrying them because they have all been branded average at one time or another.

Too good for you bottlers!

it amazes me that every time you play Saints [ a bunch of has beens/ no marks your going to murder us! and what happens [ THE USUAL when will you lot learn to keep your gobs shut until the deeds actually been done

Yes every saints player is average, it's the players around them that make them look good!

Matty Smith had a great game, which didn't surprise me in the slightest.

Just out of curiosity, what are the operational rules for playing a player who has not been named in the initial 19 man squad?