I agree people have been prematurely predicting Saints decline for many years and I don't think they will fall away like Bradford but Saints have declined, they've gone from being the best team in the country to being one of about 4 teams capable of winning a trophy but will need things to go their way to get silverware. If you disagree ask your own fans, have Saints improved or declined?

Do I think Saints could have got a better HB? Probably.

Do I think Hohaia will be costing Saints the earth? Not a chance. On one of the links there's a few lines from him about the move, saying that he was worried that he wouldn't be able to regain a first grade spot after this year after being dropped by the warriors, so this was a move that would enable him to keep playing at a good level.

Utility half/FB to either replace Pryce or to replace Wellens (if he moves to LF), or even just float between the two depending on Lomax or Gaskell.

Hohaia makes sense as he'll still be one of the better players in SL, but he gives Saints options in regards to Pryce and Wellens.

I'm pretty sure he has come out and said it was too good a financial deal to turn down.

Hardly going to be on a small salary then is he?

Have we declined? Since when? 2006? Obviously we have declined since 2006. There was only ever one way to go after 2006, since we won everything there was to win and more besides in 2006. However, since 2006 we have won two Challenge Cups, lost four Grand Finals on the bounce and not finished outside the top two. We also made it to two Challenge Cup semis.

So, sure, we have declined since 2006.

Have we improved? Since when? Last year? Yes, we have. At present our defence stands at an average of 19.1 conceded; last year it stood at 22 conceded at the same point in the season. We can now actually formulate an attack which does not automatically involve barging over the line from 10m, so we have improved in attack too. Will we win anything this year? God knows. At present, most Saints fans are living week to week, just glad to see a good performance, preferably for the full 80 minutes (something we still have to improve on from last year), with a win being a bonus. Once again, we are doing it without our first choice halfbacks, and we are in third place in the league at present.

So while I'm sure you were playing another of your fishing games by posting what you did, I have enjoyed replying because looking at how much we have actually improved (so far) on last season gives me hope, bearing in mind we are playing with two kids in the halves at a stadium that isn't our home and with big question marks over at least one of our best players.

Great post.


Considering the turmoil at the club recently especially with the Eastmond saga I am pretty happy in our current situation.

As for next season personally I think Saints will let Flannery go,retain Puletua.
I think we all know Graham is going so the priority is to sign another prop,who,we will all have to wait and see.

As for Hohaia this is a good signing for us,he can play numerous positions and will eventually replace Wellens at FB IMO.

Not a small salary either, but someone said they thought he'd be on more than Flannery. I doubt it, I'm just guessing obviously but if Saints have paid the earth for him then it seems a pretty stupid move.

Saints Fan is eulogising on Saints improved defence, but what she is not saying is that by the time they play Wakefield on Friday of their ten games played seven will have been against the bottom eight placed clubs.

Rugby league fans are great at guessing... Especially when it comes to players wages.

No Saints fan will know what salary Hohaia will be on but I doubt we will have paid the earth because we don't have an earth to pay with. We let a number of players go last season in part to fund Kyle Take-Us-To-The-Cleaners Eastmond. Since he is No More, whatever we had put aside for him we will be available to fund Hohaia with possibly some notes remaining towards a replacement prop for Jammer (who most of us believe is NRL bound, even though officially he hasn't made up his mind yet).

Hmm. Indeed. But do please remind me, who has put 47 points past us this season?

Rogues in another go at Saints,you're obsessed.

Didn't one of those "bottom eight" clubs just score 47 points at the DW on Friday?

What's that got to do with Saints defence?

Because you're implying the bottom 8 teams can't attack through your magical cut-off point, yet Catalans are on of those teams that Saints have played that you're looking to do down.

Incidentally, Wigan (falling outside your magical "bottom 8" teams that defence doesn't seem to count against) have only scored 6 points more than the lowest scoring team in SL (albeit in one game fewer) - so we should really include them too if we're going to discount games against teams with shoddy attacks.

But Wigan have only played four of the bottom eight clubs.
HTH

You'd probably have a point if Saints hadn't scored more points and conceded less against the same bottom eight opposition . . . .

Given how tough your run has been . . . we've also scored more and conceded less against the same top 6 opposition too.

But I'm sure you'll find a way of turning that around.

OOOOIIIII
YOU TWO
HAVE YOUR ARGUEMENTS SOMEWHERE ELSE

Sorry

Me too.

YOU'RE FORGIVEN
now play nice, or there's no Smarties ice-cream for you.
And for the last time, WILL YOU TWO STOP MEASURING YOUR WILLIES ON HERE