Did you go on Sat- We made break after break from 40 yards + out. Clubb, BJB, Sharpe went through stacks of times. Add Dorn, Purdo and Howell to the mix and we have options to open teams up.

Against Wakey yes, but we are playing Saints

Gidley, Gardner, Meli, Wilkin, Wellens are not the fastest set of backs in SL. Whilst also accepting that Willis(Eastmond) and Wallace (Price) do have pace.

Of course.

I forgot Penny played last time out. I was thinking 'Why are they saying that? They get half the cash.'

I'm rather glad that Penny isn't playing, actually. We might have a chance of winning properly this time, with no-one to out-jump our pitiful wingers! Of course, they could still be out-run but that's a risk we've been taking for years.

Um, that would be an understatement! However, Wilkin can do great interceptions, Meli is a mountain from 10ms, Gardner can actually tackle and Wello has an incredible ability to read a game, usually positioning himself beautifully (and I never quite figure out how he gets where he does, given his slow pace). So these things outweigh their snail-like qualities.


Oh, they do. They have a neat sidestep too! And good kicking games. I believe Wello is back for the Leeds match. Assuming we come through that and subsequent matches in one piece (not an assumption I like to make, given our record of injuries so far this season), Kyle and Leon could cause you problems. They were just really beginning to gell when we lost Wello and then Lomax (substitute fullback) to injury, meaning Leon filled in and we lost the halfback pairing.

However, this was not the match I wanted for the fifth round. It's too difficult. I am still bemoaning the fact that Leeds got Blackpool and not us!

I was gutted quins didn't get blackpool away. What a weekend out that would be.

Meli Isnt as slow as some like to make out,the rest are mind.
Wilkin's a back rower who has been playing In the backs through injuries.

Still, we reversed an 8-point home league defeat last round, what's to stop us doing it again?

17 blokes in white shirts with a red v on them.

Apart from them?

It seems like Saints have had a winning spine to their team for many years - Wellens at fullback, Lyon or Gidley at Centre, Martyn or Pryce at Stand Off, Long at Scrum Half, Graham at Prop, Cunningham/Roby as the two Hookers and Sculthorpe at Loose Forward. They have also had the knack of signing Aussie Props who have given great service for a year or two.

I would say that many of these players are now in the Autumn of their career, or have even retired and the other players around them cause me no fear - I do not think the likes of Gardner, Meli, Clough and Flannery nor the youngsters are any better than an average SL player and are certainly beatable.

Clearly Saints will still be favourites but I would be genuinely shocked if they come down here and batter us again - it is only two years since we were turned over 54-0 on our ground with the usual mix of forward passes and 0 penalties for them in the game, but they had a great team then.

We will be competitive if we can avoid injuries with our best seventeen, even Cas and Wakefield are on their day plus the other teams who won't be in the 8. Take out just 2 or 3 players and these teams fold - Catalans, Crusaders etc. Our best team has run Saints close in two of the last three games.

You must be the only RL fan to think Kyle Eastmond is no better than the average SL player. Deary me. Have you got that one wrong! If everyone is fit when we visit you, Leon and Kyle will cause your guys nightmares. They haven't been allowed to play together thanks to Wello and his stand-in Lomax (only 20) being injured. But they were starting to really gel and cause problems before those injuries hit.

Eastmond is a class act. Leon can blow hot and cold, but Eastmond has matured into a cracking player already and if he keeps developing, he will become a great player. Kicked us to death last year at the stoop IIRC.

He can. But he has been on belting form so far this season. One of only a few Saints players that I can say that about!


I agree. I hope he does keep developing not just for our sakes (assuming he stays with us of course) but also for England's.

Is Eastmond the organizer to replace Long?

Not really, but he wins games on his own. He's like Jason Robinson only more gifted.

The difference being Robinson was a winger/full back

How organized have Hull looked recently?

We're scoring more points this year than we were with Long at the end of last and look a better attacking side.

There is a myth about Eastmond that he can't organize, just because he's fast with ball in hand.

you don't need to go back 2 years, it's less than a year since we were winning 34-0 at half time at your place . . . .

This might come back to bite me, but all things considered it was a good draw for us. It was all about avoiding Hudds/Wire/Wigan at this stage. A home draw would have been nice, granted.

That's the idea. He will gradually get better at doing that as he grows in confidence and experience. He has done pretty well while Pryce has been filling in at fullback. Once Pryce is back in the halves with him, he will have more opportunity to learn while taking on a share of the organising responsibility. These things take time. Meanwhile, he continues to thrill the Saints faithful with his pace, agility, ball handling skills, kicking, ability to read a game and spot an opportunity.

You're a braver person than I. I wouldn't say this was a good draw for us. I'd say this was a tricky draw for us. I would have much preferred Blackpool, but jammy Leeds got that one. Fix.

Saints by 40.

Those days are gone.

We'll see.

Eastmond and Pryce will not gel together at half-back, it is like having 2 Danny McGuires in tandem. Pryce as been an immense failure at the highest level because he neither breaks the line nor calls plays. At St Helens he has support players on both sides and a weaker line which the great props have punctured plus all the hookers running from quick play the balls. A slow play the ball and he has nothing to offer at the highest level. Eastmond is more dynamic but again is no organizer. I would select him but not alongside Pryce in the halves. In my view Saints have had the best pack for the majority of Super League, the best front row at all times, Cunningham with his arms around a Graham and a Puletua with a Fozzard waiting is awesome. Also 3 or 4 world class backs. Gardner has been carried by Gidley and Lyon. Wellens lack of pace has been ok behind a solid line still on it's own half. Meli is a bit better but not as good as Leeds backs. I honestly think if Quins can put out 17 of their top 19 players then we can do ok, however if we are murdered on the penalty count and/or there is a quick play the ball versus the clubs juniors we can get caned. I don't think we will ever get 50/50 refereeing as year on year we get the least amount of penalties per game/season but I hope we can avoid too many morale sapping calls. Two forward passes and a knock on on his own line is 18 points which might be a bridge too far.