I haven't seen the game but how did Warrington attack down the right now they have lost the Breirs/Monaghan combination that seemed to keep defences over stretched.

Good performance from Saints, Wire were poor and made lots of errors, from what I saw last week though I think Huddersfield would have beaten either last night, long, long way to go this season yet, looking forward to it all !!!

Haha.

In the case of Wilkin and Turner I think they just got done with good footwork and there was no intent. Turner in particular looked genuinely apologetic and he held his hands up to what was a clumsy tackle.

Soliola on the other hand came running onto the field as though he was looking for trouble and he lacked composure. He was forgetting his position in the defensive line and homing in on attackers from all angles. I don't think the high tackle deserved a red card or a ban but it wasn't a nice challenge at all and deserved going on report and him receiving a warning. He needs to be careful.

Warrington were woeful, looked like a team with the heart ripped out of them, pack was dominated, Myler went MIA, really missing Morley, Carvell and Briers.

The interchange of Morley, Carvell and Monaghan used to give me nightmares, at least this season I will get a good nights sleep!

that said, its not how you start the season, its how you finish it that matters.

When I saw how weak/inexperienced the Wire bench was I fancied Saints strongly. Saints used their subs very well knowing what Wire had on the bench (four changes in the first 20 minutes)
If Wire had Wood, Monaghan, Harrison and Currie on the bench then I think it would have been a much closer game.

Percival is getting a bit of stick for that first try, but I think you'll find Wheeler is too far infield and there is no covering second rower. I'm not sure Percival could have done much else.

I wonder if Brown will comment on the high tackles.

The Wilkin one probably came off the shoulder, Turner was beaten by the step, but Soliolas was a bad tackle.
It'll be interesting to see what the review panel come up with.

Just on the first point Tony Smith has a lot to answer for. He has hardly given his young players any game time over the last couple of years.

I think that there was a lot of intent in Soliola's tackle and I am sure that if the officials had seen it then stronger action would have been taken. I said last week that Bowen should have been suspended but he got away with it because, allegedly, he made contact with the shoulder first! I am of the same opinion about Soliola, he should be suspended. I am sure that if that tackle had been made on Walsh then Brown and the whole of St Helens would have been calling for blood. If we are not careful then a foul that the RFL has worked hard to eradicate (head tackles) will creep back into the game.

I'd agree that Soliola was looking to hurt people last night, whether he intended on hitting him high I honestly don't know, but I doubt it.

In normal circumstances I can see why he would get a ban and I wouldn't have too much of a complaint. However after letting Bowen off last week, the RFL are on dangerous ground now and banning Soliola a week after not banning Bowen would just look stupid in my opinion. It wouldn't surprise me though.

And you wonder why every one thinks you're nothing but a WUM. At least the majority of Wigan fans admitted Bowen should have walked and probably deserved a ban. Yet you think Soliola was just poorly aggressive and a warning is sufficient.

Soliola should have got at least 10 and a match ban or been sent off for the attack, he certainly didn't miss Monaghan's throat.

Although it is only the first round of SL there could be ominous signs for Wigan this year. We had our pack dominated last week and they didn't perform fantastically against NZ Warriors by all accounts.
The Saints have a fantastic forward pack and it released Roby & Walsh in dangerous positions which totally overwhelmed Warrington. I think if Wigan get into a battle down the middle we might struggle to get into the positions we need. If Saints do so, especially with Masoe to come into the squad, Walsh and Roby could embarrass us in the same way.

It's good we've seen such an effective performance by the Saints so early in the season. Hopefully Wane will look at a different gameplan in defeating the old enemy come Good Friday. Either way, it offers to be the most exciting Good Friday since Maguire's first season in charge at Wigan. Roll on Easter!

Read it again. I said that in normal circumstances I wouldn't agree with a ban but after Bowen got off, it would make the RFL look silly banning Soliola.

How is that anything like what you have just accused me of?

This is normal circumstances.

Bowen should have got a match ban and sent off or binned at the time. Soliala should have been looking at the same, although at least Bowen didn't hit quite as squarely in the the throat as Soliola did.

People think the teams played well? That is surprising. I'd have to see the error count from both teams, but there seemed to be a lot of dropped ball, silly pens, high tackes and passes to no one.

On top of all this Wire looked like a team without a leader, without direction, which is understandable after loosing Briers. If anything, Saints caught them at a good time.

Listen, we aren't going to agree, that's fine. But I'm tired of people accusing me of being a WUM or a troll simply because my opinions don't always match the majority on here. If you don't agree then let's have a reasonable, adult debate. But quit the name calling and the hostility.

For what it's worth, Grix didn't have the ball, which makes it worse in my opinion. By "normal circumstances" I mean that if the Bowen challenge didn't happen and Soliola got a ban, then fair enough. But letting the Bowen one go and banning Soliola would look silly, in my opinion.

There's more than a grain of truth in your opening line. Many Saints fans, perhaps understandably after a few barren years, are getting a tad carried away when it's very premature to do so. We started poorly last year and recovered to a creditable 5th which amply demonstrates that the way you start ain't always the way you finish.

Whilst there were some good signs there are lots of variables and I've been watching too long to get carried away. If we are playing that well in September I'll be happy.

One Swallow a Summer doth not make and all that....though I'll admit it was a sweet moment walking into work this morning (in Warrington). It's been a while since I copped so much but all good fun.



Good luck next week I hope you win (seriously)!

I managed to watch it without knowing the score or who had won after finishing work last night. I noticed the difference in the 2 benches and thought Saints should win here, that was clear as day that Wire's are lacking in strength and depth this year. Saints played well don't get me wrong, and Walsh did everything that a 7 should do. I thought Wire gifted Saints a lot of the possession which made it a lot easier for the Saints forwards so they were't really tested IMO last night. Saint's defence was very strong but again you have to question why Monaghan was put at 6, missing Briers big time is going to prove crucial for Wire a long with the losses of Morley and Carvell in the pack. Saints can only play what was in front of them though and they did a good job, it's nice to have a strong Saints back! hopefully not to strong though

I think Wire could potentially have a similar season as to what Saints did last year, just not enough leaders in the team.

LMS nice one!

Has anyone else noticed how thirsty Tony Smith gets when they’re losing? Mind you so do I when I’m watching Wire, or Saints getting turned over, but if I’m at the bar, in my case it’s not water I’m drinking then. Noticed that not a lot of Saints fans commenting on some of their tackling technique last night! strange that, when they have so much to say about ours.

I think we need a topic on the 'Wire walk' too

Nearly commented on that last night.

That game should be stored in everyone's memory banks the next time we get it thrown at us. The Lord Rodney had stopped letting people in due to overcrowding by the time Walsh scored his try so I hear!

Saints played that well against us in the trial game. Trouble for them was Wigan were better than they were and miles better than Wire were last night.
That's one of the worst Wire performances I've seen ever bar perhaps the 70-0 or something at KR which got their coach the sack.
Wire are missing Morley, Hodgson, Briers, Carvell & Cooper who have almost 1700 first team games between them. They've signed Asotasi with around 240 games. That's just too much experience gone out of the first team squad. They were also missing last night Wood, Harrison and I don't recall seeing Grix either, they've got some experience between them too.
Wire's squad is very small with Currie being their number 17, Behind him there's Evans, Laithwaite, G Riley etc. no strength in depth at all.
Tony Smith has signed hardly anyone this last two or three years, nor hardly brought any Wire youth through into regular first team slots. This could be a long season for them continuing at Leeds next Friday.

Best line of the night was Clarke's 'No team has ever won the Grand Final after losing their opening fixture since Bradford in 2005'.....we might as well pack up now against those odds!!

I know some Wigan fans are reluctant to praise Saints and vice versa, but to claim that we played at the same level last night as we did in the friendly is absolutely ludicrous.

it was a great win for saints last night but that said I don't think you played really well if im honest, but im not saying that wire were cack and that's why you won. Even though they were awfull, you did a lot of things well. but as the season goes on and you build on last night you'll win more than you'll lose. And potentially be a threat to every team.

But it was no surprise that Saints won last night was it?

Not to me no. But the bookies had Warrington as favourite. Regardless of whether it was a surprise or not though, to suggest we only played as well as we did in the friendly is ridiculous. We did some very very good things last night and it's sad that some people can't recognise that.