Eamon McManus honestly makes my skin crawl.

Fair play to McManus, that was quite funny!

He tried his best to hide any arrogance that they think they'll walk through Catalans but it came across that way a little. They will smash them to be fair, Catalans are out on their feet!

Wigan and Wire could go either way.

Next week's game will be worthy of the grand final, it's a massive game. The grand final itself will be poor, saints will be sitting ducks at OT.

At this point you would say whoever wins out of us and Wigan would be favourites for the Grand Final, but often Wire v Wigan games are quite close fiery encounters and it could take a lot out of the loser, so I think this is the best chance for Saints for years to win SL.

The Saints fans do seem to be in submissive mode at the moment, where is their swaggering confidence of a few years ago? They seem to regard themselves as inferior to both us and Wigan.

I can understand that they have been terrorised through history by the pie-eaters but they used to smash us by 50 odd points every time we went to Knowsley Road and now they seem to live in fear of Wire.

Perhaps that is because they are!

Would be funny if Cats manage it but they've no chance because the RFL will be panicking at the thought of a half empty OT

I don't think there was any arrogance. It is the absolutely obvious choice. A team who finished 7th having to fly home and back for several weeks on the run and the opportunity to pit two derby rivals who will go at each other big time.

I do not think for a minute its a gimme game and nobody has watched the last 2 Catalan games will either but with the boot on the other foot I am pretty sure Wigan would have done exactly the same.

What a load of dross. We have lost personnel in three key positions at 1, 7 and 13 and we are just realistic that its a tough ask without those players. We have beaten both Wire and Wigan away from home this season such is the fear. That said I think we have a decent chance of getting to Old Trafford and in a one off game anything can happen.

Both teams with a 2nd chance gone...

Realistic expectations with Wilkin, Walsh, Lomax & McDonnell missing. Think we'd have an excellent chance with a few key pivots available. We still have the best form against the top 8 sides this year in Superleague, lots of drivel written on this thread. A fierce wigan V wire game, extra days rest & possible wet conditions, I consider us to have been playing wet weather rugby since all the injuries anyway & you just never know. Pressure off Saints if they make the final that's for sure.

Catalan v Wigan it is then.

I think your strong favourites for the GF but were going to knock 7 bells out of each other. Whoever gets through is going to play a relatively fresh saints side.

Saints are a good bet to do it.

From a a Wire point of view we need to control it down the middle and the forwards are going have to tough it out with your back 3, Micky Mac and the front row, especially Flower who for me has been excellent. The other concern for me is our half back defence. Myler is a great tackler but a Smith and Green are heavier units and can soak up more forward driving. We also need to somehow prevent your set run around moves setting up the overlap.

I think it'll be close. Bookies and most rl fans will have you rightly as favourites but I hope we get in to full throttle mode and give you a good game and a half.

I can see it now, Catalans winning the Grand Final from a position half way down the league, and celebrated by a handful of fans and 4 or 5 french players.

If Catalan make the final, I can see a lot of French coming over plus they are usually the neutrals favourite, it won't be as bad as people think.

I expect a lot of Wire fans at OT supporting Catalan again

Just have a niggling doubt, probably helped by the fact we have been made strong favourites.
Warrington v St Helens final I think.

Sky haven't really been mentioning it, so people might not know, but Saints have got SO MANY injuries! They'll be lucky to put 17 players on the field and it will be heroic if they manage to win.

In all seriousness, I think Saints will wallop Cats. Wigan will probably go into the Wire game as slight favourites but it will a coin toss tbh. We need to make sure we do the exact opposite of whatever we did during the other weeks off we've had. I'm happy with our form going into another big game, and it's nice to have gotten this "we don't win big games at home" monkey off our backs.

Goalkicking is still a bit worrying. We outscored Wire 5 tries to 3 the other week and they still had the opportunity to nick it at the death.

Couldn't agree more - why is it that we're so damned poor with the kicking game? Since Paaat left it seems we can't buy a conversion unless it's slap-bang in front of the sticks.

Looking forward to this game - can't call it (and I wouldn't rule out the French either - they've got every opportunity to do one on the Stains, just depends whether they believe they can)

Why would you have doubts because Wigan have been made strong favourites against Warrington?



Would you usually regard Wigan as underdogs in a home game against Warrington?

Aren't we playoff bottlers?

I'm sure many posters on here check under the bed for bogey men before turning the light off at night.......

ya you sure are thats why i have already booked the diamond package for the grand final.

that was meant to quote sally cinnamons post

Maybe they are afraid of the youth and fresh legs in our team, now we have got rid of Briers, Morley, Hodgson and Carvell, last year we were told you can't win anything with old men, now its O'Brien, Currie, Laithwaite and Rhys Evans they are worried if Wigan can keep up with our freshness and fitness?

Its like this forum would be if Rogues retired or went to the Salford forum instead and you brought in some young lads to replace him.

LOL

LOL 10/10 Sally...