I cant see Saints being able to raise their game against us again and i think Simmonds knows that.

Did you not notice our coach at the match? I'm quite sure he wasn't there to help boost your crowd numbers!

We can be plenty better than last week. And given that we played differently last week to pretty much any time I've watched them play this season, we can also play differently next week, if need be.

It's not even about raising their game 'again' because they'll have to raise it to a higher level then they've managed against Wigan in 2 years.

They're capable of beating a fully firing Wigan side though and that's the point the Saints fans aren't taking out of a lot of Wigan fans posts. We've dominated the derby for 2 years and won all the real must win games between the 2 but that can change.

Quote ="SaintsFan"Did you not notice our coach at the match? I'm quite sure he wasn't there to help boost your crowd numbers!.'" Could be worse, we could have had poor crowds on a weekly basis like another Top 3 team, Average attendance - 7,867 www.slstats.org/t4/St.+Helens/ Including two sell outs when Wigan & Wire rolled into town. Shocking.

Quote ="SaintsFan"Did you not notice our coach at the match? I'm quite sure he wasn't there to help boost your crowd numbers!.'" Could be worse, we could have had poor crowds on a weekly basis like another Top 3 team, Average attendance - 7,867 www.slstats.org/t4/St.+Helens/ Including two sell outs when Wigan & Wire rolled into town. Shocking.

Wonderful thread chock full of baseless bravado.

Saints have been the better side against Wigan on more than one occasion this season and there's no reason why we can't be better again next week.

I would guess that the stats would show Wigan dominating position and possession in perhaps one of the Derby game this year. Our young halves have started to learn hard lessons and now know they can break Wigan down. We completely dominated last week, even with an unused winger on the bench.

talk of easy wins and annihilation is good to read, here's hoping the Wigan players are equally deluded.

You'll need to play better than any of the 5 this season, or those last season, and if you do and come out on top all the best in the final. A few years ago with Cunningham, Longy and Price in the team I would have been made up at the thought of you losing 5 in a row, but I do have a sneaking admiration of your team filled with local talent nowadays.

Really looking forward to this! Would be great to stop Saints getting to their record millionth grand final (loss) bring it on!

If Leeds turn Wire over and We turn saints over it could be a FIREY final! Who ever wins both matches it setting it up for a superb final.

Ever wondered why Catalan might have been "cumbersome and generally knackered"?

Nothing to do with the intensity we were defending with, not allowing them to play whatsoever? Like I said on another thread opposition fans will put Wigan's in down to luck, reffing decisions and Catalan not turning up, when in reality we were quite good and deserved the win. Not many teams would have scored points against us tonight. I would say our attack still looks a little off, but we still stuck 44 points on them.

I can honestly see Leeds beating the Wire next week. They will raise their game and turn them over. Us and Leeds at Old Trafford for me.

Tonight wasnt a perfect performance, but what it did show was once again we deliver when backs are against the wall. They showed tonight that they're still the champions and can still put a performance in when it counts. Last week against the scousers was a game they just wasnt up for, the body language was all wrong and they couldnt be d cause they knew they had a second chance. If the scousers think they beat a commited team last week then they're deluded!!!. Last season Leeds thought the same thing because they beat us in the first game of the playoffs, yet in the semi final they couldnt live with us. This coming saturday we'll be too strong for them and its old trafford here we come

Er, we beat you last season. And we have beaten you this season. It's not like you suddenly turned into Warrington today. You were playing the same game; the game we didn't let you play last weekend (or indeed on Good Friday).

Bookies have it close - one says even money, other gives Saints 2 start. Both give Leeds 12 start.

Whilst not impossible, it would be a mighty shock.

However it pans out the GF is shaping up to be a cracker:

Wire v Wigan - Massive Derby, 1st vs 2nd, Champions of 2010 vs Best team of 2011.
Wire v Stains - Massive Derby, serial underachievers vs bridesmaids over last 4 years.
Leeds v Wigan - Repeat of CC Final, lots of bad blood between two teams.
Leeds v Stains - Repeat of last 3 of 4 Grand Finals, Stains hoodoo team.

Your record against us the past two seasons is 2.5/8



On a side note I cant believe next weekend will be the 9th time we have played St Helens in 2 years. Absolutely ridiculous.

What may be different next week is the effect on the Wigan team which showed today with Tommy Lu playing scrum half and when Mclorium was rested Tommy moved to hooker with Lockers going to Stand off. I think the decision to drop Deacon was a good one,he as been a good player but is now to slow.
If Wigan play the same system next week the Saints half backs will not have the same room,Tommy and Micky Mac along with Lockers will be in their faces a lot more.

That is a good fair assumption. Us nilling the Dragons has put the fear of god into McDermott and Simmonds and Smith, wherever he was.

From BOTH sides.

By all means have a pop at those Wiganers who are chuffed to butties that their team is finding its form again. But the real laugh of the day is how this thread started out crammed with Saints fans desperately trying to convince us (or more likely themselves) that just because we hammered the Dragons 44-0 (!), we are still crap.



If this is your lot's first blow in the psychological war, you're making as poor a fist of it as Leeds did last year.

I hope Wigan are as arrogant in their beliefs next Saturday as you are now.

Who cares?

Its nothing to do with arrogance. Last week against the scousers there was no confidence and the team lacked urgency. Tonight the commitment was back and deep down the micky mousers are cacking themselves. Its not arrogant to state a fact.

What a load of arrogant tosh from a sizeable component of the Wigan fans. The usual 'we wont play as poorly as that in the last match against 'em. etc etc. The fact remains that a team of kids turned you over on your own patch. Notwithstanding the fact that our school boy half backs out played the old men in the middle of the park for Wigan is the fact that Saints made plenty of errors in that match to allow Wigan back into the game as well as a high penalty count in Wigan's favour.One thing for sure is that you won't get the begging penalties next week.

Idiot bravado is always entertaining. The truth is that a competent but limited (and that is a criticism of the whole of SL) is looking tired. Wigan were lucky that they had the get of jail card in flattening Gary Wheeler the first match, now the team has gelled at the right time so that whoever plays 6, Pryce or Gaskell, I fully expect to threaten the Wigan line.

As for the crowd tonight, some pillock on here can rattle off a Saints attendence at Widnes which is akin to me mentioning Wigan's average in the second division but the fact remains that the so called BIGGEST team in the world could'nt draw more than 7000 is laughable. No wonder Leeds fans think you nob-ends. Your just a drop in the ocean caught up in your pathetic self importance. Thank god Saints never had the obnoxiousness to come out with such e. Wonder how many of you watched Wigan struggle to beat Pilks Recs?

Simmonds didnt like the idea of resting this week thats why he arranged this game with the under 20s. They are running scared.

I can just imagine you getting so worked up over your computer. Never has this been more apt...

You know for a fact we are cacking ourselves do you? Been round to conduct some sort of a survey? It's not a fact, its your opinions. I texted Jukesays before the game and said you would win today and win well, were always going to respond after last week. It's nothing that's made me anymore worried.

You lot will probably start as slight favourites next week, but that doesn't mean an awful lot. It's a game that could go either way.

I just had a read at this thread and the misplaced confidence from the Wigan fans is laughable. Ok you have had the better of us in recent times, and you are very capable of turning us over next week, but we are improving with every week, the halves are really combining well, we now have a kicking game from gaskell which we have lacked for years , in Roby and Lomax we have two players that looked capable of cutting you to shreds at will last week.

It should be a great game !

COYS