Can't help but feel like this...

Yes we will learn from it, and yes we will bounce back next week (I have no doubt, we alwaysdo under Maguire) but we can't carry on doing this like we did last season, it cost us in the challenge cup last year and in the first play-off game, we need to sort this out.

We should have seen that game out tonight and run away with it and nilled them, instead we come away with a point.

Riddell was badly missed, I now worry we will struggle this way in alot of games.
Fielden was missed because Prescott and Tomkins both had stinkers in the pack so we lacked punch.
Pat and Roberts were missed because I think they both would have finished the chances Charnley had.

I would love to see us do more of what we did at Hull last season, NO MERCY!

On a side note I do believe the ref played his part, saints had no chance of getting down the field untill se started getting hammered.

we looked tired, lethagic, lazy. should have won very easily, saints were terrible.

never seen sam fall over so much either, wear some decent boots lad

We just haven't learned from last season in how to finish a game off when you get into a commanding lead. I feel more confident when the game is close at halftime rather than being 10+ infront. MM need to sort this out or the psychologist that we employ needs to work on it.

Steady guys.... First game.... Lets not look to the negatives.... We have to realise that everybody will be fired up against us, and we have had some personnel changes. We have a terrific team and an excellent squad. Looking forward, we are good for the next 5 years with the youngsters we have those coming through. Can our rivals say this? Nahh. I would recommend you all enjoy this time and watch our rivals squirm. The future is bright, the future is cherry and white...

I agree with the post above but we shouldnt have let them get a draw yesterday leading 16-0 no side should lose but we got to get 2 points from the bulls next week im sure MM will drill it in them this week to not to drop off tackles, we didnt see much of the ball in the last 15 minuites which helped saints score them 3 tries.

Agreed TWTD but this will have a good outcome, MM and SW have something to beat them with this week.

i enjoyed the game and was disapointed not to come away with 2 points. It could have been worse , that eastmond drop goal could have gone over . All in all lots of positives come from the game and also a few negatives. Lots to work on and we have the whole of the season to do it. Sharing the spoils with what i consider to be our main rivals this season isnt too bad a result. Also to top my day warrington got stuffed ha ha .......

The kick through to the corner that Eastmond first spilled then Sam then picked up by another Saints player proved crucial. It was right in front of usbut the touch judge was 10 yards behind the play so literally decided "benefit of doubt". We should have fed the 10 yard scrum, and having just gone 16-0 up a few moments earlier, a score then would have killed game.

Coupled with the Eastmond finger tap which led to Sam supposedly knocking on proved extremely crucial decisions.

I havent seen the game since being there so I am sure there'll be counter arguments against what I saw.

have to agree with the first post on here -missed Riddell & Fielden - Pat Richards and Roberts would of had the game sewn up after 40 mins - Charnley just didn't have the finishing touch they have - Joel Tomkins and Prescott in that last fifteen minutes placed Wigan into a self destruct mode, you cannot give Saints a sniff of victory because they always take it to the last second of the game - think we were very lucky to come away with 1 point.

Wigan seemed to shut up shop after 60 mins - also having 4 forwards on the bench didn't really help.
Positives and negatives from the game - looked awsome for the latter 30 mins of the first half, Hoffman good debut, Lima thought average performance but faster and lighter than Feka was. Negatives - Defence good but dropped off for the last quarter - having four forwards on the bench, we need two or three good utility players on the subs bench -

Yeh was right in front of that i cant see how they missed eastmond getting it then a player in front oh him having it

Totally agree with you from the St Helens viewpoint a point against the champions is great and shows we are still competitive this season. Relieved Sam Tomkins drop goal missed and delighted the wire lost... respect to Wigan!

Not totally disheartened from a Wigan perspective. I thought we had to defend our line rigorously during the opening encounters and did extremely well in keeping Saints at bay and then getting points on the board ourselves. Unfortunately fatigue kicked in in the second half and we let in some lazy tries and gave away too many penalties but as the season wears on I think we'll improve on this aspect and become a much better side.

Like I said in my report, we cut saints up out wide a few times - Saints never really did that to us and looked too heavily reliant on the forward pack. So I'm happy overall.

Blowing a 16 point lead is definitely a point lost - you can't look at it any other way. The sooner Finch, Richards and Fielden get back the better.

To be honest at the end i didnt know whether to be gutted or relieved.

Look at it this way. Deacon limped off 20 mins in and we already had Pat, Amos, Fielden and Finch injured. If Saints lost the equivalent, say Eastmond (Deacon), Meli (Pat), Wellens (Amos), Graham (Fielden) and Pryce (Finch) do you seriously think they'd have competed with us yesterday? Let alone build a 16-0 lead up!

That performance yesterday showed the strength of our squad. Five big players lost and we still competed with an expected title rival.

After booting a poofie (of the foot rest variety, before anyone ss!) at my saints supporting brother in laws head and booting my sofa so hard that i am struggling to walk today. Then throwing a massive tantrum infront of the aforementioned brother in laws new girlfriend and storming out the back for an angry cigarette, with expletives ringing out.
It is fair to say that i was and still am gutted.

TBH i would not have cared if Eastmond had stuck the penalty over.

I am happy enough with our performance as for 65 minutes it was one of the best defensive displays i have seen in many a year, but it still feels like a loss to me.

We had Pryce missing for the match, plus Eastmond playing his first 80 minutes since August. We also had Flannery missing and Josh Perry. We had James Graham playing with a back injury. We lost Wello during the match. So you have no excuse. And definitely no sympathy.

I know Perry and Flannery were missing but Wellens played most of the match, whilst Graham played all of it didn't he? Swap which five you want and I don't think you would have competed like we did. Also point made just above we built up a 16-0 lead recieving just 1 penalty! I'm amazed at that stat. Saints needed 5 pens during their late rally in comparison. I'm not looking for sympathy or excuses. I'm absolutely delighted with the way we played yesterday.

Bilko, without looking through your site - when was the last time we played Saints for the first league game of the season, if ever?

1901/1902. Wigan 8 St Helens 2.

A while ago then.


Cheers.

Rogues said we definately deserved to win that one!


I believe it was the first time he'd had to pay full price?

Thought it was a poor game. I can say that because I have not been able to bring myself to sit and watch it again since I got back. I enjoyed the weekend but it was spoiled a little by the rugby on show. Can't quite put my finger on why, empty stadium lacking any atmosphere(should have stayed in walkabout), first game a bit rusty, the loss of Deacon putting us around the field, having very little ball, or what seems like an effort by the RL to step back two years and allow the quick play the ball and scoot at all costs!
I do hope it's one of the first and not the latter. The latter would point in several directions has to the reason. The Cas game was a penaltython ours had it's share of bad calls, even from one of the better refs in my oppinion. I can't comment on todays games because I had my fill yesterday with the rugby on show, so have not watched it!! If you had told me that last week I would have thought you mad.
Now I don't want to seem biased here, Roby was outstanding, he was a easy MoM but the game going to quick plays and scoots makes that feature of his game the one to dominate(good player all the same). My hope is it's not the case and that the first reasons or maybe it was the beer that blurred my thoughts slightly.
It's not great to watch because it's faster, despite what the likes of such RL visionaries like Kear, Hemmings or Agar may want to tell us. Strange game, felt like we should of won, in the end glad we didn't lose. Reet time for bed.