Rather have fans who doubt a result when we have a man sent off 22 minutes in against the table toppers, than fans who apparently gave up on the club years ago and won't come back even after a cup win and table topping regular season and yet still trawl the forums daily out of some sad need for attention rather than genuine passion for our wonderful sport and club.

At least we're not going backwards anymore.

Do the last two results mean we're going forward at an alarming rate?

nothing gets won in early season, weve lost games we should have won and won games we should have lost, last season we marched through the league only to fail at the end of the season (Challenge Cup aside), we're doing OK in my view, we've got the players, we just need some consistency, get Houghton back and some longer stints from Ellis, so long as we're top 8 then its all good. Worried we'll get Saints away in the draw tonight mind!

We were too lucky with injuries last season, no one got forced to be rotated and we obviously stuck with the winning formula. Our rotten luck with injuries to forwards recently might actually be a blessing in disguise come the business end.

Indeed, a real rough house prop would be a welcome addition, a wrecking ball off the bench, but there aren't many available

Tongue was firmly in cheek, especially with Friday's game in mind.

Your first line sums it up, and why this thread was so daft in the first place, a knee-jerk reaction. It's still April, we're 11 games into a 30-game season, the top5 are separated by just two points. We shouldn't be peaking now, but staying in the hunt and picking up points, and that's exactly what we are doing. You can't go wild when we lose two games, just like you can't get overexcited after winning two games.

I'd take Saints away in the cup again though.

We seem to have prioritised the Cup in recent years but now the monkey is off our back perhaps priorities might change.
If we were to get a tough away draw and come up short it wouldn't be the end of the world for me.
All guns blazing for a Grand Final is the new Golden Fleece.

Pah, treble for me, have some faith

We're due back at Old Trafford! Just hope we do better this time if we make it!

Don't forget the World Club Challenge as well.

Not easy though is it.
Only half a dozen teams ever got there including us.
Would be pretty special to get there and win it mind.

Indeed, but as you say, a tough journey to even get there. FC v Cas would be amazing!

*Alarming*

Let's face it, we can only go backwards from here. *top of the league*

We will be doing this evening from approximately 8-47pm, but we're well rounded, we can handle it.

Particularly pleasing to put this one to bed. Of course we miss them when they don't play, but a two man team we ain't.

Radford (and the rest of the backroom staff) have proven that a squad is important. I think there's more to the Houghton situation than being told, hope I am wrong.

No there isn't. He was in the supporters bar last week and was fine. Said it was more his own confidence that he'd healed properly than the club. I'd rather he sits out matches now than risk losing him for the rest of the season

You Are

!

What are the hidden Houghton issues you are alluding to? Not heard anything so interested in the detail.

I think he is going to Leeds

so impressed with the players that have come in, Turgut, Fash, Downs have really stood up. Fash has the look of Moa. We have strength in depth which bodes well for the end of the season.

Really like fash. Might be short but it's all about how you use your build . Rather have a short aggressive prop who runs his weight than a Dane Tilse type pudding

Outstanding stats from Fash, someone said I was talking nonense when I said I've seen more from Fash this season then I've seen from Thompson this season and last, just compare the stats for this week. Probably in a 3rd of the salary as well.

Great to see these lads coming through it takes time and they can't just been thrown in until they are ready like some want, Radford is handling them really well.

the beauty of the youth system is that you can never be quite sure which players will make the grade. early guns like the wilsons and to some extent reece dean have fallen short at FC whilst downs and fash seem to have some of that late development typical of a young player. just goes to show that a player at say 16 or 17 can be vastly different to one at 21 both positively or in the negative.