Re: 2012 Expectations - how will we do? : Sat Feb 04, 2012 12:43 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

So normal service resumed then. As it was under Milward and Noble.

We can only hope They'll still be dangerous when push comes to shove, but ultimately it's hard to see them having enough quality to be able to beat the likes of us, Leeds, Warrington and Catalans come the crunch all things being equal. There are probably more variables in the equation among all the top clubs than there's ever been before this season though, so who knows? They might get lucky

Re: 2012 Expectations - how will we do? : Sat Feb 04, 2012 1:43 pm  

The only arena in which Fielden would be a decent replacement for Coley is Scrabble. In fact, he's still worth the same in that so even there the best he is the same lol.

Re: 2012 Expectations - how will we do? : Sat Feb 04, 2012 7:36 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

however i wonder if all those aging legs at Wire will betray them, as they did last season,

.....What's that all about?

There was two reasons we failed last year in the play-offs, and that was the exact same reasons that you lot lost to Leeds in the final.....We both came up against an in-form Leeds side and in the decisive matches, we both lost important players which helped to swing both games Leeds's way.

The 'aging legs' were not a factor at all.....We went well for most of the season, destroying most sides by big scores....In our penultmate match we nilled the Giants, while putting close to 50 on them, so I don't think the legs were too bad at that stage of things?

As for this year?.....I actually fancy Saints to top the table and be there or thereabouts for the trophies.....As for Wire?...I think that Tony Smith will learn from last season and will 'pick' his games more and aim for the Challenge Cup and Play-offs more specifically....We have a few youngsters who will see more game time, keeping those 'aging legs' as fresh as possible - Our squad depth will surprise a few neutrals this year.

Oh, and Trent Waterhouse will win Man of Steel....

Re: 2012 Expectations - how will we do? : Sun Feb 05, 2012 3:58 am  

The Chair Maker wrote:

bare minimum expectation for me is a top 4 finish.

However i am confident we will sweep the board and win the lot.

I just look at the opposition and only Wire and Catalan look like having well balanced teams, however i wonder if all those aging legs at Wire will betray them, as they did last season, and if Catalan can translate home form into away consistency.

The pies look very short in the pack. They have lost their two best back rowers in Tomkins and Hoffman, along with their most consistent prop in Coley.
It says a lot that they are keeping their fingers crossed that Fielden and Hock can perform, neither has hit any sort of form for a number of years.
Guy the Gorilla is also an unknown in the coaching department at this level. They will rely very heavily on tomkins getting them out of trouble. If he goes down injured for any length of time, they could be in for an ordinary season by their fans expectations

Leeds have the big game experience, with some very exciting young threequarters, however Peacock, sir Kevin, Mcguire, and Burrows are either in or fast approaching the veteran stage of their careers. Do Leeds have anyone coming through their youth sides with the talent to replace them?
For most of last season Leeds looked like a side in transition. I think 2011 for Leeds will turnout a bit like 2006 for Saints, in that it was in reality the last great hurrah of legends, the following years being ones of occasional success but mainly living life as bridesmaids while a new team is built to challenge the position of top dog.

Huddersfield, they will be the best of the rest. Being capable of upsetting the top dogs but lacking that little bit extra to win battles when it really matters.

The rest are all lambs to the slaughter.

Any Rugby League fan especially a Saints fan must know its not a smart move to write Leeds off!

You say that the Leeds team is getting old but yet you also say that wire will be your main challengers. Warrington have an older squad than leeds, including key players such as Briers,Morley,Monnaghan,Hodgson, Westwood and Waterhouse who are all the wrong side of 30! At the moment we dont have anybody in line to replace JP but props generally hit there peak much later than other positions. We have a young lad called Stevie Ward who is gunna be a class act, we signed Jack Briscoe who is next in line for the halves. We dont have to replace any of the back 5 with BJB in line for the FB spot. We might be as young as some but we aint the dinosaurs most think we are

Re: 2012 Expectations - how will we do? : Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:47 am  

jarvis12345 wrote:

Any Rugby League fan especially a Saints fan must know its not a smart move to write Leeds off!

You say that the Leeds team is getting old but yet you also say that wire will be your main challengers. Warrington have an older squad than leeds, including key players such as Briers,Morley,Monnaghan,Hodgson, Westwood and Waterhouse who are all the wrong side of 30! At the moment we dont have anybody in line to replace JP but props generally hit there peak much later than other positions. We have a young lad called Stevie Ward who is gunna be a class act, we signed Jack Briscoe who is next in line for the halves. We dont have to replace any of the back 5 with BJB in line for the FB spot. We might be as young as some but we aint the dinosaurs most think we are

And the band kept on playing as the titanic went down...

Re: 2012 Expectations - how will we do? : Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:16 am  

SomersetSaint wrote:

And the band kept on playing as the titanic went down...

Anyone been fishing recently?????

Re: 2012 Expectations - how will we do? : Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:41 am  

bewareshadows wrote:

Anyone been fishing recently?????

It's good to see yours posts are smaller this year. I will actually read the full post now

Re: 2012 Expectations - how will we do? : Sun Feb 05, 2012 9:13 am  

St pete wrote:

It's good to see yours posts are smaller this year. I will actually read the full post now