Re: Whats your team for Monday vs Warrington? : Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:02 pm  

wakey_saint wrote:

We had a similar situation last year where we had managed a draw and 2 league losses to Wigan, plus they beat us in CC, yet when we had to play them twice in the playoffs, we raised our game massively and came out on top both times to reach Old Trafford. Grand Final night aside, we seem to be able to really raise our game at the right time of the season and I think this could be the same this year for us

There is a big difference between our matches against Wigan this season to those of last season. Last season the maximum we lost by was a massive six points. Has it been less than that in any of the three matches this season? And our most recent loss to them was an absolute mauling. We were a better team against them last season than we are this. I doubt very much we will beat them this season without change to our line up and/or style of play, neither of which shows any sign of happening.

Re: Whats your team for Monday vs Warrington? : Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:07 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

There is a big difference between our matches against Wigan this season to those of last season. Last season the maximum we lost by was a massive six points. Has it been less than that in any of the three matches this season?

We lost 32-10 at Widnes. Two of our games this year were close especially the one at home, the scoreline just ran away from us in the final 10 minutes.

Re: Whats your team for Monday vs Warrington? : Thu Aug 02, 2012 7:17 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

There is a big difference between our matches against Wigan this season to those of last season. Last season the maximum we lost by was a massive six points. Has it been less than that in any of the three matches this season? And our most recent loss to them was an absolute mauling. We were a better team against them last season than we are this. I doubt very much we will beat them this season without change to our line up and/or style of play, neither of which shows any sign of happening.

Apart from the first half at Manchester, they haven't done anything special against us this season, or been streets ahead at all. On Good Friday the game was in the balance with about 15 mins to go, so we weren't far off. And that was after losing Lomax after 5 minutes. In the cup game, they were marginally the better of two poor sides on the day.

So we aren't as far away from them as you make out. And considering we have just won 7 on the bounce, including a win against Catalans on a ground where nobody else has won in the league this season, I'd say we are doing ok.

We don't need to tinker, we need to maintain our current form and consistency and allow the on field partnerships, that are currently working well, to continue to improve as we come towards the playoffs.

Making changes at this stage may please you as it will not be "boring and predictable," but in terms of the good of the team it will do nothing but disrupt the momentum we are building.

Re: Whats your team for Monday vs Warrington? : Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:20 pm  

I'd back us to beat Wigan in the playoffs every time (except for the final where I've given up on ever seeing fortune go our way again ). Our pack is just too strong for them if TP, Sia, Robes, LMS, Perry et al turn up and play to their potential, and Tomkins will struggle to do anything behind a beaten pack. It's Leeds and Wire who I fear much more right now, and I reckon we'll need to beat both of them to face the Pies in the final the way the table looks as though it's going to end up.

Re: Whats your team for Monday vs Warrington? : Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:21 pm  

I feel that Wigan seem to get up for the games against us than we do, they out enthuse us, especially in the pack.

I'd like to know where this myth of us being expansive in 2006 came from, we were efficient, not expansive. The heyday for that recently was under Millward...

Re: Whats your team for Monday vs Warrington? : Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:31 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

I feel that Wigan seem to get up for the games against us than we do, they out enthuse us, especially in the pack.

In the league definitely, but not in the playoffs last year... If our forwards can match their desire, and there's no reason to imagine that they won't when it actually counts, then I think we've just got that bit too much class for them to compete against up front. If not and it turns into a backs game then inevitably it will get ugly however...

Billinge_Lump wrote:

I'd like to know where this myth of us being expansive in 2006 came from, we were efficient, not expansive. The heyday for that recently was under Millward...

Indeed - the 2006 team was great but just a little overrated in my opinion and made to look all-conquering and invincible by a very weak league at the time. I reckon the '96 and '00 teams were marginally better.

Re: Whats your team for Monday vs Warrington? : Thu Aug 02, 2012 9:21 pm  

Blobbynator wrote:

We lost 32-10 at Widnes. Two of our games this year were close especially the one at home, the scoreline just ran away from us in the final 10 minutes.

Yeah, but that's a big difference to last year. The scores didn't run away with us last year. Quite the opposite, often: we would catch up in the second half, as indeed we did at the Magic weekend when we drew.

I just think we are miles away from them this season. We don't have the commitment up front or the kicking game in the halves to get over them if we need to. We didn't have a whole lot of invention or creativity last year either but at least we thought to, say, drop a goal when it was beneficial or pull off a 40/20.

Re: Whats your team for Monday vs Warrington? : Thu Aug 02, 2012 10:05 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

In the league definitely, but not in the playoffs last year...

I'm only going off this years games.

If our forwards can match their desire, and there's no reason to imagine that they won't when it actually counts, then I think we've just got that bit too much class for them to compete against up front. If not and it turns into a backs game then inevitably it will get ugly however...

I'd agree with that to a major extent, I don't think we have the gamebreaker they have in Tomkins at the moment. Lomax doesn't have his experience.

Indeed - the 2006 team was great but just a little overrated in my opinion and made to look all-conquering and invincible by a very weak league at the time. I reckon the '96 and '00 teams were marginally better.

I think that is a bit harsh, the 2006 team was exceptionally good, it just didn't throw the ball around with abandon. That's probably why it was so efficient.

Squad announced : Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:01 pm  

1. Paul Wellens, 3. Michael Shenton, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 6. Lance Hohaia, 7. Jonny Lomax, 8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Chris Flannery, 14. Anthony Laffranchi, 15. Mark Flanagan 16. Paul Clough, 18. Shaun Magennis, 19. Andy Dixon, 21. Tommy Makinson, 26. Josh Jones.

Tony Smith's Warrington team will be chosen from:

1. Brett Hodgson, 2. Chris Riley, 4. Ryan Atkins, 5. Joel Monaghan, 6. Lee Briers, 7. Richie Myler, 8. Adrian Morley, 9. Michael Monaghan, 10. Garreth Carvell, 11. Trent Waterhouse, 12. Ben Westwood, 14. Micky Higham, 15. Simon Grix, 16. Paul Wood, 17. Mike Cooper, 19. Stefan Ratchford, 20. Chris Hill, 21. Tyrone McCarthy, 26. David Solomona.

The game kicks off at 8pm and the referee is Richard Silverwood.

My Choice : Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:07 pm  

1. Paul Wellens,
21. Tommy Makinson,
3. Michael Shenton,
26. Josh Jones
5. Francis Meli,
6. Lance Hohaia,
7. Jonny Lomax,
8. Josh Perry,
9. James Roby,
14. Anthony Laffranchi,
11. Tony Puletua,
4. Sia Soliola,
12. Jon Wilkin,

13. Chris Flannery,
10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook,
15. Mark Flanagan
16. Paul Clough,