Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 8:48 am  

Judder Man wrote:

The question is if you know because of all the pivotal players missing you only have a 20% of winning the grand final, would you still want the team to qualfy to be there.

Every time

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:21 am  

Judder Man wrote:

The question is if you know because of all the pivotal players missing you only have a 20% of winning the grand final, would you still want the team to qualfy to be there.

Last time I checked 20% was bigger than 0%, so of course I'd want the team to be there.

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:27 am  

FearTheVee wrote:

Last time I checked 20% was bigger than 0%, so of course I'd want the team to be there.

That would be my answer if the odds where only 1%. I suppose the next question is there a cut off point where supporters would go to the final or watch it on sky or not bother at all.

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:31 am  

Judder Man wrote:

That would be my answer if the odds where only 1%. I suppose the next question is there a cut off point where supporters would go to the final or watch it on sky or not bother at all.

If people sit through five losses on the bounce then decide not to go to future finals for fear of losing, they're going to miss the reward when we win one. . . . which we will eventually (although I doubt it will be this year)

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:43 am  

NickyKiss wrote:

Strange things happen especially on big nights in high pressure circumstances like Old Trafford. I believe Saints will make OT now and regardless of it being Wigan or Warrington you face it will be a close fought game IMO. Your defending brilliantly at the moment and look really determined.

If we're lucky enough to make it through and we do play you I'll be incredibly nervous. There's a few seasons of derby dominance on the line and in the biggest one of them all we could get burned. There wouldn't be a great deal of pressure on you guys IMO and we could panic in that situation.

Interesting few weeks ahead anyway.

We have to get passed Hudds/Cas/Warrington/Catalan first and I don't think we will.

If we get there then you will destroy us, it will be painful but I'll still be there. It will be like the 2010 GF. Think that's the one where we drafted Matty Smith in and it didn't work.

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:52 am  

Lets not forget every team has been patchy this year.

Wigan and Saints can't be sure where they stand as their opposition ran out of steam after 20 minutes and neither Huddersfield or Cas had their main halfback on the pitch to kick them out of trouble. Or to trouble the line.

Not sure why Sneyd was not playing???

I'm just happy that the saturday games where closer affairs, otherwise it would have been a terrible start to the playoffs.

Now the crowds should build as surely all teams in the next round will have a good chance of winning and the round after Saints know could be their last game of the season, unlike the first round were there is no route to the GF and no chance of being knocked out.

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:00 am  

Considering how tight the top 6 was , the results of the first two playoffs were a surprise. I expected much closer affairs

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:51 am  

Saint Simon wrote:

Considering how tight the top 6 was , the results of the first two playoffs were a surprise. I expected much closer affairs

Saints were saving themselves for the playoffs

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 11:04 am  

With Leeds out & Saints earning clubcall we have a very good chance now of reaching Old Trafford. An outstanding achievement w/o Lomax, Walsh & Wilkin for so long.

I don't hold much hope of winning the comp w/o any real pivots but I recall going to recent Saints grand finals & cursing the fact that it always teemed it down.

Due to personel we are playing top quality wet weather football ATM, decent kicking game, great chase & tackling has been exceptional. Our strength is currently in the forwards & with Walmsley returning & Thompson back in squad you can never say never. We can but dream, & the pressure is definitely off.

Re: Road to Old Trafford : Sun Sep 21, 2014 12:05 pm  

Our chances of getting to Old Trafford are only marginally easier than they were after Friday evenings win against Cas.

This is merely because a 7th placed team defeated a 6th place team.
There is the argument that Leeds were weaker anyway due to the mental and physical fatigue of winning the challenge cup and were actually only the 7th best.

I would like to remind people of the other year when we defeated Wire comfortably in the first playoff game. Fans were cock a hoop, Wire then won their elimination match, came to Langtree park and smashed us out the ground.

All the teams left in the competition are capable of defeating Saints at Langtree park, if Saints are even slightly off their focus and the opposition is full primed.

As for the grand final. Wigan are clear favourites, but they were that for the challenge cup and looked what happened there this year.

IF we managed to get to the grand final and it was against Wigan we would be massive underdogs. I would not expect us to win. However I would regard getting to the final as a huge achievement and something to build upon for the following season.
IF we did defeat Wigan in the grand final it would be a huge result, however its not impossible. We defeated them on their own midden this year despite losing Walsh after just 20 minutes.

Being able to compete in playoff matches despite having no recognised half backs should be a huge psychological bonus going into next season. It means that even if opposition sides shut down our halves we can incorporate a plan B and still tough it out.