Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:17 pm  

Anyone else watch the Wigan - Warrington game? One of those games where you hope both teams lose but had to respect the quality and intensity of that game.

Can we match those two teams for personnel? Not quite, but we're close. Can we match either side for commitment, effort, fitness, numbers in the tackle, line speed, discipline and determination? No, we simply cannot get close to either. If that's an indicator of how the play offs will be, we won't win a game.

We all bitch and moan about signing this player or that player, but it's the whole culture of our club that HAS to change. We need a clear out from top to bottom. I hate to say it but a good place to start in terms of finding a framework to copy is Wigan. Their players would stick the shoulder into a bus doing 30 if Wane grunted them to do it. Then they would get up and punch the bus for knocking them over. Their line speed and utter commitment in particular is what we're lacking.

As for Captains, how sad as a Saints fan is it to compare P. Wello to Sean O'Loughlin? When will McManus wake up and do something about this?

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:38 pm  

What do you want him to do? Sh*t a miracle?

There's no money in the game in this country to attract top players and there's not enough existing talent in the league. So he can't sign players up willy nilly, and theres still experienced old heads from saints glory years such as wellens and wilkin so the culture should be somewhat intact.

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:38 pm  

Agree with all of that.

Wane is a really annoying one eyed pie but he does run a tight ship
with no sentiment and no cliques.

As an opposition fan they provoke two emotions
irritation - with their lying on - but they do it well !!!
admiration - with the ball they can play.

Watching both sides they make Saints look Liverpool FC during the Spice boy era.
All form but lacking real substance and a winning mnetality.

Hypothetically as a Saints coach couldn't see Wane accommodating the likes of Wellens and Wilkin
to the degree they have (only one Boss). Also the like of Wheeler would have been binned
and the likes of "hot & cold" Turner would have been either cured or dispatched.

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:48 pm  

Saddened , how you continually rubbish a player as good as Wellens has been for you guys i will never know , we all know he is not as good as he was but with your injuries he is still important to you . You should show some respect in my opinion

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:54 pm  

FlexWheeler wrote:

What do you want him to do? Sh*t a miracle?

There's no money in the game in this country to attract top players and there's not enough existing talent in the league. So he can't sign players up willy nilly, and theres still experienced old heads from saints glory years such as wellens and wilkin so the culture should be somewhat intact.

Go back and re-read it. I'm not suggesting we sign better players. I'm suggesting our players aren't as well trained as Wigan's or as committed as Wigan's or as motivated as Wigan's.

Care to disagree with any of that?

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 9:58 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Go back and re-read it. I'm not suggesting we sign better players. I'm suggesting our players aren't as well trained as Wigan's or as committed as Wigan's or as motivated as Wigan's.

Care to disagree with any of that?

Wigan are below you in the table, so technically, have been more inconsistent.

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:02 pm  

What will this gobshite Saddo be able to talk about when Wellens eventually retires?

I, as non St Helens fan, don't understand the constant abusing of a player, whilst obviously past his best, still does a decent job for Saints and who is respected throughout our sport.

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:03 pm  

Apart from Roby every player who plays for or joins Saints soon slip into the comfort zone that exists at Saints.

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:04 pm  

ploinerrhino wrote:

Saddened , how you continually rubbish a player as good as Wellens has been for you guys i will never know , we all know he is not as good as he was but with your injuries he is still important to you . You should show some respect in my opinion

Nonsense. The internet is not the place for respect. I love Paul, as a person and a player he's given his all for us. He's just letting himself down now by failing to see when enough is enough. He should have spotted himself when Scott Donald laughed at him whilst sitting him down at Old Trafford that his days at fullback in SL were over. He should have retired then. Wellens now says he can still contribute and so do a few on here. He can, he's an experienced player and he could contribute what he's contributing now, which in reality is plenty of missed tackles and the odd good piece of work with the ball when his game knowledge comes through, until he's well into his 40s. But should we let him just because he could? No, we shouldn't.

When a great player is no longer good enough to get into the 17 it's game over for them. I'd be disappointed if Wello can't see this and I'll bet he's having more than the odd moment of self doubt right now. You could see it against Warrington when he feabily let Russell slip through his grasp.

Re: Were you watching Eamon McManus? : Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:09 pm  

The Wellens point has derailed a valid thread.

That match tonight was superb. I don't think I've seen us reach that level for a quite some time. Quite simply they are the best teams in the league.

God help us if we have to play either next week. I dread to think what the scoreboard will show.