: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:41 pm  

If Saints and Leeds were reffed to the same standards things might change too.

And if Huddersfields attack had been in order when they played Saints, it would have been a different case, the defence was fine that day, but I have rarely seen so many unforced errors in scoring positions.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:47 pm  

Stirlingshire Saint wrote:

Saints and Leeds are so far ahead yet again it is embarrassing.

The rest are all mediocre.

Improvement needed massively, especially defensively.

Saints and Leeds are the only two clubs dominated by top class English and Welsh players.

Hopefully, the northern talent scouts will start to look at the massive numbers of quality English talent to be found in London junior ranks, to replace the second rate Antipodean imports now on display in west Yorkshire and Cheshire.

Moreover, the development of Celtic Crusaders in Wales will hopefully provide new waves of Welsh talent not only sufficient but superfluous for the Celtic Crusaders, and sufficient in numbers to enable the weaker English clubs to replace their second rate Antipodean imports with. Super League needs more players with names like Jones, Boston, Sullivan, Harris, Briers, Davies, Penny and Halfpenny.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:48 pm  

Code13 wrote:

If Saints and Leeds were reffed to the same standards things might change too.

And if Huddersfields attack had been in order when they played Saints, it would have been a different case, the defence was fine that day, but I have rarely seen so many unforced errors in scoring positions.

If this and if that.

Saints and Leeds have shared all the domestic honours for the last 3 years. That doesn't come about because of poor refereeing and a few handling errors.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:49 pm  

Stirlingshire Saint wrote:

Saints and Leeds are so far ahead yet again it is embarrassing.

The rest are all mediocre.

Improvement needed massively, especially defensively.

Yep and Cas (1st), Rovers (2nd) have scored the most points for so far this season and we have played both Leeds/Saints in the process.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:54 pm  

Fully wrote:

Stuart Jones, Brett Ferres, Michael Wainwright, Ryan Clayton, Ryan Boyle all missing or were injured on Sunday v Bradford.

And james evans.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 12:54 pm  

Fully wrote:

Stuart Jones, Brett Ferres, Michael Wainwright, Ryan Clayton, Ryan Boyle all missing or were injured on Sunday v Bradford.

And james evans.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:00 pm  

moxi1 wrote:

Yep and Cas (1st), Rovers (2nd) have scored the most points for so far this season and we have played both Leeds/Saints in the process.

When did Saints play Castleford then ?

Look at the league table, Saints and Leeds already joint top in no time and it will stay that way until the end of the year. This weekend will decide who wins the Challenge Cup as well.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:23 pm  

Stirlingshire Saint wrote:

When did Saints play Castleford then ?

Look at the league table, Saints and Leeds already joint top in no time and it will stay that way until the end of the year. This weekend will decide who wins the Challenge Cup as well.

Tend to agree, glad we played Saints when we did. The cup could go anyway, the winners of Leeds v Saints could get beat if they get an away draw at a number of clubs.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:26 pm  

Stirlingshire Saint wrote:

When did Saints play Castleford then ?

Look at the league table, Saints and Leeds already joint top in no time and it will stay that way until the end of the year. This weekend will decide who wins the Challenge Cup as well.

I think by "we" he meant Rovers.

FWIW this year it looks like everyone is playing for third after Saints and Leeds. Allied to that is the knowledge that one great effort in the playoffs (or one off day from the top two) and everything's suddenly up in the air. Same thing goes with the Cup.

[Mild Rover]

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 2:32 pm  

Does anybody think that Saints and Leeds dominance is not challenged enough partly because of the attitudes of other clubs - from coaches, through players to the fans? People worry about complacency when playing Celtic and Salford, but 'the anything we get from Leeds/Saints is a bonus' attitude might be just as much of a problem. I think psychologically teams sometimes save themselves for the more win-able game the week after against, say, Quins or Cas or Hull KR, when they are due to play one of the top two.

They (Saints and Leeds) are good teams, don't get me wrong, more than the sum of their impressive parts even. I just don't think they are forced to deal with adversity as often as they should be. The failure of their English players at the WC was another reflection of that, IMO.

Hopefully Bradford and Wigan will give their all in the Easter derbies and not save themselves for Catalans and Wakefield - they need the points after all.

Having said that, as we've played both the big 2, maybe I should hope they keep winning, as it improves our play-off chances.