Re: Squad for Saints : Wed Apr 19, 2023 8:30 pm  

We have been here before. Understrength St Helens team. They still win.

Re: Squad for Saints : Wed Apr 19, 2023 9:41 pm  

They're basically running with Matty Lees and Scarsbrook in the prop rotation and will be youngsters. very close game to call this, but i think we have enough to win. Just need a big effort again. Then most the Squad will have 2 weeks to refresh and we'll get get our pack back (bar Dudson) for Wakefield. Can't see all 8 of our guys playing for England but 3-4 maybe.
Be interesting to see if we sign someone but i think we're waiting for Taginoa. Unless we sign a short term signing for the rest of the year. Could be wrong though and we might sign a long term prop.

Re: Squad for Saints : Wed Apr 19, 2023 10:25 pm  

Or thane wrote:

They're basically running with Matty Lees and Scarsbrook in the prop rotation and will be youngsters. very close game to call this, but i think we have enough to win. Just need a big effort again. Then most the Squad will have 2 weeks to refresh and we'll get get our pack back (bar Dudson) for Wakefield. Can't see all 8 of our guys playing for England but 3-4 maybe.
Be interesting to see if we sign someone but i think we're waiting for Taginoa. Unless we sign a short term signing for the rest of the year. Could be wrong though and we might sign a long term prop.

Taginoa is a second row forward.

Re: Squad for Saints : Wed Apr 19, 2023 11:13 pm  

Zig wrote:

Taginoa is a second row forward.

Would still be good for us, we could play currie or Nicholson at 13 and free up philbin or mcguire for a prop role. Gives us more options anyway. I think we are a bit light in the back row. We have 2 quality players to start in 2nd row but we are shuffling after them really.

Re: Squad for Saints : Thu Apr 20, 2023 9:16 am  

Snaggletooth wrote:

If our defensive intensity mirrors Friday night then we will on a hiding to nothing

I thought our defence stood up well given the amount of field position that Wigan had. The problem in that game was a lack of yardage, not how well we defended. Should Saints have the same amount of ball within our 25, then yes, we'll struggle again.

Re: Squad for Saints : Thu Apr 20, 2023 9:31 am  

Deus Dat Incrementum wrote:

One thing that really concerns me at the moment is the oppositions attacking kicks. We got out of jail by shear luck last week. I remember Thewlis taking a difficult one under pressure but there were lots of other kicks that could have dropped straight into a Wigan players lap.
We need to deal with them a bit better on Thursday.

Wigan had the field position where their kicks were far easily contested when landing, than ours were. In the preceding rounds, our pack made the yardage where we were then on the front foot challenging for the ball with a kick chase, rather than our opponents. I get your point that we just left some kicks to hit the ground against Wigan, which really should not happen.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Squad for Saints : Thu Apr 20, 2023 9:58 am  

MorePlaymakersNeeded wrote:

I thought our defence stood up well given the amount of field position that Wigan had. The problem in that game was a lack of yardage, not how well we defended. Should Saints have the same amount of ball within our 25, then yes, we'll struggle again.

this is very true.

also need to remember, that on the odd occasions we did get within wigans 30, we nearly scored.

regardless of the vid ref decisions, we broke wigan down and got over the line,

and thats despite it being one way traffic in the middle of the field.

Re: Squad for Saints : Thu Apr 20, 2023 11:37 am  

Douglas Black wrote:

We have been here before. Understrength St Helens team. They still win.

My thoughts exactly. Have a feeling it'll be the same old sickening story.

Re: Squad for Saints : Thu Apr 20, 2023 12:38 pm  

MorePlaymakersNeeded wrote:

I thought our defence stood up well given the amount of field position that Wigan had. The problem in that game was a lack of yardage, not how well we defended. Should Saints have the same amount of ball within our 25, then yes, we'll struggle again.

Our intensity needs to be higher than last week, Wigan met our attack on the front foot while we waited for them to arrive at our line. We need to be better, we can o it as we have seen it in previous games. Fingers crossed for tonight

Re: Squad for Saints : Thu Apr 20, 2023 2:01 pm  

Saints go in to this in worse shape than we do, the concern for us will be our go forward and whether we can play with a little more intensity in defence. Both teams have enough creative players to make the chances when in good field position.

Looking at the squads purely on paper we should win, but the way we played the game vs Wigan gives me plenty of doubt.