What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 1:51 pm  

For me, two things stand out:

1) Their 100% commitment and attention to detail when chasing kicks. Late 2nd half Lomax kicks high from 35 yards out, I think LMS or Batchelor was already running 10 yards behind him and 10 to the right at an angle towards the corner so it's hard for him to get blocked. He put everything into the chase and challenged properly together with Percival coming in from the wing and French knocked on and they regain possession.

The did the same closer to the line 3-4 times in the 2nd half, always challenging, always timing their runs perfectly, and always with plenty of players around the ball. Basically 'making their own luck' through sheer hardwork and practice - and more often than not they come up with the loose ball and go over.

2) Defending kicks close to their line. They work equally hard at making sure they block attackers getting a clear run at the ball by making sure they are aware where the attackers are and slow their speed accordingly.

We far to often half heartedly chase a kick, I think only Bevan really seems to make an effort and last year we seemed content not to bother even challenging.

Same defending a kick, Batemen just loitered back without being aware where the threats were in the above example, and for one of their tries we had players just hanging back waiting to see what happened rather than anticipating a loose ball.

Not criticising yesterday, but when you look at why Saints are so hard to beat it's because of that attention to detail and 100% effort at all times, making 'your own luck' through sheer hardwork and effort chasing lost causes.

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 2:31 pm  

We can learn that we have just beat them in a semi final,THEY now need to learn from us !!!

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 4:38 pm  

Bizarre thread this like, you’ve just beaten them and deservedly so. Winners are grinners! Wire fan.

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 5:06 pm  

The most important thing that I hope we have learned is if we believe in ourselves we can beat anyone. Belief is crucial to win trophies.

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 5:15 pm  

DallasMead2 wrote:

Bizarre thread this like, you’ve just beaten them and deservedly so. Winners are grinners! Wire fan.

I agree wire fan,truly bizarre

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 5:55 pm  

You can and should learn something from every game. What i would take away from the game yesterday is that, while Saints are still the benchmark, take a player or 2 out of their side and when Walmsley has a quiet game they aren't as good as their fans think they are

However, i do believe we where lucky in the end after a bad second half and i think Saints are still massive favourites for the GF

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 6:21 pm  

I don’t think it’s a bad thread at all. I’m absolutely certain Matty Peet, his staff and the players are trying to learn things from Saints. They do some things better than us (and we do others better than them) and let’s not get ahead of ourselves, they’re the best side in the comp. They’re forcing us to improve and we are doing but we need to keep getting better.

In the short term we’ve got one over them and it feels bloody good. To keep getting over them we’ll need to keep improving and under Peet, I think we will.

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 6:37 pm  

I think we learned that it’s critical to execute any opportunities that you get and I thought we did that well.

On Good Friday we had opportunities but couldn’t finish them off and we paid the price.

The Marshall try to win it was just a perfect example, Saints will make mistakes but you have to punish them for it and we did.

It’s the same with the Farrell try, the defender takes a huge gamble by shooting out the line and we go in for 4.

In the big pressure games you have to execute every chance you get…including two pointers.

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 6:39 pm  

We're improving, they've gone into the season with no cover at halfback, they work incredibly hard for each other but they've signed a couple of liabilities over the summer, Paasi is their main forward and takes a hell of a lot of stopping.
They very likely will make anther GF but they'll do it by grinding down the opposition, "The Entertainers" are a thing of the past

Re: What can we learn from playing Saints : Sun May 08, 2022 6:50 pm  

apollosghost wrote:

We're improving, they've gone into the season with no cover at halfback, they work incredibly hard for each other but they've signed a couple of liabilities over the summer, Paasi is their main forward and takes a hell of a lot of stopping.
They very likely will make anther GF but they'll do it by grinding down the opposition, "The Entertainers" are a thing of the past

The grinders I’d call them nowadays. So tough to beat and effort and intensity can be entertaining in it’s way but they’re certainly not in keeping with a traditional Saints side. They don’t blow teams away and they were due a big game defeat. We should’ve got them in the 2020 GF and Catalans could’ve done so in 2021. If you can match them in the effort areas you’re a chance.