So, 2008 ended flat. A bum note for Anderson who delivered so much, and of course, we have had to put up with tedious trolls all winter.

But, there is a very small ray of light at the end of the very dark winter tunnel. It is 2009.

Saints have players with so much to prove, to the world, to us and to themselves.

We have a new coach, who will offer us a completely different outlook to our previous two, and who is essentially, untested at the very top level.

We have a wealth of promising youngsters ready to step in and try to prove themselves.

We still have all the ingredients to be dominant, but there is nagging doubt that we will have to fight like mad to prove it.

Bring on 2009.

I think it's your own thirst for the game rather than any great feeling around Saints at the moment.

Saints have absolutely no thirst or desire to win trophies any more. They are still good enough but the Grand Final has been won by the team that wanted it more for the past two seasons.

I think the fans are complacent too, they are expecting another season at the top. With a new coach and yet again no new players it's hard to see where the optimism comes from. It's only the lack of improvement from the teams around us that has kept us at the top in recent years. The likes of Bradford, Hull, Wigan and Warrington are all still well below par and we're lucky thats the case. We won't be any better than last season, arguably weaker again because of the mysterious recruitment policies.

Yep. The element of the unknown is making me look forward to this season more than any for a while. It's been a couple of seasons since we've made an exciting signing, and in Tony P we've got one this time round. The thinness of the squad means we are guaranteed to see what some of these vaunted youngsters are really made of.

I just hope the fans are willing to enjoy the drama of it instead of spitting the dummy out if things don't go swimmingly. I'm not holding my breath though.

You mean the one's who enjoyed ramming stirlingshire saints and euro"rent"boy's arrogance back down their throats???????
Next season will be buisness as usual maybe a few more surprise results throughout the season but in the end it'll come down to leeds and saints.

I think I prefer Skis glass is half full attitude personally!

The amount of change, and entering into the unknown is what is going to make next season so exciting.

It could be a complete change.
Leeds - the second row forward they have signed Eastwood is slower than Wellens and spends less time on the field than Feka ans Fassavalou
There must me doubts about the fitness of Boderus


Saints- The sands of time are moving quickly. Wellens is a spent force, Gardner and Wilkin were shown up for what they are in Australia. Pryce is still a major threat despite his poor World cup. Will Eastmond come good?

Catalan - can they reproduce what the did in 2008, who knows but it was great for the game.

Wigan - IMO still short of another prop forward. Could Karl Pryce be a match winner. Will Sam Tomkins emerge. Can Tommy and Tim Smith be catalysts. Will Piggy guide us around the park. Will Ian Thornley be "a bolter"
So many questions and if it all comes right we will be a team to challenge.

Bradford - One hell of a pack but lacking in the backs.

Huddersfield and Hull have strengthened and could be serious challengers.

HKR - could make the eight.

Wire - the enigma. They could finish top or eighth, who knows.


I can't wait.

I don't follow your posts much, but my Spidey Senses are tingling at this one. In fact... No, I won't bite.

Why do they have anything to prove to us,weve had around ten trophy laden seasons. Its been fantastic.
In fact if any group has something to prove its the fans. The vocal backing at games has been pretty embarassing at times.
I hope next season Saints fans prove they still have the same passion for the club that the players do.

All more than good enough for the Super League, we aint playing Aus or N.Z you know.

Because these players have failed to deliver where it matters for two years running. Surely you can see that means they have something to prove?

So winning the Challenge cup and finishing top of the league counts for nothing does it


Ninety nine percent of supporters can only dream about such failure

Looking forward to see Puletua in the redvee, KC's last season?, Eastmond get more game time, Wello stop many more tries, Gilmour & Meli shock RL, Academy lads break into 1st team squad....
Looking at the squads around SL, we'll be up there again. Saints V Leeds looks likely in GF.
After blowing the last 2 GF's, our players should be more hungry then ever.

I don't share your feelings Ski. I've been slowly falling out of love with Saints for a few years now and whilst there's one or two changes around, I have no buzz whatsoever for the new season and I'm actually enjoying the off season alot. There is just no energy from the Saints fans anymore i.e. there is no atmosphere whatsoever. Away games used to be fun, now I see them as a chore. The last decent season we had atmosphere wise was 2005, a backs to the walls season in many ways.

The World Cup put paid to Super League with an inept performance from England and our very best players. If the Saints and Leeds players are bad, how bad are the rest of them? The competition really needs to improve for me to get the juices really flowing.

The most exciting thing for Saints is seeing how we change under a new coach and how the youngsters will get on. I don't see dramatic changes though.

I'll still be there though, particularly the home games (as I have a season ticket).

He'll still be too good and fast for your pack pie.
Less time than feka on the pitch

I think the problem with the atmosphere is that fans have become to complacent, a lot of games in recent seasons haven't had the "will we/won't we" win feeling about them, or been tight games that go to the final hooter which adds to the atmosphere and the tension in the ground.

I think thats why two of my favourite games are playing Leeds and Warrington - with Leeds we know we are always going to see a decent game [size=17discounting the grand final![/size and with Warrington there is the added buzz of the "this will be the time" from the Warrington fans, and the "I hope this isn't the time" from our fans.

Hopefully next season we will see more games where backs are to the wall and more fans will respond vocally and the atmosphere will improve. There again, I think I would prefer to be winning with little atmosphere than losing in a ground full of atmosphere!

I agree.



I doubt it. I see no real improvement from any of the teams below us. Whilst we have declined slightly, we still have a very strong set of core players which will enable us to finish in the top 2.

I have a feeling that next season will be a trophyless one. Leeds are still the team to beat and barring an awful injury list, I can see them doing the double.

Thats not to say our season will be a write off. We will finish in the top 2 comfortably and hopefully Eastmond will get a bit more game time so he can take over from Long in 2010. There is no doubting this kid, he WILL be a star. Too many youngsters get praise heaped on them and end up not fulfilling their potential, but there is no danger of this with Eastmond. Just like Burgess, Westerman and Tompkins, he has that X factor.

2010 is the season that causes me greater concern.

saints have an incentive to get the Grand final monkey off their backs something for potter to work on.
make no mistake those players must be asking questions about themselves in the way those two GF performances went

Perhaps they will 3 days before the final(if they get there).

Theres a few other games inbetween they'll want to concentrate on first and they seemed to do alright in those so the questions regarding the GF can wait!

Finishing top of the league does, yes

See thats were we differ,for the last four seasons that squad of players have put their bodies on the line more consistantly,have consistantly played at a higher quality than any other super league team.
They have nothing tp prove to me,which is my origional point.

Youre talking to a dire fan whose team havnt topped the league for about 50 years, so he wont see that as counting for anything!

Except Leeds, IMO, who have played at a similarly high level of quality, albeit a contrasting style. With the exception of 2006, where nobody held a candle to Saints, they were your equals and/or superiors in 2005, 2007 and 2008.

I think any player worth their salt goes onto the pitch with something different to prove every time, especially so with a new coach in charge. Sean Long, for example, will be wanting to either a) go out with a bow or b) earn a contract to play in the new Stadium.

Leon Pryce will be wanting to keep the 6 jersey, Cunningham is going to want to show his kids why their daddy is regarded as a legend around the town, Roby will be wanting to emerge out of KC's shadow and prove either a) he is Saints first choice rake for the bets part of the next decade or b) generate interest from NRL clubs.

Very few will be going out to prove a point to you, me and definately not the media, but instrinsic rewards that make you pick up a ball as a spotty kid on a council estate, such as going home satisfied with a job well done and that you are superior to your rival never leave you.

The current Super League system rewards medoricy, as Saints have found to their displeasure in recent years. You can finish top of the league and not even make the Grand Final. It's not my fault, it's fact, it's the way it is. Finishing top of the league table in Super League counts for Sweet FA in the record books

Really?

So the records dont show who came top?

Not are you only boring but wrong too!!