All the pundits seem to have us down to win (by an average 8 points)

The bookies have us odds on and Saints have a 6 points pull.

Why do I feel so nervous then......

Is it just the favourites tag ????

Looking forward to the game and seeing a few of the individual battles unfold.

Your nerves are of no concern to us. We're rubbish and been awful all season.

I'm confident we can do it.
But To be honest, it's going to be 50/50 all the way.
And either team will need some individual brilliance to win it i think.

For the first time since 1999 i'm not nervous - i don't [iexpect[/i us to win this time round. Having beat Leeds in the eliminator's in 2007 & 2008 i was confident of victory in both (in 2008 i was certain after we had given Leeds a lesson). This year its been the other way round, with us starting the season well and finishing it very scratchy which kind of echoed Leeds in 2008.

No doubt you will have nerves after what Leeds have proved as "underdogs" in the last 2 years anything is possible.

The season has shown these are still the two best teams with great individual contests across the park. I am going to enjoy the day out, enjoy the match, shout my head off and a Saints victory would be a hugely welcomed bonus.

No nerves here either. If we win, we win, if we lose, guess what, we lose and so be it. Cant see us losing this one though, weve come to far and know how to beat Leeds.

I'm not too concerned about the result (I simply wouldn't care were it not for Leeds being the opposition). Our form this season has been truly terrible and I think it will be totally undeserved if we end up winning the competition this season.

I just think Leeds have more gamebreakers than we do. They have a better short kicking game than we do so you can guarantee they'll score from a kick during the game. You can also pretty much guarantee Ryan Hall will score, and Danny McGuire. It will take our best attacking performance of the season to score enough points to win it and where that would come from I have no idea. They clearly have it in them, but under Potter we've not even hinted at it for months. We're getting close to a run of 10 games without scoring more than 18 points. Unprecedented in SL for us. 18 points won't be enough to win on Saturday.

I'd love to know where the optimism comes from. When was the last time you walked away from a Saints game reflecting on how well they'd played? Cas away mid season?

Like a few others have said, it actually refreshing to be underdogs, i'm not nervous as we have no pressure on us this time. This, in recent history at least is when we perform best

Leeds away in September? we did enough to win that night.

Leeds t'other month. Wigoon last week, Shudds couple week before that. Were reet... we got the play off mentality and mindset. I walked out of Cass thinking " jeez cass are shyt, but no doubt will make the top 8 and be hailed a great strory of 2009 "

if you defend like you have done in the playoffs 10 poins will be enough to win.

I disagree about not having any pressure.

There is a degree of pressure on you to win because if you lose it'll be your 3rd gf defeat on the trot.

Leeds having won the last 2 titles aren't under as much pressure to win.

People seem to think being favourites piles you under tons of pressure but it's all . It has no impact except the underdogs have ''something to prove''

If you look at all the gf's since 98 pretty much the only time the favourites haave been turned over is 99 07 and 08.

The weay you guys are going on about it you'd think being underdogs = automatic win.

I agree they'd be no pressure on you as underdogs, but having lost to the last 2 grand finals, that means there IS pressure on you to produce whether you want top admit it or not.

We were clear at the top for quite a while, our form hasn't been truly terrible at all, we hit a bad patch and the spoiled knee jerkers such as yourself starting surrendering at a rate not seen since world war France and slating players who have given their all for Saints for years and years.

Are you going on Saturday?

Yes, I never miss a Final



I'm a very committed supporter and a season ticket holder of some 22 years. I'm not very optimistic as you all know.

This season we have had a good squad and have won a lot of games but we've not been scoring freely like in previous seasons and IMO the performances have been lacking, particularly during the last few months.

Sums it up pretty well - your a misrable sod alot of the time but you do make some excellent points that many of the annoying eternal optimists miss (mainly because there too busy deluding themselves).

We are underdogs and deserve to be so because we dont have much if any fluency in attack these recent months and Leeds have a top class team and they are in very good form. Hopefully we'll step up a gear or 3 on the night and Leeds will have an off day and we'll come away with the title.

scoring freely hasn't done you much good the last 2 grand finals has it?

One thing you are doing well and your fans seem to overloook this is [udefending[/u

That's a load of balls to be fair. We're underdogs because we've been rubbish for 90% of the season.

We're underdogs because everything points to an almost certain loss on Saturday. But it will be quite close all the same.

Leeds by 9 I think.

I'm happy to let Leeds carry on feeling the nerves.

I don't expect anything from Saints. I'm going to enjoy the big game atmosphere and being at another final. I don't expect a win. I hope to be pleasantly surprised, though.

I was fine until I saw a picture of Wello and Sinfield holding the trophy inside Old Trafford then the nerves started!

You might not have pressure on you but your players have mega tons! To lose 3 in a row would be too much for some, losing is not an option. That brings big time pressure! Honestly how many saints players do you think will be thinking "if we lose we lose" ?

I think you're right that players will be under pressure, but its a different kind of pressure and there will be a different outlook on the game.

The last 2 years when we have, in truth, expected to win, the emphasis was on playing entertaining rugby to break Leeds down.

This year, as underdogs, the players will be thinking about winning the arm-wrestle, completion, discipline and 'sticking in there' with Leeds.

Hopefully it will make for a tighter game, which would hopefully work to our benefit.

You make a valid point, there nerves will be on. but as processionals i don't think it will affect them too much.

And it also can work in a more positive like, urging them on to play there best.

Saints need to keep their emotions in check, there is a fine line between using the defeats to motivate the team or letting that get the better of them, Leeds need to find that hunger from 07 and 08 and keep the focus to create history!

Both teams motivation can backfire on them

both teams can win this game!

I'm nervy as fook! Bring it on

LOL

so now magically, pressure is a good thing! It makes you play better!

Some players thrive on pressure to perform.