talking RL at work today we were talking about next season and none of us, all fans of differant clubs, could decide about saints.
are the key players getting to old?
puletua is a good signing but should more have been signed?
are you happy with the youngsters coming through?eastmond,obviously is class but are then many more?

this isn't a wind up i'm genuinely interested if you think you will be a major force next season or will it be a season of rebuilding with a new coach?

thanks, tad

The GF posters have been printed already

It's Saints v Rhinos yet again!

i'm not so sure

Who's going to overtake Saints?

Go on i'll nibble...

I think we'll be there and there abouts again although as is widely known we're heading for the 'transitional' phase as a club.

KC,Long and Gilly to name a few are on pretty much the final lap and whilst their experience is invaluable we needed to find replacements yesterday rather than tomorrow.
The position which worries me the most is 9. James Roby (imo) doesn't direct a pack well enough around the field and as with England on Sat if we can't get a quick PTB we will be in serious trouble.
I'd like to see Scott Moore do well on his 12 month loan deal and come back to KR,he has the ability and with a couple of years SL experience under his belt i can see him going well for us.

The goal kicking option also is a major worry,we are capable of scoring tries but in close games we can't keep going up in 4's as we'll get caught short.

Puleuta seems on the whole to be a decent signing and will add weight and power to the pack,i'd like to think that we have a pacey back who can kick goals lined up tho

It's a guaranteed re-match number 3 mate

Which other team could possibly make it to the GF to play the Rhinos other than the "S" ?

Third time's a charm



I'll be surprised if we get there again this year, the team isn't exactly young and we've lost a big number of players. A few injuries could cock up the season royally.

i'm not trolling, not sure about jonesey though!
it's a genuine question. one lad is a hull fan, i'm leeds obviously and the other guy is a cas fan and we were talking next season.
i'm just not sure saints will be in the top 2 but i was just interested in what the saints fans thought as they know the team better than me.
like the last guy said it doesn't look the biggest squad and a few injuries could really harm saints

Jamie Lyon wants to finish his career at Saints. There's your goal kicker. Has Matty Smith signed for Widnes?

Matty Smith and Tyrer have both signed for Celtic next year


But Leeds have done well to be second place champions 2yrs on the trot


Saints will still be the team to beat next year over the full season and we still have salary cap space and overseas quota to fill as well

That's all well and good. But will we sign him? Can we have next season?

The answer to both is a negative.

As for Smith, he isn't an out and out goal kicker. He is also not the type of S/H that really fits in with Saints, and will be well behind Arnold in the pecking order

Did you see much of moore last year? he was pretty dire at hooker, was one of out worst players (better than korki and halbrecht but worse than everyone else) and we only played him because our sqaud was so thin and henderson couldnt do 80 minutes anymore. As i understand it though he's been pushed from one position to another which can obviously stunt a young players development, but on last years form at least he is no hooker.

I see it as similar situation as last season albeit we finished much closer to leeds.

Leeds went backward for me this year but they are adding quality in buderus.

The players we have lost have either been injured . squad players or both with the exception of talau.

Thats the position we need to be concerned about.

Puletea at the mo looks an adequate replacement for fozzard.

Eastmond can kick.

Of the rest the pies just dont worry me with their current penchant for signing "tesco value range" players and have let go 2 eng internationals and their only world class player.

A bad start will see them replace noble.

Wire always threaten to do something and they certainly have the talent. I think Higham will be great signing.

Catalans will need to readjust.

Bradford are going backwards.

Of the rest any can challenge the top six but not the top two yet.

Unless the new coaching setup fails spectacularly I think only injuries stop us getting to the grand final again.

Pretty much agree with Dosey. We're weaker this coming season, but so are Leeds and the other teams haven't signed enough class to worry me about closing the gulf. The only way I can see us slipping is if we cannot weather any injury crisis.

Funny you should say that but I've had the exact same thought at the start of the 07 season and then at the start of the 08 season. Fair enough we've lost both GF's to the only other decent side in the comp, but given the minuscule number of signings we've made in that period I think we've done pretty well.

Still not sure about 09 though. Perhaps there'll be a few autographs collected down in Oz over the next week or two......

I don't think we are weaker,we've lost ellis who has been great but eastwood doesn't look too bad and buderus is an improvement on tansey a lot of our youngsters will be better for last year's experience players like watkins,allan and ben jones bishop so if anything i think we'll be stronger.
I still think it will be us and you in the top 2 although i'd like to see eastmond given more gametime as i think he's got the x-factor and can add to your armoury.

Saints will win the hub cap again. Our oldies are still goldies and they'll bring the young ones through and claim their 5th top spot on the trot!

Amazing how Bradford have disappeared off people's radars and almost off the map. What a fall from grace.

I can see what you did there...

Thats because they are rubbish, McNamara has brought in some of the most mediocre players in SL

When I was leaving my seat after the GF I said to my son. "Take a good look at the place as I don't think we will be back here for a while".

I hope I am wrong, but with the likes of KC and Longy getting older and not having got a left centre plus after the 1st 17 we seem very light I think we will finish 3rd or 4th in the league, win our home play off game then get KO'd away.

The CC is down to luck of the draw. You could get the likes of Leeds, Wigan, Bradford, Warrington and the Hull clubs all knocking each other out whilst we play National League teams, get to the final and anyone can win a "one off" game

my opinion, if it counts, is you need to stay virtually injury free. 1-17 is still class although not as good as leeds, although i am biased obviously.