any saints fans who grew up in the late eighties and early ninties was brought up with (rightly) very smug wigan fans and we were very much the poor cousins. This led to massive resentment and as times changed in 96 saints fans reacted as they were due years of payback. At the of start of superleague wigan were a real force so the rivalry increased again. Now we are far more dominant but the feeling you get from beating wigan is the best there is.

I agree with the opinion that the Wire, despite their lack of success are our local rivals.

The proof is in the amount of threads on the forum. Go back to any of the recent Dire derbies and the forum would be strewn with posts, from about three weeks to go. We have a derby against the Goons soon and there are no posts at all, despite there being several on theirs. I suppose the tussel with our other big than Wigan rivals Leeds is next week has something to do with it.

I suppose my hatred for Wigan might return should the gloating be bad after next Thursday's game, which common sense suggests we will lose.

although the wire derbies have been the better games to watch, the wigan derby is always the main one for me. Skysports did a nationwide survey on what people thought was the best derby in sport, only 2 of the top ten were not football, saints/wigan and lancs/yorks cricket. Says alot about what people think about the real derby.

There is still no comparison to a Saints v Wigan derby game. It is in the blood i.e. passed on from generation to generation - and long may it continue. AMEN.

OOPS don't know what happened there - but it was worth the extra post just to make sure you understood.

110% agree.

Forget N-le-W, i live in Warrington.

99% of my friends are Wire fans, i managed to go through high school to now without losing to them (the last defeat IIRC was April 2001 and i started HS in September 2001). I get so many abusive text messages and stuff when we get beaten by anybody at all let alone the abuse if we ever were beaten by them. It would be so bad it is untrue. If we ever played them in a cup final/ GF / Play-off i think it would be too nerve racking for me to take.

For me the games (or derbies) i look forward to most are:

1. Warrington
2. Leeds
3. Wigan

For me Wigan just isn't important, although gaining importance as one of my best mates at Uni is a pie.

Warrington is the funniest fixture. Leeds is the most intense.

But come on, Wigan is by far the biggest.

One thing I am pleased about is that, with the increase to 14 teams and according change to the fixture programme, we will no longer be playing them 18 times a season, which has, over the last 10 or so years, diluted the magic of the occasion somewhat. I for one cannot wait for the game in a week's time.

Games I most like to win.
1. Wigan
2. Leeds
3. Warrington

so what are really saying is although you were brought up and live in warrington, you supportsaints as they were/are more successful than your local team? You deserve all those abusive txts!

Whats that for?



No not at all.

Yes, i'm from and live in Warrington but i was always a football fan previously. My uncle is from St Helens and he introduced us to rugby league and took us to Saints games. Hence i've always been to Saints games and am a Saints fan. The fact we are more succesful is irrelevant.

Likely story

From an outsider view im suprised you have said Wire is a big one and in some cases bigger game then the pies

from a Leeds point of view our games against Dulls IMO dont mean ought now, very boring and the game against you lot is the one that gets everything going

I'd have to agree, so as a consequence the hull derby is currently the best as its the only one that is contested. (I await all sorts of abuse if we loose next thursday

)

dont be daft


Catalans vs Quins is the biggest

Correct, hence they hold the game at the millenium stadium just to cater for the crowds to watch this BATTLE

Well said Lawrie

Once Wigan get better, which inevitably will happen the derby will regain its prestige.

I grew up in the 80s and 90s when they won the lot. It was just that sense that no matter how hard we tried, we were never going to beat them consistently. They won all the little things, such as the Lancashire Cup by 1 point and when they won the league on points difference (I'm lead to believe that Maurice offered a 'kick off' to decide under the fact we had Loughlin and they had Botica), there was an inferiority there and the Wiganers knew it. They made the most of it, thank heavens there wasn't an internet forum for them at that time. Even after McRae started putting silverware in the cupboard there was a sense they would regain their top spot. Its only recently that sense of inferiority has disappeared with the 75-0, the consistent laughable performances they give against us, the ridiculous response they give us over their attendances (like anybody gives a damn) that the roles have reversed.

My dad assures me that stretches back all the way to 50s and 60s when there ding dong battles on the field and on the terraces.

I always used to think Saints were beaten before they got on the field with Wigan, now its the other way. The greatest memories I have from rugby games are against them. The 41-6 in 1991 (I think) I will never, ever forget even though it got us nothing. When Hunte intercepted in 1997 to go under the sticks I think in the Cup when Goulding had walked and you relaxed because we'd done it. Ahh the memories. Knowsley Road and Central Park are still my 2 favourite rugby grounds now.

No amount of beating 4 armed folk attracted to sheep from Yorkshire or beating the Cheshire lot will take over the Wigan games for me. I'm looking forward to them improving to be honest so we can all go mental and have that feeling of nervousness before the game again.

Our rivalry with Wigan will always be no 1 I do give a rats ass if you live in Warrington Hull London it should always be Wigan, I wont be happy until we have more trophies on our roll of honour than them and I'm sure i'll probably be well under the ground by the time that comes around so they will always be my no 1 enemies wether they are e or superb.

Wigan will always be the big one for me because they ruined my childhood and teenage years.

I grew up thinking they would always be better than us because I'd never known any different.

Amen bro. May the rott in hell, amen.

Woah, I didn't say Wigan wasn't a big game or wasn't important. I was just playing up to the fact that the Wire game is pretty important to me.

The Wigan game is still a big game (I do have Wigan friends aswell) and I'd have them ranked similar in terms of importance to me, purely because of rivalry in my town (not living in St. Helens). They'd be more important if they were actually any good these days. The intensity of the derby certainly helsp make a derby important.

forget wire and leeds,wigan is the one.i think a lot of the younger posters dont think so because they have never seen a strong wigan team.but those of us who saw wigan take platt and connolly from us,beat us twice in three years at wembley,27/0 included,saw them sign every best player that came available and packed over 15,000 every other week into central park will see why.
thats why now when we beat them,every victory is sweat.the 75/0,the grand final,cardiff,any victory.wigan rl has more tradition than warrington,thats why the fixture is better.
for me,there is no better fixture than playing wigan.i only wish it was still on boxing day,that was the best of the lot!

Wigan is still the big one for me. Warrington is a good derby and Leeds is huge due to it being the top 2 teams competeing, but Wigan is an old rivalry, wiht local bragging rights and pride at stake.

Warrington are the better games, more competitive, but has to be the goonies for me, just to laugh at my brother, who jumped on the bandwagon in the 80's and can't get off now

I never claimed you did say that.

All i was saying is to me personally Wigan games aren't particularly important and i rank Wire and Leeds above them in terms of the fixtures/derbies i look forward to the most.