So once you get the job done tomorrow its going to be normal service resumed.I expect all the old legends to be back on our forum and vice versa.Youve all been missed

jog on lol...

Warrington have shown they are a consistent team who can play good attractive rugbyt. They therefore deserve the league leaders shield

However tonight and the challenge cup quarter final against Wigan showed that when it comes down to it they are not made of the stuff of champions.

True champions rise to the occasion. Warrington failed to do so.

I think it also asks the question of whether tonights defeat was a symbol that they have passed the peak of this sides achievements.

Too many of our top players had a quiet night-M Monaghan, Bridge, Atkins, Myler etc.

Never thought I would say this, but ....Come on you Saints.

Good thread this and I'm surprised by the respect Saints fans have for Warrington these days, not like the Wiganers who cream their pies with excitement when we lose.



It's a good point and I think it could be. Without Matt King next season the back line will be weaker and some of the key players are getting old. I think this was the best chance we had, but we will probably still be contenders next season just not favourites - sort of like Saints and Leeds have been this season, when us and Wigan have enjoyed the position of favourites.

Also this question applies to Wigan as well with no Maguire next season. I wonder if there could be a window of opportunity for Saints to nip back in front of both us and Wigan.

In the longer run I expect Warrington to drop down a little bit in standard in the next few years, maybe not 2012, but from say 2013-14, however what gives me hope now is that the club is well run these days and we will always be a well financed well structured club and so be in the position to be one of the bigger fish in the league, even if the strength of our side waxes and wanes a bit. That wasn't the case a few years ago, we were nowhere near these end of season games.

I think the loss of Brett Hodgeson <sp> did massive damage to Wire's game.

Pretty much agree with this, i expect Wire to be up there, and with your stadium, support base, financial position along with coaching and player setup, i cant see you slipping away too much. Certainly not like Bradford. However you may be a bit like Saints are at present ie a team in transition thats not quite good enough but which is still respected and battling it out in the top 5

With regard to Wigan. I'm of the opinion that next season they will slip up a bit. They also will still be there or there abouts but wont be the team they have been under Mcguire.

The big problem is that there arent enough sides in SL with the ability to put pressure on the current elite teams. I personally think only Hull have the potential in the next couple of years to raise their game to the elite level. Otherwise its going to be Wigan Saints, Leeds, Warrington and Huddersfield battling it out.

I agree with that, Hodgson despite his age was a huge signing for us this year, I thought he was better for us even than he was for Hudds in 2009 when he won Man of Steel, or maybe I just noticed him more. We did lose something when he went off without a doubt.

Said it all along, that perfomance tonight was in the post, just waiting to happen, at least you do not have to folk out money to get humiliated at Old Trafford next week. Look on the bright side.

Shame for wire, they've been the best team in the league and deserved to get to old trafford on this years performances alone. Instead we potentially have a team finishing 5th as champions

Having been rubbish for most of the season. Bit of a joke really.

i posted this last monday on the "so its wigan" thread






saddened replied




i accept your apology mate

We've beat you in 3 of the last 4 Grand Finals so regardless of how poor we've been this season I'd have thought Saints would be dreading possibly another GF defeat against Leeds!

You are improving, but i think wire bottled it more than you were great. I'd still rather face you than a full tilt wire team

it was fair play to leeds and we tried to push it too much. good luck for later. apart from perry and a few others have you got a full pack out
ie. pulutua, soliola etc.

So far as we are aware, yes. Being a prop down (Perry) against Wigan is unfortunate, bearing in mind the type of game Wigan play, but that's how it is.

Saints have respect for Warrington because they have played entertaining rugby throughout the season, and to be fair to Leeds, they have too. Hopefully the future of the game belongs with teams that play rugby, and not the wrestlers. I also think it's good for the game to see new names on trophies and not the same ones every year, which must mean it's saints turn this year

It can be seen that way and I do agree to an extent, but that's the system we're under. Everyone knows the rules and it's difficult to fully judge who the best team is over the season because some don't value finishing top like others do. Warrington for example had never finished top, so for them it was a big goal at the start of the year, whereas I doubt Saints or Leeds saw it as a big target at the end of the year and instead were just looking to be in the mix knowing their Play Off & knock out records are strong. The current system is distorted. Fair play to Leeds they have a big game mentality and despite having a poor season during the league campaign, they've managed to qualify for two finals. Warrington were the best team this year, no doubt, the league table doesn't lie. But they'll be forgotten now. That's the harsh reality of it. It happened to us in 2005, 2007 and 2008 so I don't have a great deal of sympathy.

As for Warrington, they'll still be there or thereabouts next year with the amount of quality they have but Briers, Monaghan, Morley, Hodgson etc will be a year older so time is running out for this side before they have to rebuild. I imagine with their financial backing they'll be challengers for a while though. I wouldn't worry if I was a Warrington fan, especially as they have a strong academy system in place as we'll see in a few years when a few break through.

Top post.

Also agree about the team, this was the best chance we have age wise, injuries etc and to be honest we blew it IMO we won't ever get a better shot at it.

Bit of rebuilding couple of younger players like Ratch and Hill but King will be a massive loss he's like two players sometimes.

A team finishing second, third or fifth to be crowned champions, St Helens and Wigan playing each other five times. This is the reason I have never attended a play off or grand final game. Complete farce!

I though Morley and Carvell were outstanding and westwood and anderson were alos strong. I thought they were getting a bit more go forward to win terriotory, but Leeds had all the big plays from the pivot players up their sleeve.

Buderus was outstanding, still life in the old dog yet.

I'm a big fan of Bridge, but that miss on Webb was absolutely criminal.

Oh, and "McDermott In!!"
What a change around he's had this season.

Who expected that? No one outside of the leeds dressing room.

However the leeds players knew they had the know how, the abilty, the form and the momentum.

Next week they either get a wigan team who they've been damned unlucky not to beat this season or a saints team and the opportunity to 'take them to that dark place' again.

It promises to be a corker.

I know as saints fans you'll think differently, but would you back against leeds at old trafford now?

Personally I would absolutely love for us to have the opportunity to right a few wrongs against Leeds in the GF. We've got a bit of momentum going too, don't forget. We have a big hurdle to overcome today, though.

I don't have to apologise for an opinion.

As for the Wire, Bridge was shocking, Briers was hiding for most of the game, Monaghan did very little and Myler was anonymous. His decision to arrogantly stand offside will go down in Warrington history next to Paul Cullen's knees.

It's not how you start, it's how you finish.