Cant believe there isn't a thread for the biggest game of the season so here goes.

Saints, runaway leaders and with the LLS already in their trophy cabinet, take on pre season relegation candidates which, at the start of the season, you would have got unbelievable odds for predicting.
No surprise that Saints are there and they go into the game as clear favourites, although the bookies are giving Salford only 10 points start on the handicap, which seems to show some respect.
Battle hardened contenders against Champions elect.

It would be a brave man to back against Saints, who will want to lose their "choking" tag and the way that they rolled over Wigan a couple of weeks ago seems to indicate that they mean business.

However, Salford made equally light work of despatching the Pies and IF they can keep it close for the first 20 (or take the lead), this could be one hell of a final.

As a neutral, it would be great to see the underdog prosper but, as long as it's a decent contest and hopefully close until the final hooter, who cares.

Given there was only 2 points in our last game, Saints can't take anything for granted.

I'm hoping for a clear winning margin of 20 points so I can relax on the day, but expecting it to be more like 8 or 6 points come the final whistle.

From a Saints point of view we need to keep our errors low.

Thousands of tickets left in the top tier behind the sticks at BOTH ends of the stadium! Including the last few rows which havnt been released for sale.

Top tier of the north stand (4084) not on sale.

Why o why as a sport cant we sell out these big events!

Play like we did against Wigan and we'll win. Play like we did at Wembley and we'll almost certainly lose.

Getting the big game nerves already.

It's hard to post anything without sounding arrogant. Saints are a better side than Salford and if we play at or near a 'good' performance we win the game. With Saints however that's a huge 'if'. Salford have been amazing this year and it'll be a brilliant thing for the sport and Super League as a competition if the 'Leicester' moment can happen. I'll be near suicidal if it does, but it would show the rest of the teams that it is possible. When you've got teams like Warrington and Wigan giving up at the end of the season as they don't think they can win it, it would show it's possible. I wouldn't say it's a 50:50 game, but Salford have a great chance if they can perform like they have in previous weeks. First try I feel will be hugely significant. Saints score first and it'll relax them, Salford score first and it'll make them feel unstoppable and make Saints panic like they so often do in finals.

The low salary cap is working to compress the competition and whilst it's degrading the quality, we're now in a position where any team could win it most seasons. Only the superior youth systems at Saints, Leeds, Wigan and Warrington will ensure they make more finals and are generally strong. But this would show the Huddersfields, Wakefield, Catalans and Cas's of the world that it's doable.

Salford are a very dangerous side who carry lots of threat, can score lots of points and are playing for a place in history.

Massive challenge for Saints - I think it will be very close indeed.

Hopefully we don't have anything controversial and the best side on the day wins it. I would be devastated if we missed out but wouldn't begrudge Salford the trophy.

Looking at the number of green seat available it only looks like 1000 behind the sticks on the west side. So not 1000s.

As to why they don't sell out.

Well saints have an average attendance of roughly 11k.
Salford 3-4k

So for a stadium of +70k. You need to have 4 times the regular numbers of fans.

I imagine most clubs can double their regular base. But that requires selling the rest of the seats to neutrals or people who go for an occasion.

In the end what matters is whether the game is financially stable.

A quick wiki will show that the grand final has grown as an event. Leveling off at between 68k - 72k.

With interest peaking as new match ups are made, last year being the exception.

Absolutely can't wait for this one. Cas was great, Wigan was dreamlike, so I have absolutely no idea what the hell Saturday is going to be like! I hope it's a good game, I really do. Would be a shame to see a runaway scoreline as everyone expects and that the little club who are perennial underachievers can do themselves justice on the day.

Please don't let it be too easy for us Saints...





PS. Yes it's a joke, before anyone accuses me of getting ahead of myself.

We can recognise a joke in St helens. You have to be able to laugh otherwise our final performances would make you cry.

I think there will be around 62k so about 10k off capacity but that will just mean the very back of the alex ferguson stand and the top corners of each end empty. Still come over well there on TV and atmosphere will not suffer so don't worry.

As long as we put the effort in I'll be happy.

I think the best two clubs (playing wise) are contesting it. Saints deserved favourites and been strong all year. Salford only losing one game narrowly in the last eleven and peaking at the right end of the season.

I think if both teams play their best it will be very close. If either team has an off day they will almost certainly lose.

I know Salford are getting a lot of press this week, which will suit Saints I dare say, but you can't understate our story this season. Smallest squad. Smallest cap. Team of everyone else's cast-offs. Including Hastings, with a smattering of homegrown talent. On paper, Saints should walk it and they might. While a lot of other clubs like Saints, Wigan, Wire, and Leeds have expectation, Salford reaching the GF has massive financial repercussions for a club that struggles by searching for coins down the back of the sofa most of the time. Win or lose, the club will benefit massively from the financial aspect, and more importantly gain a little more respect from its peers.

While on the face of it it seems like we've massively over performed this season, but over the last few seasons, barring a poor year last year, in the last four seasons we've finished fourth, third, and would have finished in the play-offs in 2016 if it wasn't for the points deduction. The signs have been there that we are knocking on the door, it's just that our experience in play-off RL was limited and it showed the last time we were their. Watson has learnt from that and corrected it this season, that's the difference.

It may just be a one-off freak season for us, but I'd put money on us making the play-offs again next season now we've got a taste for it.

When did Salford finish fourth? Looking back through final tables of recent seasons St Helens finished 4th in 2015, 2016 and 2017, then Warrington finished fourth last season.

Up until this season if you finished fourth you got a semi final slot and apart from this season, I can ever recall Salford playing in one.

They finished fourth in the regular season in 2017 pre the split. Saints were 6th and below Salford when Holbrook was appointed following the sacking of Keiron Cunningham.

I reckon it'll be close.
First off, I thought there was a good chance of Salford imploding, much as Cas did in 2017.
But actually the way they play is very different and, unless the celebrations have got a bit out of hand, they won't see their team sheet thrown into chaos due to a failed drug test.
Watson knows how to coach a team, Hastings knows how to run a game.
Saints should win. Heard that said before...
Heart says Salford, head says Saints. But only by a point.

I think Saints could run riot and win by 30 or Salford could win a tight one. Hope it's the second one. Would love Salford to win it!!! Ian Watson deserves it. Should have won coach of the year too.

Saints by 26

Looks like we may catch a break in the rain on Saturday. At least until post match.

But could still be slippy under foot.

I would expect the majority of neutral fans to be wishing for a Salford win, I certainly am.

I think it would give the sport a massive boost and after the debacle that Koucash left behind it would be a remarkable achievement for a club like Salford. Even making the final is a massive achievement already and I agree that Watson should be Coach of the Year. Good luck to them!!!

Hopefully about as accurate as every other prediction you've put on here.

To be fair to koukash, he saved Salford and bank rolled them for a long period of time.

The move to the new ground was well before koukash's reign and without his support, Salford could have hit the wall years ago.

Also did he not forgive all debts owed to him by the club, so unlikely some chairmen he did not rack up a huge bill and leave it to the fans to pay it off.

I won't say Koukash was the best thing to happen to the club but he did right by them and put them on the right path to have this season. All credit to him and i think RL needs more like him. At least he tried to take the game forward, sometimes in a misguided fashion but I believe he always had the good of the game and Salford at heart

He also brought Jackson Hastings over.

I think it was more that he payed Hastings wages than brought him over. Writing off his debts while he was at the club was also a massive thing for us. We simply wouldn't be able to have existed without that bit of generosity.

It was good to write off the debts, but then again - it's not like you could repay him anyway so I'm not sure he was giving much up. . . . .

Whatever way you look at it, it was £2m. Not being able to get repaid and writing it off are 2 different things entirely. He could of issued a winding up order against them to recoup some of it if he had wanted to.
A massive show of generosity