Thought Saints stopped us playing and was really impressed with them defensively.
I thought Cas' biggest problem was that Roberts had a poor game (which doesn't happen very often). As a result, our right edge was poor and Saints nullified our left edge.
I do think Cas also need to get a bit smarter in the ruck. Other teams seem to be better at playing the referee than we do and earning penalties. Having said that our discipline was poor last night and good teams punish us.
As for the rest of the year, one game doesn't define a season until grand final time. At the moment, Cas sit clear at the top of the table and one loss doesn't mean the LLS is gone. Every team in the league would still swap league positions with us. However, any team making the top 4 has a chance of getting to and winning the grand final.

Lovely stuff by Saints that - it may well be that their new coach has finally figured out the Cas method; shut down that big shift to the left edge, and they look significantly less impressive.

And I'm not sure what brought Roby back to life - but he was outstanding.

.....you hope.

You won the penalty count 10-7?

Not sure how losing your first game in 13 against a team who is on fire is the start of the Cas crumble. If we lose our next 2 fair enough. Fans just finding reasons to have a go at the little club doing big things.

Hull fans being their typical bitter selves, to say Cas are their "second team" they sure are showing a hell of a lot of jealousy this year

I'm not bothered, we'll beat you when it matters

Jealous?



Yeah, I'll be green with envy at wembley on the 26th

I think most of them are genuine supporters and, as you say most like Classy Cas as their second team. But like all teams they have some cretins who escape the fish-net (no pun intended).

Goes with the territory of being a top side, I reckon. Initially the neutrals are happy to see a new team up there but carry on outplaying everyone (well, except HFC) and after a bit they want someone else to take up the baton. In this case saints. Reckon if they go through the 8s unbeaten folk'll be looking for a collapse from them.

I think it's more to do with the arrogance of some cas fans after a decent half season.

I think that the "arrogance" may stem from fear.
Yes, they look nailed on for the hub cap but, being at the top is new territory and although there is little doubt that they are a good team (you only have to look at the table to know this) but, peaking at the right time and then maintaining something like top form, when it really matters is different.
It doesnt matter if you have scored heaps of points all season.
The last half a dozen games will be different and clubs like Trinity and Salford have already started to falter a little and I would still be surprised if Cas lifted the SL title.
Mind you, Leeds looked to be putting a run together but that form, went awol in the cup.

Are we looking at Saints / FC in the final or can Castleford find their mojo again ?

I bet you were bullied at school by a naughty Cas fan.

cas fans went to school??




saints like hull did closed down cas pretty quickly and made them force their play resulting in errors or poor end plays, as the next 6-7 games progress, the teams that contested the grand finals will no doubt up their intensity, seeing as cas have been playing so good for most of the season, can they raise it even more?? be interesting to see in the next few weeks

No, no one at my school with more than the standard 4 fingers and a thumb on each hand

I keep seeing and hearing about the arrogant cas fans but I'm not sure when and where they are? For me the majority of us are enjoying this season and enjoying being top after years of mediocre performances (most notably under Millward) If we manage to get to the GF it will be great but if not so be it we try again next year.
As for last night Saints were brilliant defensively and shut everything we did down. I'm not too concerned as yet as it was only our 4th (I think) defeat of the season and we had to lose at home sometime.

Quote ="number 6"saints like hull did closed down cas pretty quickly and made them force their play resulting in errors or poor end plays, as the next 6-7 games progress, the teams that contested the grand finals will no doubt up their intensity, seeing as cas have been playing so good for most of the season, can they raise it even more?? be interesting to see in the next few weeks'" Agreed - Saints scrambled very well and the Tigers kicks around their defence was pretty poor on the night. According to Paul McShane a bit of tinkering should do the trick for next weeks visit to Salford :- www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/ru ... -1-8687308

Quote ="number 6"saints like hull did closed down cas pretty quickly and made them force their play resulting in errors or poor end plays, as the next 6-7 games progress, the teams that contested the grand finals will no doubt up their intensity, seeing as cas have been playing so good for most of the season, can they raise it even more?? be interesting to see in the next few weeks'" Agreed - Saints scrambled very well and the Tigers kicks around their defence was pretty poor on the night. According to Paul McShane a bit of tinkering should do the trick for next weeks visit to Salford :- www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/ru ... -1-8687308

Smashing teams for most of the season means nothing when you lose momentum at the wrong time. Doubts will start to creep in, confidence will falter, the big boys coming up on the rail will start to enforce themselves...

Wiarrington 2011 Mk2

The super 8s don't really count as the "business" end for us. It is for every other side as no other side are guaranteed top 4 . We are. Our performances will tail off, we will bash the odd side too. For us the 2 tests are the semis then if we win the final. I am confident (arrogant) we will make old Trafford. I'm not able to make the same statement with regards to the final. Again though, we won't be burntout come the semis time and should have a fair squad to choose from as we can rotate and rest players.

Exactly BCT - no arrogance on this forum anyway. It could be from bookface and ter or the odd workmate or two but I haven't encountered it here.

We are at the top to be shot at from below. Before this season we used to raise the odd eyebrow with a decent shock win here and there but were not seen as a real threat to the so-called big boys. We were seen as a club "making the numbers up" in SL to some extent. I don't know about the jealousy and where that is coming from but I do know that our support (particularly away) is envied by a lot of other clubs chairman hence the "small town" jibes from some bitter supporters.

It could be taken as an underhand compliment that now finally we are been taken seriously as title contenders for the first time in SL.

Saints were well worth their win and I congratulate them - they are red hot at the moment and it will take a greater performance than the one we put on last night to beat them.

As for us (Cas Tigers) we will learn from last night and maybe alter a few things but it is certainly no drama loosing to a very good Saints team as some opposition fans would have us believe on here.

Look on Casforum if you want to see arrogance.

As someone else has said. The super 8s isn't the business end for us. We have already played our most important games barring the play offs. We are gauranteed top 4 and pretty much gauranteed a home play off tie and LLS. It's all about staying fit and putting in decent performances without picking up injuries.

Fans are going on about Hull being the best team etc... But they beat Ur at their place and we beat them at ours. Nothing in it apart from we haven't took beatings like they have this season. Yesterday was our biggest loss this season. 14points.

Until we lose in the play offs nobody can say we have bottled it as we have already done our hard work. It's down to the rest of their teams to fight for the final 3 places.

St Helens are firing on all cylinders under their new coach. And that is happening when they haven't got their star signing, Benjamin Barba, on to the paddock yet! Imagine how good St Helens will be when Barba starts to play.

Expect St Helens to be at Old Trafford in October and to win the silverware.

That's a great way to get yourselves knocked out in the semis. Cas should be aiming to build towards the semis, but you can't just coast through the next few games. Momentum is everything in the play offs. Cas need to be careful, it would be a massive shame if this side didn't win the Grand Final IMO.

I,m hoping the Cas team has the same cockiness that the job is almost done and the Super 8's are not seen as the business end of the season. It's a sure way of losing focus to get to a grand final, resting on your laurels until the play offs is not an indicator of a champion side. Games will intensify now at the business end, hopefully Cas will sit back and relax and let DP worry his grey hairs about the one knock out game.