Anyone know how likely next weekend's friendly will be if the weather keeps up like this?

If it stays like this....very likely. If it warms up, the snow partially melts, and then refreezes.....iffy.

Biggest issue might not be the pitch or even inside the ground itself, but fans being able to get to the game

Can't see there being an issue, Saints v Wakefield is going ahead this arvo, plenty of games went ahead in far worse conditions round 1 last year. Just as long as we don't use Catalan logic and water the pitch a few hours before kick off!

Can see a shout out for volunteers mid week to help clean the pitch if it stays like this. Fingers crossed it goes ahead.

I'm sure they would get them as well given the service and number of 100% games Bennie puts in.

have they considered covering the pitch,after all the season starts proper in 2 weeks

The groundsmen get a nice pay packet to think about these things, I am sure it is all under control.

well the game should go ahead then,snow need to panic then

At the moment, it is. 2 inches of snow will actually offer more protection than a sheet of polywhatever.

The weather report on the BBC for the week is below freezing most days and the covers cant go on the pitch as they won't protect it and will damage the new grass when its taken off. It's unfortunately not likely to go ahead unless the weather greatly improves.

Braziers are the future.

Really hope the weather picks up. He'll get a really good crowd if it does, going to struggle to even play the game otherwise, to say nothing of the fact that we won't have played a proper warm up game before the season (soz widnes).

Also, I'm on baby duty all weekend and the game is my respite (he's going to his grandmas whilst I go the mmatch)

A high of 5 degrees is the current forecast for Saturday - that should suffice shouldn't it?

Mr Gatcliffe has said the club will look at the pitch on Thursday so until then no one knows. I'd be gutted for Bennie if the game was called off.

Looking at the long range forecast the weather does get a little bit better Friday & Saturday.
Perhaps the game could be played Sunday?

Won't it need a bit more time to thaw out? Presumably the underwater stream is frozen solid!

Do we have under-soil heating or did I dream that up?

You dreamt it.

No, and yes.

Overnight temperatures as low as -6 on Thursday and Friday night according to my i(an)Phone but a positively balmy 4 degrees on Saturday itself. Hopefully the snow will go and the club can do something to keep the frost off.

As an aside, maybe it's because it's the first testimonial I've observed via Twitter but Westwood's seems to be the most professional, all encompassing one yet. Everything seems very joined up and there's a constant bombardment of information about it. That's not to say testimonials of years past haven't been very good of course - Briers, Morley and Wood's were good as well.

Fingers and toes crossed etc.

it should be fine ill be quite shocked if its off as its going to warm up abit by end of week . could pushing it back 24 hours be an option or does it have to be sat?

snow forecast for Friday (hopefully won't stick)
Dry 4 dec C for Saturday
Rain forecast for Sunday so Saturday looks to be the best option IMO

Wigan play Friday in week 1, so won't want to have a five day turn around (especially after a pasting

). So Saturday or nothing I think. Fingers crossed-won't be a disaster for us, as we've only Cas week 1, so can use that as a warm up, and Wigan week 2 who would also be in the same boat of course, with just one game before we play (and a warm up for them at Salford week 1). But Bennie would miss out big time-sure he'll be out there with his hair dryer on Friday night if he needs to though!

After speaking with a member of Super Ben's testimonial committee if the match is called off on Saturday the game cannot be rearranged at all. It isn't possible to fit it in anywhere else in 2013. Fingers crossed the sun shines on Mr Westwood. No testimonials due next season but the season after that could see Riley, Bridge and Grix all celebrate theirs if they are still with us (by that I mean at the club as well as being alive).

Weather looking a lot better now for the end of the week. Positively balmy I'm game day.