To beat saints just to shut them up and lose in the final to Wigan again...or put a decent fight and let saints and Wigan fight it out...sorry for not including cas but I think you get the idea....

Who wouldn’t want the chance to appear in a final? I’d rather get to old Trafford and lose to Wigan who have clearly been the better team this year, than to lose narrowly again in a semi.

IF we somehow do get to the final at OT, I wouldn’t say it’s massovely in Wigan’s favour. We’ve shown we can stand toe-to-toe with them this year. Just need a bit of luck with the bounce of the ball.

The only issue really is that we haven’t put in a champion performance two weeks running this season - which is something we’d have to do in order to win the GF. Still, the last few years of Super League have shown what strange things can happen. If Roberts suddenly sparks into life and Brown has a swan song we Ahave every chance.

We're probably not good enough to win the GF this year. I would not write off Cas against the Pies, and Wire are capable of taking out St Helens if we perform at our very best. As a mate of mine says, Wire are probably not currently capable of putting on two such performances in a row, hence the GF hitch. On the other hand you have to take your opportunities when they come along. Next year Leeds will be back - at least to some extent - Huddersfield will be much stronger and even Salford if they keep Hastings. I won't shed too many tears if we take Saints down to the wire and lose, we are a season ahead of where I thought we'd be.

Against Stains it's got to be a win from a last minute try from a blatantly forward pass. Then at OT, Wigan to be well on top after the first half only for rat boy to be sent off for roughing up SBW in a tackle and Wire going on for a glorious win, again via a forward pass in the last minute.

I'm not sure I could stand a 6th final loss in a row.

Win both games just to annoy Eddie Helens.

That's a pathetic question pal. Totally out of your character.

Win and win.

If we lose against St Helens, there's no chance of a sixth final loss in a row. Until the next one. So, win against St Helens and see what happens in the final. Two one-off games.

101% a Wire win in the semi. Even if we lose the final, I’d be happy as larry to see us shut up our arrogant adversaries.
If we win (the semi), I feel we’ve got a good chance of beating whoever in the final.
When our pack is aggressive, it beats any other sl pack, especially with Clark. I think the underdogs tag will serve us well; it means we’ll have to be the aggressors and play on the front foot- like Catalans v us-ironically it could be our best defeat.

A pack that this season has included Toby King, Atkins and Livett? Give over. We slump as soon as Hill goes off and his year on year decline has continued in2018. We have another forward who plays about 10 minutes before he is blowing. We have the least dynamic attacking 2nd row in the top 4 by a mile.

I am afraid some people are in for disappointment. Our form has been patchy at best for a while and our attack consists solely of a kick to the corner. The mean defence has gone.

Coupled with our fragile mentality (5 finals lost in a row), poor on-field captaincy, poor concentration at key times, inability to win a close game by drop goals, and zero game management it looks a very long shot.

We have a slim chance of beating Saints, and an even slimmer chance winning of SL, and to be honest we don't deserve to win it.

Don't care if we deserve it or not. I don't think we will beat St Helens, but it wouldn't be a major shock if we did.

So Wire 71, you think we're going to have Toby King and Atkins in the pack for the saints game? - really ?? - give over. Those two have only been in the pack for rotation. We have blown hot and cold, but when we've been hot, we've nilled wigan in the CC and all but won the game with saints away. We are a long way from the finished article, but you know what: i think we'll beat saints. Sport, more often than not Wire 71, isn't about who deserves it. If it were, I think we could perhaps claim at least one GF (2011) and possibly two. But unfortunately for us, it's not about who deserves it. Perhaps it may be our year? Evidence of past victors shows us quite comprehensively that the 'best team' doesn't always win it: ask Castleford about last year. What about us the year before- top of the pile but losing out to Wigan. If you get a second Wire 71, can you inform me please of the GF winners who you think deserved the title.

Not really could you stomach another defeat to Wigan and another season of losing 2 finals...but thanks for your compliment

Nowt worse than getting knock out in a semi.
A final defeat is always easier.

I hope you are right and I admire your optimism. The concern is posts like these (I call it blind faith) attract ridicule from our rivals as they believe we suffer from self delusion.

I understand your point about "deserving to win". Maybe that was a bit daft of me, as the winner by definition deserves the title.

I will point out that when Wigan beat us in '16 they were 1pt behind us in the Super 8s. This season we finished 15pts behind Saints and 9pts behind Wigan. We are not in the same ball park as those teams.

I reject the idea that we are "not far off". We are. We have fundamental weaknesses in the side which I hope will be addressed in the next recruitment cycles.

Can we beat Saints and Wigan occasionally - yes. Can we beat them in high stakes, pressure RL back to back. Well I don't think so.

This is not to say Price hasn't done well this season, as he surely has from a low base, but we will need to be a much better team than we are to win the big prize by beating top opposition when it counts.

The thread has brought out loads of negative dross.
We have beaten Wigan & Leeds (Current Champs) in big games this year and lost to Catalan. We are most definitely the underdogs v. Saints but of course we want to win and of course we can.
For God sake ... cheer up (especially Wires71 ... you've had a bad week what's up?).
[iGreat season and lots of fun. [/i

Think about last year, Leeds and Widnes and stop thinking in a negative way.
I can see we aren't perfect ... no one is.

I'm perfectly aware of that thankyou Wire 71. Fundamentally however, we were top, and using you're stated guidelines- top deserves it- we deserved to be GF winners.





Also Wire71, your misquote of my post (above) differs greatly from what I actually wrote (below). Or did you just make the above up to discredit my point of view and support your point with a sense of verisimilitude.



Finally Wire71, if posters of other clubs view my views on the semifinal outcome as overly optimistic or deluded, that's their problem. Last time we played saints (at their ground )a few months back, we should have beaten them, or at least got a draw. You can be as pessimistic as you like, but don't criticise others for their optimism, especially by backing up your view with falsified quotes.

I've said for months, THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T WIN THE GF, THIS SEASON

Saints can blow hat and cold
Likewise Wigan

Leeds were in the middle 8s in 16, yet won the GF 12 months later.
The standard of RL in this country has dropped that far, that a team can go from [ipoohing their pants, because they may get relegated
Champions
poohing their pants, because they may get relegated[/i

Wigan nearly missing out on top eight in '17, potential champs a year later

Saints, see Wigan above


As Wires 71 says, sometimes that season's best side doesn't become champions.
Let's take that mantle
Come on, Wire

I'd much rather get there and lose than lose the semifinal. I have a GF ticket already and hope either ourselves or cas get to the final. I can think of nothing worse than watching saints v Wigan, I'll spend the whole match wanting both teams to lose. In all honestly saints and Wigan deserve to be there as they've been the best 2 teams this year but that wouldn't make it any easier to watch.

Out of interest, where in Wire71's pessimistic diatribe did you find this pearl of optimism? Wire71 alludes to the viewpoint that, in his view, the top performing sides over the season deserve to be winners- quite the opposite I think you'll find.

Well, maybe after a bottle of something half decent, I got quotes from posts mixed up.
I apologise

However, I still stand by every word [u[iI[/i[/u say

We CAN win the GF

Can we do it, yes not confidant that we're upto both games but they're hardly back to back so there's hope. I would like to think that price leant from our cc loss I feel we were naive in how we set out and played against catalans. I don't see him repeating that.

My biggest concern if I'm being honest is jt even the pack it's our halves n ratchford I just don't see them all of a sudden able to unlock defences that are defending for their lives. In atkins King Goodwin lineham and Charnley we've points in us and its criminal were not able to capitalise on them.

However on the plus side we've been pretty average most of the year and still in contention for a gf appearance which at the start of the season we would have taken. From last season it's a massive improvement

I don't know why but I think Patton will be key to if we do well or not, remember when Sandow was injured during the play off period, that where Patton stood up and started to look like a half back we were leading in the grand final until he came off, I just think we've seen Leeds win it from 5th so it's not unfathomable we can from 4th and that Patton will pay a part in us doing so if we do.

And I agree with you, I believe we are capable of winning the GF.

To all those nutters who believe we can or will win the grand final go and bang your head against the nearest lampost and do it hard..not a chance..reason 1 two hapless half backs. Reason 2 a full back who's error prone in games that matter and he's one of our better players..reason 3 the rfl won't allow it..trust me...

I never suggested you said we were "not far off". I was referencing this viewpoint expressed by others. I did not attribute this quote to you. Also if you refer to other people's posts as "diatribe" because you don't agree with them it is not conducive to debate. That's one thing I do not like in this forum - the way contrary views seem to bring out the worst in people. I respected your viewpoint even if privately I think you are living in cloud cuckoo land thinking we will win the GF.