I'm not dismissing the fact you have more in you as do all teams, ourselves included. I'm not sure that's relevant as, come the end of the season, no team is likely to be playing their first choice 1-17.

The point I was making is that I simply don't understand the "I don't think we'll win any trophies this year" coming from supporters of a top 4 side. ANY top 4 side has a good shot at winning a trophy and, even outside of the top 4, there's still a chance, especially in the CC where it's a regular occurrence.

The fact is Saints only needed to turn up at Edinburgh. Radlinski had other ideas and the rest is history. Wigan only had to turn up in 2014. Ben Flower had other ideas and the rest is history. Even just 2 years ago Saints only had to turn up yet Wigan could (should?) have won. The posts had other ideas and the rest is history



I'll tell you on the evening of September 24th who is winning the trophies. Anything else is just so much hot air.

Yeah that's fair. The best examples of this are Leeds winning it from 5th when they used to pace themselves for the play offs, get players back who had been resting and gain momentum going into the play offs.

I agree that any of the Top 4 have a realistic chance of winning trophies.

Very true. That Leeds side could hardly be said to have dominated the comp. In fact, it's relatively rare for the LLS winners to go on and win the GF and probably even rarer for them to win the CC.

I think this season will be an interesting one. Without belittling Saints achievements in any way, the last 2 seasons haven't exactly been an even comp. Even playing a couple games less than an opponent can have an enormous effect, if only in terms of fatigue and a corresponding reduction in the chances of picking up injuries. This season should, in theory at least, be the same for everyone.

"However you’ve not made mention of the fact that I think we have a lot more in us yet. Woolf has alluded to this and as I said earlier we are still to play a first choice full strength team. The spine of Welsby, Lomax and Dodd is only 4 games old so lots of room for improvement still."

Apologies, but that comes across as the typical "Saints are the best side RL has ever seen" sort of crap I keep reading on these boards alongside comments such as "Wigan are nothing special". Fair enough if it wasn't.

BTW...you have more in you (as do we) have yet to play a full side (nor have we) and your spine is only 4 games old (as is ours, and arguably won't be our first choice spine)

We absolutely could win something but personally I don’t think we will. We’ll tell plenty over this next 4-6 weeks now when we play Catalans and then Saints and maybe my confidence will grow after that. I think I’m just trying to stay pretty level about things. I don’t expect a trophy but I do expect vast improvements and I think we’re getting that. I do see one or two areas that we can really look to improve in via recruitment and I’m confident if we retain who we need to and sign players to plug any gaps, we’ll be right in the mix next season. Who knows, maybe we’ll get there ahead of my made up schedule but I’m feeling pretty comfortable with how we’re looking.

We'll do a clean sweep and England will win the World Cup, humiliating the Aussies in the final. Have faith!

I would take the World Cup part over Wigan winning anything this season TBH.

Absolutely. I’ve waited a life time to win an Ashes or beat the Aussies to a World Cup.

Snap, and seeing as we only seem to beat them at RU these days a RLWC win would be most welcome.

Toulouse may have brought us back down to earth. But I’m fully accepting of why we went so high; 3 seasons of an abysmal mess all round the club to a colossal change on and off the pitch in more ways than one was always going to get the fans on a pedestal much higher than we should be.

Do I in reality think we’ll win a trophy? Hand on heart no. But I do believe it’s between us and Catalans for a final spot in both the GF and CC. I think it’ll take an almighty performance to knock Saints off their [grits teeth fully deserved perch. They’ve set the standard phenomenally high and keep taking it up a notch. It’s up to us to either pull them back or own a higher perch.

Catalans this week will be a tough test. I can’t see us coming home with the win, I just think they’ve a bit more than us even with their injury/suspension list but it’s a huge bonus if so.

I read yesterday that they expect to have Tomkins, McIlorum and Dudson (last two are defo back) back and possibly Whare as well. I think that only leaves them short of Napa and Bousquet (it didn’t mention Yaha and if he’s ok after pulling out in last weeks warm up).

Happy to get the test against a strong Catalans side anyway. I think we need to see where we’re at.

We caught the "aeroport" bus outside the airport arrivals terminal, every twenty minutes - €8 each. We caught it back from the centre to the airport - very good and punctual.

Our hotel was located about twenty minutes walk away from the city centre Odalys, cheap and very clean. Nice rooms. Saw an Ibis closer in that probably would have suited us better.

At night for those that like a takeaway there's a number of pizza, kebab shops in a row that are open late, plus lots of McDonald's. Quite a lot of nice restaurants knocking about but we didn't go in.

Best pub I thought was Melting Pot, great atmosphere pre and post match. Guinness - €6.90 a pint.

But then you've got Saints fans seeing their winning the double and England winning the World Cup and that's a dreadful thought.

If only we could find English passports for the non English lads in the Saints side, we’d win the football World Cup, let alone the Rugby League one.

Their fans told me.

Merseysiders don't support England.

We stayed at the Ibis Gare opposite the railway . Good and reasonable price . The Ibis Styles Gare is right next door . Thirsty Monk and Pub O'clock are good pubs with an excellent choice of beers. Dave Foti (CST) does city centre to stadium transfers. Toulouse was a great weekend with plenty pubs and resteraunts.

EW

Hang on a minute. Where did I mention then winning anything

Yeah we went in Pub O'clock for one. We also caught the Dave Foti coach €10 return (stadium to centre), very good value.

Really enjoyed it, good to meet with so many people we haven't seen for a while. Best value bar was the Seven Sisters who were doing Peroni for 4 Euros a pint, although the Wigan fans has supped them dry by Sunday!!

Give Seven Sisters a go tonight then Brian . Just heading to the airport now .

EW

I have just finished listening to the Out of Your League Podcast episode with Morgan Knowles and had to laugh a few times at the ignorance of John Wilkin in his effusive praise of Saints. Before I start, I must say that Knowles seems an outstanding individual and I am glad we will have him in the England side against the Aussies and Kiwis in the World Cup.

However, according to Wilkin, Saints do not have a single weakness, the only thing that can stop them is injuries or poor future recruitment decisions. Oh, and the best one he came out with was that Morgan Knowles has already surpassed Sean O'Loughlin

.

Whilst Saints again are favourites to win the GF, I think all the other sides in the league have to remember they have won the last two Grand Finals via a fluke last minute try and scraped a 2pt win in a fiercely contested game. What I will give them praise for is their consistency, no other side can match that week to week IMO. But, in a one off game they are not as far ahead as some people would have you believe.

Well, let's be honest here, Jon Wilkin was himself better than Sean O'Loughlin so he should know...

I watched that last week and I rate Knowles extremely highly but I nearly fell off my chair at the comment from Wilkin that he’s gone past Lockers already. I’d love more context on it from Wilkin but if he genuinely was saying Knowles level now is better than anything Lockers reached, than he’s the new Gary Schofield. Let’s be totally honest here, Lockers at his best could do everything Knowles can do with ease and then throw some absolutely outrageous skill on top.

O Loughlin was a very able clubman but lets not get ahead of ourselves. Hes no where near the pedestal wigan fans put him on.

Jon Wilkin is correct

Of course he is...

Now let's just take you for a little lie down. I promise the nasty Wiganers will be gone when you wake up.