I said earlier, it was the best game JJ had played for us, in all honesty he’s been pretty abject when at nine.

Going to be a tough ask. As long as they keep going for the full 80 thats all we can ask really.
If we keep the margin under 4 scores we'll have done well imo.

No respect they are not unbeatable, remembering a Hull team announced against the brilliant Australian invincibles, our patched up team came so close that day.

Get stuck right into them from the off, come on yu ull.

Saints have sold out our allocation. Fans being forwarded to Hull's ticket office now.

Daft kick off time, but should hopefully be a good game.

Totally agree and think as much as we'd all like a win for Johnny Whiteley as long as we come out the game with no further injuries or suspensions and they give it their all from 0min to 80mins I'll be happy. Strangers things have happened and as much as we may be galvanised by the injuries, suspension and loss of Johnny Whiteley I just think St's with a near full strength side will just be too good for the side we will likely field. Though to be able to provide any kind of upset we have to up for it from the 1st whistle, stay focused, aggressive but disciplined and play as a team which is what we've struggled to do in past seasons.

Great effort. Well done Saints.

Nice one. It’s great to hear.

Safe journey over.

I'd be surprised if Saints lose more than four or five times this season so a huge task for us on Saturday. You never know but we really need everything to go our way.

Give it 100% and no injuries or suspensions and I'd be reasonably happy.

no one is expecting us to win and we have to be realistic given the players missing but if we continue with the indiscipline penalty penalty then a try or penalty six again and a try we will be in real trouble.
Cut out the indiscipline and we could be in the game until the later stages when i think Saints speed, fitness and not having had to do much defending they will take full control and rattle up points.
What we dont want is frustration to boil over and have more players picking up suspensions.

On the assumption that Saints will beat just about every team this year, this is a free hit for us. We just need to see some signs that BH's plan is coming together and , as others have said, as long we all see the effort being made then we'll be satisfied.

I remember that game like it was yesterday ; Rose , Crane and Crooksy had l a real battle, often with punches thrown at their pack, but that lot were a special team, even an ageing Mick Harrison showed up well against arguably the greatest Aussie team ever.
I just think this one is going to get away from us , very early if we don't match their tenacity and intensity from the off. Even with all those missing players back, we'd be huge underdogs ,so we are probably playing them at the right time- get this one chalked off but in a manner in which we, the fans, feel satisfied that the players had earned their wages and given everything. If we do get at Walmsley and Lomax, their other spine is very young, when Roby is off the pitch and like you say, they aren't unbeatable. I do feel that Wellsby has a mistake in him everytime I watch him, so Gale will be aware of that I am sure when dictating our last tackle plays. I watched Warrington beat Cas last night, they didn't really have much to beat in truth, so all the grim predictions of us toiling this year , including mine, may well be wide of the mark, as Cas looked like a team who had no set plays and didn't know each other, so nothing to fear for me if we get the team healthy. Early days I know, but reasons to be cheerful, despite the aura of sadness that pervades after the greatest ever Hull forward's passing. Come on Hull, make us proud.

Excellent

Lussick is a superb player, along with Hastings the main reason Salford got to the grand final, I actually think he is more dangerous than Roby.

Can see what you are saying, think they are beatable, but not sure we have the side out to do that, I just can't see where our trys are coming from, too many strike players out.

Talking of strike players, what’s happened to our Mahe, he looked shot last night, worse than his performances for us.

I am afraid he was the same in the NRL, he had a couple of good games, but his pace has gone and I cringed when he re-signed, I had watched him on Fox sports and the guy looked fat, slow and generally disinterested. I really wanted him to do well with us, but either his injuries have taken their toll or his confidence has gone because I actually felt sorry for him. I can see why Faraimo was also not resigned, very strong but pace found him out and I think we are stronger this year on the wings than last.

I get all that GB, but for a young man, and a professional sportsman, seemingly unable to run five yards is mystifying, he wasn’t injured, just knackered, I’d of got further with a total hip replacement, I also felt extremely sad for him.

In regards to Fonua I'd struggle to say he was a shadow of the player he was, as last night he wasn't even close to being a shadow and it shows the correct decision was made to pull the plug on his 2nd stint. IMHO I don't think he's been the same players since he left for the NRL. Like Fonua, Faraimo is just too slow and ponderous and still a liability in his tackling technique. It was refreshing seeing them both playing for another club and it just highlighted the issue we had not just a lack of pace on the edges but both players with a turning circle to an oil tanker. Whats happened to Watts since Radford took over at Cas?

Watching last nights match I didn't think Warrington were anything special at all just that Cas played very much like us in 2018,19 & 20 unift, undisciplined and not just by giving away soft penalties and 6 agains but when and where, lacking any real structure and very slow line speed. If I was a Cas fan I'd be slightly worried that Radford seems to have learnt nothing from the errors he made with us and has got his band back together.

Let’s hope our friends and former players and coaches from Castleford, get back to winning ways next week, then the week after, they er, don’t.

If this weather keeps up it could make the game unpredictable and we might just have a chance.

Now we’re talking

It’ll certainly be a leveller

Despite the defeat the game against the 1982 Aussie invincibles was one of the best I've ever witnessed. The Aussies played a near full strength test team whereas we had a patched up side. Mick Crane was magnificent that night and just about the only player on that tour who could open up their defence. It was difficult to follow the game as fights were happening all the time in back play! Crooks was a teenager at the time but nevertheless fearless and got stuck in to hardman Les Boyd.

Also I well remember the first test at Boothferry Park. A packed house stood in silent admiration as the Aussies completely hammered us with Rugby many had never seen before. My brothers mate had a pen pal (younger readers look that up) who sent us VHS videos (look that up as well) of the old Winfield Cup games so we were familiar with the likes of Sterling, Pearce and Grothe to name a few. I would never believed that Sterling would play for us a few years later.

If the weather keeps up I'd advise wig wearers to stay at home and watch it on TV.

I remember one of those skirmishes, Rod Reddy was all over Paul Rose in the tackle and as Rosie stood up to play the ball, threw a brilliant upper cut to Reddy’s jaw flattening him, the ref just waved play on. Those were the days

Don’t think the wind will be a major issue thankfully but it is going to bucket down. Fortunately we’ll be sheltered in the East Stand but I’ll keep my hood up, don’t want to the rug wet. I hope it doesn’t dampen the celebrations planned for Johnny’s life.