St Helens will be without Matty Lees and Moses Mbye for their huge Super League clash against Castleford this weekend after both were handed suspensions by the Rugby Football League’s Match Review Panel. I reckon we can do these again on Friday Windley only copped a fine CTID

pirate Very optimistic there pirate. I think it’ll be to much for us, even with them 2 out, looks like clark and Dodds back for them. Also westerman was hobbling badly after game, so he could be missing. Some of our players looked out on their feet. Saints have something to play for, so for me I think it’ll be one game to far.

Two quality players replaced by two quality players,let’s hope it takes them both a little time to settle back in, Wellsby certainly showed signs of ring rust on his comeback,never looked quite comfortable. Have a bad feeling that even a misfiring Saints will have too much for us but I live in hope.

48-6 another heavy loss for me.

My personal feeling is that it might be a competitive first half, but eventually player for player they’re better and looking up, we are just finishing the season I am afraid.

Saints

FlatCapper

I believe we are capable of beating saints but do the players?

BY the way BBC Sport reporting massive losses for Saints, a club highly regarded under IMG ratings and the RL world in general.

Begs te question, is the Britis game sustainable?

mdean

FlatCapper
I was just reading that Saints article too. I suggest in answer to your question is the British game viable, not in the current model no.
The artificial Sky bunce has reduced so now clubs own financial strength is much more important, in earlier deals Sky could mask a lot of losses.

Whatever we think of IMG, at least it stands for something and is trying to bring order.

yorky

yes St’s 1.3 million loss, thats the price of a good team who arent in the top 2

Hepworth

Forecasting bigger losses for next year too,yet they are still expecting to spend the full cap and use the full quota of marquis signings. Going to be some big losses posted across the board it will be interesting to see how sustainable they are and what approaches the clubs will take to deal with them. At some point one of the sugar daddies is going to pull the plug or at least tighten his belt and then it could get messy.

RaoulDuke

What I find worrying is that if saints are now begging for more money, the game is in real trouble. They have been the premier team for a long time but can’t break even. What does that mean for all the others?

Leeds lost 2m, Wigan a load, can’t imagine Huddersfields will be much less. We roughly break even but are seen at the laughing stock in ground terms. They all had grounds built for them whilst we are virtually on our own.

Saints are calling out the rl and IMG to start proving their worth and show us the money. I can’t see it happening unless it is moved under the NRL umbrella and they pump money and players in to make it a better spectacle.

Unfortunately we are in danger of following the football model whereupon money into the game goes straight to the players and nothing else. That can only work with rich benefactors and there’s not enough in rugby league.

Hepworth

Worrying times indeed. Almost going to the times of Wigans golden period under Maurice Lindsey when they had to fill the ground to 80% capacity every week and win every trophy just to break even. Absolute madness and only sustainable while you’ve got a benefactor prepared to suck up the debt. Basic premise appears to be if you want a successful team you run at a loss,cut your cloth as we are doing and don’t use Marquis signings and bar a miracle you’re consigned to the lower reaches of the league. Jackson Hastings is a case in point,would you like him in your side? Probably,could you afford him? Doubtful. Even with his parent club prepared to subsidise his wages to get him off the books. No doubt someone will stump up for him,obviously not us but that playing field will just become even less level. Barring an IMG miracle something has gotta give.

stuey

Clark, Bell, Makinson, Dodd, Percival & Lees all back for Saints. Almost at full strength, and we have Tex Hoy out in addition to those already injured.
I fear a hammering

pirate

stuey
we will nick it , macca drop goal in last minute (afternoon drinking isnt for everybody, me especially)

I saw on Facebook that the saints fans are saying its the first time this season they have numbers 1 - 13 in the squad

CTID

Maturecasfan

pirate

Don’t think we’ve had 1 to 13 for 3 years. What a luxury it would be.

pirate

four 18 year olds in the cas squad and another debut on the cards

we will p**s it

https://tigers.mysportsonline.uk/video/Pre_Match_Press_Conference_St_Helens_A/6230?fbclid=IwY2xjawFP_jRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHby_Vnka0xQNJxLqXNNWJljuYegnjNY-EKrkuQGcB_M9ckk1LIn2O1-1VQ_aem_vvVd8Na9f32lxyfE1VOI7w

CTID

RaoulDuke

I expect nothing and won’t be disappointed with a loss. More game time for the juniors.

Ultimately it may be all on for the Huddersfield match and 9th position.

Maturecasfan

RaoulDuke

Won’t finish above Hudds now.
They are on 18
We are on 15

We won’t beat saints, leaving us on 15.
Hudds playing Warrington, can’t see them beating wire, leaving Hudds on 18.
Even if we beat Hudds, which imo we won’t, that would put us on 17 Hudds 18.
But, stranger things have happened.

Hepworth

A game to cast an eye on the up and coming youngsters for me,I’ve seen a couple of them but this is a huge step up in terms of quality of opposition. Spread currently has us in receipt of 20 points,if we could keep it close to that and the new lads go ok I’d be happy enough.

stuey

Looking at the two squads, anything less than a 30 deficit will be a good result.

Hepworth

Not sure we learned much from tonight’s performance(Though Rooney is decent under a high ball) effort as it tends to have been under Lingard was good, I think we’re improved massively on what we saw under Last and Radford, some of those performances were dreadful and at least the average age of the squad offers some hope for the future.

pirate

Hepworth
Last night was a dead rubber, as is the Huddersfield game, ideal time to experiment
That Akim is a hell of a unit and i think we learned that the four kids were not in awe of the opposition and stood tall.
onwards and upwards but in baby steps
I also think the fans forget the long term injusies we have, Wood and Senior would have made a hell of a difference defensively last night
we need some news on recruitement but i fear they are waiting on SL confirmation (level playing field and all that, bring back Rimmer 🤣)

CTID

Hepworth

Some teams out there this week doing their best to put our defeat into perspective,I’ve watched all the games this weekend and currently enjoying Londons efforts against the Dragons, but some of the other performances from teams who have invested significantly in their teams….strewth!

Maturecasfan

Watched both hull fc and Huddersfield games.
Both teams didn’t put up any fight.
No competativness from either.
Granted both teams like us have most of their squad sat in the stands.
The last ⅘ games this season from the bottom 4 apart from London, who have put in some competitive performances and been very unlucky with a couple, have been shocking.
Img have given teams a mind set off, we have a grade A, we are all right jack and results don’t matter. Hudds and hull fc.
Img have made the sport imo a laughing stock. Crazy.

Matt

That’s the problem. We’re back to games not meaning anything again. London were relegated the second IMG announced their plans and Hull FC are untouchable so why bother putting any effort in.

I’m bored of the sport being used to trial random things out all the time. Just stick with P&R and fix the issues that currently surrounds that - one of which being that part time teams don’t belong in the Championship, that’s harsh on the clubs who currently are but the league needs to be strong.

We should actually be praised on our efforts, we’re a small club who punches well above our weight, own the stadium and land around it even if it’s not all singing and dancing it’s better than most others. Our nearest rivals have struggled in a city where no other professional sport exists and that seemingly goes against us because we happen to be next to 2 other teams…

Also the fact that the RFL/IMG hasn’t announced anything yet is really bad. How can teams prepare when they’re waiting on a a room full of suits to decide the magical numbers each club will be graded. It should have been sorted long before now.

Maturecasfan

Matt

There’s only one team that’s being held back Matt.