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EagleEyePie wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 5:36 pm I hope we're not putting too much focus on the cup. It was great to beat Saints (albeit one fortunately weakened) but since then it's felt like the league games don't really matter. That's fine as long as we win the final next week but if we don't then the good form of the start of the season is well and truly out the window.

The final isn't a game where we can safely say if we play to our best we'll win. We were very lucky to beat Huddersfield at home earlier in the year. They were missing 2 of their playmakers, beat us in the forwards but failed to make the most of the attacking position they had and we had a bit of luck on our side too. The game last week was a weakened side but two relatively full strength packs and they dominated us again. The cup final is probably going to be a really tight game. We'll be favourites but we're not that much better than Huddersfield this year, if at all.

Hopefully we win, but then it becomes about making sure we don't follow the well trodden path in Super League of winning the cup and then not being able to rise to the challenge for the following games. A win is great, but it's not a guarantee that we're closing the gap to Saints. Just look at Leeds winning in 2020 for evidence of that.

Our defence has mostly been poor this year, particularly when you consider we're coming under less pressure than we did last season on account of having a much stronger attack - therefore we're not turning the ball over at the end of every set, we're making more ground and doing better in terms of territory. That's why it's all the more concerning that while we have the best attack, we don't have a top 6 defence and are worse in that department than both Leeds and Hull KR.

Win or lose next week it's the defence that's the biggest concern and we're showing no sign of improving in that department. Defence is the foundation that you build a strong team on and at the moment ours isn't particularly solid.

This post isn't meant to be a downer, just perspective. We had a very good start to the season and our attack has gone from the worst to the best seemingly overnight, but we clearly aren't where the team needs to be defensively. A cup final win will be superb and Matt Peet and the team have done incredibly well to see us achieve what is essentially the biggest of the short term goals the club would have, but the long term goal is still a little way off at the moment.

lucky 13 wrote: ↑Sat May 21, 2022 6:20 pm We may be putting the eggs in one basket for the final but it's earlier this year. The other thing plenty players around our club for a number of years have not won it, I imagine to them and the club to a degree it's the priority.
An injury hit Saints? We had lost Zak both our main ball players in Tommy and Powell and also KPP who was first choice before injury. They had Dodd Grace missing who are automatic first choice they played Lomax and he's played since so if anything injuries weekend us more. They are a top 17 heavy squad that's been very lucky with injuries no back up half or full back that's their issue.
They are still the team to beat we had forgotten how to win big games they how to lose them.
I didn't think we was lucky to beat Giants early season even game we looked pretty good with ball and still had Havard out. That 6 rotation of Smithies Byrne Singo Ellis Havard Mago makes us a much better team. Last week that pack was without Powell, Byrne Smithies Batty and Faz we was also without any first choice half and a fullback who's not played there for over a year. To say your not painting a glass half empty picture is understated.
Defense I will agree needs to improve but I would have took our start to the league and entertaing rugby on the way to a cup final, beating any Saints team on that journey at the start of the season.
Are we red hot favourites maybe not but hope we show up and give it our best this was never a quick fix.

lucky 13 wrote: ↑Sun May 22, 2022 10:53 am Think we all have our personal and club orientated naratives.
Saint is obviously going to cling to a fact we are rubbish and not improving, this highlighted by him thinking what I think is a negative factually inaccurate post, is spot on. I'm also guilty of this in that my own stand point which often clings to any small happy clapper glass half full view point. Facts are Saints went into this season with two halves with a top heavy cap wise first 17 squad this has served them well while reasonably injury free but they do seem to feel one or two players being out more than others, highlighted by missing 3 player seemingly headline grabbing. If you take like for like from the semi we had Zak KPP Tommy and Powell out Tommy and Dodd levels the halves but then take Roby Percival out we will leave Grace with Zak.
The other missing players is like us missing Isa Partington and so on that if all fit would they make that 17 for me they don't.
Could Huddersfield beat us yes, easily they have in Watson what looks like a good young English coach, he seems to be getting culture off the field right and playing style on the field right. He's building a good squad and they have the feel of a club moving forward, with a mixture of experience and good young talent. They seem a team with a few more tweaks to make that will allow them to challenge over the next few years and push on. Hope the fans will follow.
Take the above paragraph and replace with Peet and Wigan, we are on that same road and journey. I think we have some little advantages but it's a close call and comes down to who turns up and the curve ball of luck and how the ref sees the big calls.