I think this talk of Wigan players staying down injured too long to give the TMO time to look at the tackle is harsh. First one he took a shoulder to the chin and the second was a huge hit like he’d been hit by a car!
Rugby League - 2024 edition
- Thread starter jojojo
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Errors, penalties and that absolutely woeful interception were put on a plate tonight. If you play like that against quality opposition you'll need to dig very deep, and the sin binnings were obviously key. I'm delighted with the win but they need to smarten up their act pronto, or HKR and Warrington may get the better of them.
I've got to ask - what has happened to St Helens this season? Player turnover? Injuries? Just one of those years?
They had that brutal run of injuries where they had 8 or so first teamers out for a while, that being said they lost some matches they probably still should have won
They’re fecking shit
I meant this season in particular though
Thanks. I don't watch them enough to know who's missing when I do see them.
It's making the top six race a bit of fun though.
Speaking of which - a bit unlucky that Salford Catalans are on BBC2 at the same time as the England game.
On another note, what's going on with the yellow and red cards being dished out so frequently of late? The recent red card for Paul Vaughan of Warrington seemed a fairly standard challenge, but the ref deemed it a poor tackle "without mitigation", and he's wound up with a three game ban. Today we saw two yellow cards for challenges which appeared to be adjudicated on the basis that the player on the receiving end of the tackle was "injured", rather than on the basis of the merits of the tackles themselves. The Rugby League appears to be highly wary of future litigation, but the current situation is ruining the game.
I didn't see the Warrington game, but I remember at the start of the season the officials were handing out a lot of cards. Then they swung the pendulum back in the other direction. I have seen the benefit of doubt given recently where it's looked like the grounds were "no one would do that deliberately" - when it still looked reckless.
Maybe they've decided it swung back too far and want to make statement before it hits play off games? I wonder if the clubs have been warned a correction is coming? I guess it depends on whether the same kind of shift is happening in other matches as well.
They’ve seen what’s happened in union. The threat of litigation is already coming to the fore and consequently the game is much harsher on head contact.
And as in union, it was taken too far initially, disrupted the game too much…..and in a month or so we’ll see it swing back a bit
Going into the final round of the league and 5 playoff spots have been decided. Leigh are in the driving seat to get the sixth but need to win at home to St Helens to guarantee it. That's on Friday night at 8. Leeds are playing at Hull KR at the same time.
Catalans Dragons will go into their match on Saturday (3pm) at Hull FC knowing what if anything they can do.
Wigan play Salford on the Friday night. Warrington play London. I'm not expecting the top three to change positions but maybe someone will surprise me. It does give Hull KR something to play for against Leeds though.
Catalans Dragons will go into their match on Saturday (3pm) at Hull FC knowing what if anything they can do.
Wigan play Salford on the Friday night. Warrington play London. I'm not expecting the top three to change positions but maybe someone will surprise me. It does give Hull KR something to play for against Leeds though.
I would be amazed if KR lose to Leeds, so Catalans are the ones who could sneak in if Saints do the business against Leigh. Leigh - Saints is the most interesting final game, but it's a real shame it isn't the playoff decider between those two particular teams that it was shaping up to be a few weeks ago.
It's also hilarious that Hull FC have hit the bottom by a single point's difference due to the battering they took from Salford. It's come down to who can get less-badly hammered on the final day between FC and London to avoid the wooden spoon.
Salford will obviously want to win the Wigan game anyway, but they will especially not want Saints sneaking above them either. It's going to be tough for Wigan.
It's also hilarious that Hull FC have hit the bottom by a single point's difference due to the battering they took from Salford. It's come down to who can get less-badly hammered on the final day between FC and London to avoid the wooden spoon.
Salford will obviously want to win the Wigan game anyway, but they will especially not want Saints sneaking above them either. It's going to be tough for Wigan.
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Leeds have been all over the place this season but if Hull KR show up I doubt there's anything Leeds can do to stop them. Finishing top two will matter to them, so I think you're right, a Leeds win would be a shock.
I honestly don't know what to expect at Leigh. My instincts say Leigh will win because they're on good form and they need the win whereas it's less critical for St Helens. Dunno'
There would be something vaguely comical about Catalans sneaking into the playoffs though.
I've just heard Salford have made 14 changes to their squad for tomorrow. They'd rather be fresh and suspension-free going forward than fight for fourth place. Fair enough, I hope the Wigan players do their jobs.
So it's Warrington v St Helens and Salford v Leigh next week. As a Wires fan, I'd definitely rather play Saints than Leigh at the moment.
Saints still look awful, even after they've welcomed a few key players back. Every Saints fan I've spoken to thinks they'll get killed in the playoffs, particularly if they have to play yourselves away from home.