You qualify for a meaningless friendly to be played on the Friday or Saturday before the Champions play for the big prize on the Sunday. Well done.



As for injuries, every club has had them and continues to have them so not really a pat on the back there.



Wigan, Wire and Leeds may not have gone out to lose games but they have rested players in games they believed they would win and were bitten by it. That won't happen next year or in the next 4 weeks. Now we see how good you are.

1/ you could have wrapped it up whenever you wanted, apart from Cas no one else was really interested, Top 4 was enough if it meant having enough gas in the tank. Leeds wanted the CC, a would have loved a top 4 but strangely enough won't be as bothered about 6th as they should be.

No one sets put for 5th, 6th etc. but what they do is not go all out for 1st or 2nd etc if it risks their chances in the play offs.

2/when was it decided that the LLS winners get a place in the WCC? Over 2/3rds through the season? Another bit of master planning by the RFL!

Bit of pessimism on my part about our own chances I suppose but we both know full well Wire and Leeds will win their games and get through to the next round. We'd have more then likely done the same but I wouldn't be arrogant enough to say there's no advantage at all in finishing top four because there is (a bit).



Taking us out of the equation Leeds and Wire are the best two sides in the league and even Saints at full strength aren't in that class. A token gesture of receiving a shield for your efforts of being the best of a bad or uninterested bunch will mean nowt from next week.



We had this same discussion with Huddersfield fans 12 months back by the way and look how that turned out.

Really? Saints at full strength (but minus two props) whooped Warrington 38-8 in the first game of the season. We beat Leeds at home with Walsh injured and Wilkin, Walmsley and Amor banned. We also beat Wigan at Wigan having lost Walsh to injury halfway through the game.



Saints have beaten all teams this year.

I rate the LLS even if no one else does.

The team who finish top of the pile have achieved something IMO so well done to Saints.

As far as I'm concerned the problem with team's inconsistency is because no one rates the LLS.

The new structure IMO should be a top three play off, the top club going straight to O/T with a week off whist 2 & 3 play off for the other place in the GF.

That would concentrate minds on coming top of the League.



As for Saints they came top due to their early season unbeaten run up to Good Friday.

By GF we had two losses and so had Cas.

Since Easter Saints have been as inconsistent as the rest of us.

They have had good wins and some poor losses same as us.

The return game at DW between us they had Lomax out and lost Walsh during the game.

By Waney's reckoning we had 10 out, by mine 7. It still ended up three tries each and Saints won it on goal kicks.



Interesting how it pans out from here.

Joking and banter aside it is the emotion amongst fans and players that make our game so special.

Congratulations to St Helens.



From our point of view (or perhaps mine as I know some don't care about the Shield), its frustrating as we really should have had it wrapped up with around 8 games to go. Then came some shocking performances against Wakefield, Bradford, Hull KR and Widnes and you can't flop so badly against the lower sides and expect to finish top.



Next year its probably more important to finish top after the initial 23 games than it is after the Super 8's. Finishing top then ensures more home games as well as home games against the teams higher up the table.



I like the new structure but would have preferred a different format for the top 4 playoff at the end: 1 v 2, winner goes to OT, loser plays winner of 3v4 for remaining place.

And it's the format that brings about these pipe dreams from clubs like Huddersfiejd and Saints that a few meaningless regular round wins means they're better then the likes of Leeds and Warrington. You've played one meaningful game against a really top side all year in the challenge cup against Leeds and you got beat.



Unlike Huddersfield last year you guys will be able to use the 'we've got injuries' comfort blanket when you limp out of the play offs.

Reading between the lines on the season ticket info the "extra " home game if we qualify for it will not infact be a home game but taken on the road.

Well spotted - hadn't noticed that before. Can't see that going down well and would have to doubt its due to 'a commitment to grow the sport' as Wigan claim - some form of stadium restriction perhaps?

By many saints fans own admission, you won't win the GF now apparently due to injuries, hence the sudden desire amongst many of your mob to win the LLS. But you've just provided examples of when you have beaten your rivals without these players. So when/if you limp out of the playoffs, you can't use injuries as an excuse. Whether walsh/lomax et al were fit or not, you won't the GF this year because you have a soft underbelly.



It was a good result for saints not because it gave them the LLS, but because it gave them a home tie against a inexperienced knackered looking Cas team. Against anyone else they'd be losing and going out of the playoffs the week after. But this, this gives them hope. That means that saints will be one home game away from a grand final.



Just close enough to get saints fans dreaming and mouthy again, but just far enough to create dissapointment when falling short.



God help you guys if you get through the semi and wind up at old trafford again.

Yawn yawn yawn.