That game was on TV yesterday. Sky+ kindly recorded it for me, won't be watching that later.
That game was on TV yesterday. Sky+ kindly recorded it for me, won't be watching that later.
For all the moaning we've done about Leeds winning it from 5th I was gutted that night despite knowing deep down that it would have been a sham for us to have made it to the GF from 4th after the season we'd had. Cas won 25 games that year, we won 16. They lost 5, we lost 13, we were a joke for half the season but nearly made it, probably in no small part to Cas struggling with the situation and not having the experience to kill the game that night. Had you told me that night that we'd win 2 GF's in the next 3 years I'd have taken it, and in a way I'm happy we won the things after being the best side all season rather than sneak one from 4th in 2017. Easy to say in hindsight I know.
There's not been too many times over the years I've felt as gutted as that night. As you say, to go from the high of completing the comeback to the low of that drop goal was a real emotional rollercoaster.
So many ifs and buts from that night:
IF Percival had kicked just one of those conversions
IF Morgan hadn't needlessly given the penalty away
IF the ref had spotted Joe Westerman blocking us from getting at Gale like something from an American Football game
What was even more sickening was that Leeds weren't "all that" and I would have been really confident of beating them had we got past Cas. As Gray has already mentioned, the fact we had finished 4th after such an up and down season softened the blow slightly, unlike in 2018 when it felt more like we'd blown it after being dominant all year.
NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS
I had driven and got stuck in that car park opposite the ground for about half an hour after the game. Then the M62 was shut had I had to take a detour around Leeds. Swore i'd never go to Wheldon Road again but thankfully did for the CC game which tbf was a Ben Barba masterclass. That 70m try from dummy half was one of the best i've ever seen.
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just as a side bet. That game at Cas was exciting but very high emotionally. Leeds waited in the final, it was the last game for some of their top players, one last hurrah if you like.
Who would rather have beat Cas on the night in a thrilling game and then take the same result Cas endured in the final against a pumped up Leeds a defeat by 30+ I for one am a no. I would prefer if we get to GF next year Leeds to be opposite us.
I know what you're getting at Cyprus but I'm with YG. We would have beaten Leeds in the final. Some of the running rugby we were playing was outstanding.
I think we would have ran them ragged at Old Trafford to be honest.
Wasn't to be & as it turned out, Leeds produced another shrewd display at OT. Cas were hopeless
That's right. The 62 was shut. The one thing I took from that game was a 53-10 pasting in the May in the cup to a 23-22 defeat in the September.
Did wonders for us Holbrook. The semi final and CC final defeat masked how much good he had done. Unfortunately, I was one of the doom mongers on here stating we were massive bottle jobs and would never win a final again.
15 months later, we had won 2
They got very giddy claiming they were champions when they weren't. When the pressure was on, Leeds came up trumps like they so often have & they taught Cas a lesson.
Losing Hardaker was obviously a distraction and disruption but not as much as to it would have been a different game had he played.
If we would have got to the final, we'd have given Leeds a tougher test
I know it was very emotional, and walking back to the coach that night I found more than a fair few of them were quite hostile towards the Saints fans, particularly a load who came out of a boozer next to the ground..
As for the game, and absolutely cracker, I don't blame Morgan too much.. Percival should have kicked the penultimate goal, if not the one for Morgan's try
Probably due to the fact they hate Leeds and have beat W***n a few times. I must admit, I didn't used to dislike them as I've never seen them as a threat. I've no time for them since that Champions shit though and it annoys me how they get away with playing in that dump. Nothing club IMO.
We paid the price for missed conversions in that Cas game and I agree with YG and the other lads we would have done Leeds, Barba was getting fitter and sharper by the match and we were starting to play well.
The Wire monkey on our backs in recent semi & final performances does not overly bother me, we had them in a box for over a decade and I don`t think they beat us when KC was named against them.
It is Leeds who I want us to do in a final, not to blow then off the park either, a decimated team with youngsters playing out of position against a full strength red hot favorites Leeds and let us kick a controversial penalty in the last 20 seconds that gives us victory,.
Well that is my New Year`s wish I already have the commentary in my head: "Orgasmic, Wide to Wesque or Welsbyesque
doff of the cap to Ron Hoofe
was taking ice baths in a sports centre before lockdown for sore shoulder and back, it has the opposite effect once you are warming back up, it can send the wrong message in the changing room walking out the hot shower!!!