Saints v Hull : Rugby League Grand Final

[slick]

St Helens 2/7 Drawn Match 18/1 Hull 5/2

Hull did well to beat a very strong Bradford side last week who looked to be gearing up for the play offs after seeing off Warrington and Salford with ease and Deakon playing out of his skin with his Bradford side seeming to be growing in composure game by game.

Hull came in and put an abrupt stop to it in a very tight game last weekend setting up what should be a cracking final tomorrow.

Saints on the other hand having beaten Hull in the first play off should take the Championsip as if Hull were ever going to beat them it would have been then.

Saints have had a nice rest for a few weeks and Hull come into the game with a match behind them to keep them ticking over nicely and they were the last team to beat the Saints @ home.

Its a close call and for entertainment value i'm gonna take the 5/2 on Hull as this should go down to the wire and IMO the odds don't represent the difference between the teams especially with Sculthorpe missing.

[Winrew]

Whats the handicap ?

[slick]

Fcuk that was the quickest reply ever!!
I'll go and look

[slick]

Handicap Result -8 St Helens 4/5 Handicap Draw 20/1 +8 Hull evens

Alternative Handicap -8.5 St Helens 5/6 +8.5 Hull 5/6

Match Result St Helens 2/7 Drawn Match 18/1 Hull 5/2

Skybet.

[Winrew]

Hull did well to beat a very strong Bradford side last week

Bradfrod had three tries disallowed and played crap . so take Hull with a pinch of salt.

[slick]

Aye but only one was negotiable and that was iffy, like i said its for entertainment value only as the game should prove closer than those odds suggest and in a final u never know.

[slick]

Looking @ Traeths thread it may even cost me sod all.
http://www.thedailypunt.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=14625

[Winrew]

Replt saturday , off to you Tube

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Andy Wilson
The Guardian
I think St Helens will win it, but it could be close. They have got so many match-winners.
Hull's kicking game will have to be absolutely spot on, especially close to the Saints' line, to give them any chance, because they might not get too many attacking opportunities. St Helens carry much more threat with ball in hand.

John Ledger
Yorkshire Post
Hull will win. Their whole season has been building up to this.
They might be underdogs but the squad seems to be in the same mood that they were in before the Challenge Cup final last year - they seem determined to win.
Paul Cooke will be the key man for them with his kicking game and creativity close to the line.

Chris Irvine
The Times
St Helens will win, so you're probably better off backing Hull.
St Helens had a big win over them early in the season, but that was probably Hull's lowest point.
Since then they have had two titanic contests and there's no reason to believe this won't be another fantastic game.
But Saints have the big-game personnel to see them through, especially when it comes to Grand Finals. They are big-game hunters who will get their prize.

Julie Stott
The Sun
Saints to win it, and it's simply down to experience. They have been to Old Trafford three times and won each time. They know how to get the job done well.
Hull have a smattering of players who have been involved in a number of big games but the big question mark will be how their relative youngsters handle the occasion. David Burke
Daily Telegraph
I think it is Saints' year. They have such a great depth of ability. They are packed with talent, pace and skill and I feel it could be the game for Jamie Lyon to go out on a high.
He has been the best Australian import for a decade and I reckon he will have a big part to play in this, his final game. <!-- E BO -->

Some of the papers "experts" views taking from the BBC.

And the one below is from Ian Millward.

SAINTS LOOK TOO STRONG
By Ian Millward

Hull get quite a big start on the handicap for a Grand Final when they take on St Helens at Old Trafford.
You have to look at sport or even horse racing and it is very hard for a team to play at their best for two weeks in a row.
Hull put up a great display at Knowsley Road a couple of weeks ago and only got beaten by four points by Saints and then defeated Bradford by seven points in the final eliminator.
Their defence has been outstanding in the last two games and I am not sure if they have another left in the locker.
I also think that St Helens can attack a lot better than they did in the last encounter.
On the big field at Old Trafford, it will cause more problems for Hull's team.
They lack a little bit of mobility around the ruck area and will players like Sid Domic have the speed to stop Jamie Lyon?
I do fancy St Helens to win and cover the handicap - it will be a tight game but in the last 15 minutes St Helens can blow Hull away.
I am confident they can do that with the calibre and quality of players in the team.
I think that Jason Hooper could be good value in the first try market.
He gets involved in a lot of first scores and is a fantastic support player and can also create and run the right sort of lines near the opponents' try line.
Also keep in mind that Saints have scored around 40 tries on their right side so Ade Gardner and Lyon are also worth consideration.
For Hull, you would have to say that Kirk Yeaman does seem to score tries.
As far as the Man of the Match is concerned we shall have to go with favourite Sean Long.
In a field of 34 players he is a short price but he will dominate and control the game and can be the best player on the pitch.
It is his fourth Super League Grand Final and he can show once again he is the most dominant force in the game. Get on the 9/2 definitely.

Looking forward to this a lot. Saints if at their best will blow Hull away and im going to have them on the handicap.