ComeOnYouSaints.com - End of Season Poll Part 2

End of Season Poll – Part 2

What's the most you'd pay to watch a GP or ND1 game? (Saints or other)

£25.

My season ticket works out at less than £20 a game for a dry seat with a good view with friendlies and Wanderers’ games providing excellent bonuses. Anything that comes in at more than that draws a sharp intake of breath. I will not be going to as many away games in the Prem as I have been to this year where prices and atmosphere are more to my taste.

If you could change one thing about this season, what would it be?

A closer chasing pack in the league to push us further!

Who would you have as next season’s captain?

Bruce Reihana – enough said!

There's only one choice and we all know who he is. Ben Cohen

One word to sum up our 2007/08 season?

Different

Impressions on the academy’s progress?

I think it’ great how everyone trains together, all lineout calls are the same throughout. This will help players drift between Wanderers and first team.

And a parent speaks...

Is the proud parent of one the lucky lads that recently got into the England A we got to see some of the future prospects in action. Sam's Haygate and Farmer we're everywhere, huge work-rates and both natural leaders. Will Dunkley is a superb centre. He's a terrific tackler and seems to battle his way through seemingly impossible situations and appears in the clear on the other side, amazing. Charlie Sadler was a bit unfortunate in that the other England fullback had the game of his life against France and so Charlie only got to play against the USA. He really made the most of it though and had a stormer of a game. He's big, quick, with terrific hands and quite a boot on him. Mike Hogan had an excellent game as scrum-half game France, rattling off a series of quality passes and maintained that standard against Wales.
I have to say the main man there was a Worcester lad called Will Radburn who was the captain. Half granite, half Kryptonite. We've seen him in a few games and it's always the same, you'd swear there were two of him on there. It gives you goose bumps! The reason I mention him is that there's a question down below "Keep an eye on this fella..."
As well as the England A lads another couple of our boys played for England in France and are both quite brilliant, Jamie Elliott who I believe is a 10 - wing and the mighty Mikey Haywood who I know is a hooker - nutter. Look out for these two!
There is one really unlucky chap that has been slightly out of the loop due to an horrendous injury he picked up 18 months ago. Karl Smith is a winger and something of a star in my book. I've only seen him a couple of times but by jingo that boy can shift. Talk about potential...

Best preview? one impressed more than others...

Neal Roff’s Lanson preview. Inside knowledge and lots of information for those traveling.

Best match report?

Howlin’s report from Esher. Fun and informative at the same time.

Wilma, is pretty special, even I got a few honorable mentions.

Saints and Sinners message board is a dull and lifeless place without...

A hut in Coventry containing Monkey and rifle!,

Davey_Wilz ,Wellsaint. Time to come back to the board as well as the rugby.

The Clique

But everyone loves to hate or hates to love Eifion.

The Mark Coleman award for Saint of the year?

Carlos Spencer, The tricks he’s shown with the additional space and opposition clearly not as good as GP players, have led to so many tries this year. Chris Ashton may have scored a lot of them, but even he admits it’s all about being on the end of that final pass.

Saint Swill for taking the time to send me text message blow-by-blow updates for near every game, some of which taken in isolation needed enough SMSs to wipe the letters off the keypad.

Got to be Carlos for me. IMO the only reason he did not win man of the match most weeks is because everyone expects the high standard he delivers and he has to go one better to get noticed. Even then he still swept away four COYS man of the match awards and was declared top on percentage of votes. I still remember some of the sideswipes from some when he arrived at saints but this guy would be welcome in any team. Yet he stood by us in ND1 and has now renewed his contract. Top player, top bloke

Had to think long and hard about this – there’s so many possibles. Tom Smith for being just awesome, Los for being Los, Flash for an amazing first season, Rae for grasping the opportunity to make his mark, but in the end, it’s Bruce. The man is a legend already and his leadership, attitude, humility and commitment mean he is Da Man!

Most underrated player?

Johnny Howard. He has developed his game this year but still gets an amazing amount of criticism!

I don't think many players at Saints are underrated by the supporters as conversely, mostly the hero worship overlooks the failings. But this season I think Johnny Howard came in for a lot of unwarranted stick. This guy was the clubs longest servant and certainly never let us down this season. He deserved a lot better than he received from some quarters.

Game of the Season?

96-3 v Sedgley Park at FG. Highest score I’ve seen by Saints!

Pirates away in the league. Because this was the game to set us on our way. It was one of the few that we could have genuinely lost and Pirates put us under a lot of pressure. Just imagine how the season could have turned out if that game had been lost. But the team and the supporters did themselves proud and the rest is record breaking history.

A strange one – Bees. They were the first team to come and play. They were having a poor season and decided that all that would be on offer was a bonus point for scoring 4 tries. They fell just short We also played some lovely stuff in an open game with Myler at fly-half.

Best Home Game of the Season?

Other than above, 24-23 v Newbury. At least someone ran us close, and played rugby at he same time. Nice to have a competitive game right down to the final whistle.

CABS. The last game of the season. Because it was the last game and the team showed the gulf in class between them and ND1, records were broken, the sun was shining, and for once at Saints nothing spoilt the party.

/......part 3

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