I don’t think I’d be talking out of turn if I said I was one of many who were disappointed by the 30-10 defeat to our arch-rivals Wigan on Friday.

We had the opportunity of lifting the League Leaders’ Shield at the DW Stadium and undoing the Warriors’ undefeated home record, but instead it was Wigan who grabbed the glory in what turned out to be a bit of an anti-climax.

One thing that didn’t disappoint was the atmosphere created by the 20,000-strong crowd, including an away end absolutely packed with Saints fans.

Both teams struggled with the ball, with knock-ons a plenty and limited scoring opportunities created.

This was something that could have been expected from a Saints perspective, with numerous players unavailable and positional changes due to injuries – predominantly in the back line.

With five of the first choice seven available – including Makinson, Percival, Grace, Hopoate and Dodd – we looked light in attack and lacked the spark in behind that their pace creates.

Add to that some uncharacteristic lapses in defence that cost us dearly. Four of the Warriors’ five tries came from offloads or errors, with the pace of duo Field and French making us pay the price.

One thing that will have pleased coach Kristian Woolf is the commitment and desire we showed to keep fighting. We also had superior field position throughout most of the game, but just struggled to turn that into points.

As disappointing as the defeat was, it was far less important than the fixtures ahead – and now a home semi-final awaits as after Monday’s games we finally secured the League Leaders’ Shield.

A new-look, inexperienced side took to the field against Wakefield at the Totally Wicked Stadium, and despite a fantastic effort from the team, which included four first team debutants, we went down 34-18.

There were some outstanding performances – and one guy who certainly made an impression on the gaffer was young George Delaney, with his no-nonsense, Matty Lees-like style of play!

Like us, our nearest rivals for the top spot Wigan had one eye on their semi-final, fielding a young side away at Hull KR and coming up short 38-28.

This confirmed Saints as regular season champions, and just a couple of wins off an historic fourth consecutive Betfred Super League Grand Final.

The league’s title sponsors Betfred make Saints 5/4 favourites to do just that, with Wigan 7/4 shots.

Catalans can be backed at 8/1, with Huddersfield 10/1 shots, Leeds 11/1 and Salford 14/1 – while Castleford are the rank outsiders at 25/1.

Meanwhile, what a boost for anyone associated with this great club that skipper James Roby will go again in 2023.

Having previously announced his retirement from the end of the current season, Robes did a U-turn and decided to carry on for one more year, which is absolutely no surprise to me!

Why wouldn’t he? He’s clearly fit and healthy enough, playing well and his hunger for the sport is still there.

Listening to his interview, he clearly recognised what a privileged position he has playing a game he loves for the best club in the league – and the opportunity to win yet more silverware.

It’s fantastic news for the club that James will now take to the field for his remarkable 20th season for the club. Kristian Woolf spoke affectionately about not just the player but the person and the impact he has on those around him.

Finally, it’s Championship-bound Toulouse for us in the final round of the regular season – and I’m expecting a full-blown performance from a strong Saints team despite it being a dead rubber.

With top spot secured, the team have earned a week off the following week, so will want a clinical performance ahead of the do-or-die semi-final in two weeks.