Winners Now We Can Celebrate.....

As a player, I'd never felt under so much pressure coming into a game as I did in this Challenge Cup final against Catalans at Wembley.
We'd been made such massive favourites, it's a real challenge to come out and live up to that.
We're used to that in Super League, but it's different in the big games where the opposition are just as motivated.
The Dragons came out and played really well but we showed we're a champion team.
We were well aware that if we rode out the first 20 minutes we had the fitness and strength to do well in the latter of both halves.
The first period of both halves was a battle but the last 20 minutes we dominated. That's credit to our conditioning staff for getting us in such good shape.
We knew that if we got to the ends of our sets of six we'd score points, so regardless of what time it happens, we know we can change the game.
We kept the creativity until the last minute of the first half and that's how Adie Gardner scored just before half-time.
After 80 minutes of rugby, they sling a couple of hundred steps at us just to see if we can manage it
We were happy with the hot weather - we like playing in dry conditions. It was ideal for us because we had every opportunity to throw the ball around, and when we did we looked dangerous.
We had great creativity from the likes of Paul Wellens and Leon Pryce but players like Nick Fozzard were great too. I thought he must have run them close for man of the match.
It was a long way up the steps at the end to pick up the trophy, but it was well worth it.
Halfway up there my legs were tiring, I think it's the final test - after 80 minutes of rugby, they sling a couple of hundred steps at us just to see if we can manage it!
I was very emotional at the end because my life is based around rugby and very few people ever get to fulfil their dream - that's what I've done today.
My family have always supported me to the end, so for them to see me at Wembley was fantastic, it's as much a credit to them as parents as it is to me as a player.

Fulfilling A Lifes Dream.....

I am a very lucky person, not many people get close to fulfilling a lifes ambition and do something which feels unttainable and unrealistic. As a scrawny child I have vivid memories of watching the challenge cup final on a Saturday afternoon with my parents, following the game I would run around the garden pretending to be players who had featured , I emphasise the word pretend because although I was young and naive I was aware that it was more than likely that pretending to be at Wembley playing rugby was as close as I would get to reality! And this is the bizzarre thing I still until very recently have not come to terms that the child in me is going to proven wrong and as an adult I will be walking out on the hallowed turf full of pride and an immense sense of achievement.
If you look back through the course of rugby league there are probably a dozen of major histric moments which will always be remembered ranging from the change from unlimited to limited tackles, the break away of the Northern Union and more recently the inception of the summer era and the Super League brand. On Saturday another one of those events will occur in my opinion , the first final at the new Wembley and Iam sure all the players involved would love to make it memorable for rugby reasons and not just for the new stadium.
Preparing for a game like this is always good fun and very relaxed, i imagine people would assume we would turn into ultra serious rugby nerds building up to a game of this magnitude but in reality I think we take a relaxed approach and just try to enjoy being part of a big game. I am a big believer of whilst your training you should be intense and discuss the ins and outs of the game with your team mates but as soon as training finishes I like to just switch off totally and turn into a dosile sloth like creature until the next day, apologies to anyone who meets me whilst in this state please be aware that when your talking to me the lights are on but nobody is home, the best way to overcome this is either a slap to the face or mention food both seem to bring me around. Another player famous for his inability to listen at certain times is Paul Wellens, you can hold an in depth conversation with Wello about the pros and cons to the pedestrianisation of StHelens town center and he can have no recollection of it ever happening. After rooming with Paul prior to last years challenge cup I had an inight on what it would be like to live with him and it is at this point I would like to nominate Rachel his wife to be for a place on the honours list for services to the community.
It is a funny expierience rooming with people when the team travels away and I know that certain people are on a room mate black list for the coming weekend, Leon Pryce for his subconcious Harley Davidson impression in his sleep would be on the list,Ade Gardner for his midnight sleep walking and finally Mike Bennet who has a strict lights out policy by 9pm and does not tolerate swearing or nudity within the room, offences are punished and offenders could be bannished from the room for an undisclosed period of time !!!!
I enjoy my job all most of the time and am very fortunate to live the lifestyle I live but games like the one this week end really remind you why you sit on a rowing machine in pre-season and lift heavy weights, for the one second this year i have questioned why I am doing these things I will be rewarded with 80 minutes of comfirmation that I have made the right choices in my life to get me to this position!!! this game is for my parents Carol and Phil and my sister Nicola whos endless support inspires me every single day. I just hope we can get the right result.....

Rugby League simplified......

26 men, 13 0n each side stand opposite each other on a large rectangular green thing covered in horizontal white lines, the men hold an odd shaped white leather thing , they get it and swing thier arms letting go of the white leather thing before another man on the same team collects it, whilst this is happening the opposing team run toward the team with the white leather thing and cuddle them 6 times then they get the odd shaped leather thing! Or they try and dislodge the white leather thing with thier shoulder, the attacking team all the while are trying to place the odd shaped orb over one of the white lines then they can all run back hugging and patting each other on the back!! the team who does this most wins

Wembley Finalists......

Playing in a challenge cup final is any proffessional rugby players dream, very much like the FA the challenge cup holds a similar prestige,history and drama. The final has always traditionally been played at Wembley in North london but during the demolition of the old and construction of the new the challenge cup has been wandering around in a homeless peasant like fashion! dropping in on other stadiums such as Millenium stadium Cardiff,Murrayfield in Edinburgh and Twickenham! All fantastic venues but only now at the new wembley will the sense of historical pride and tradition be reinstalled to both players and fans of rugby league.

Myself and the saints squad will face Les catalans of France in what should proove to be a very memorable event and lets hope that both everyone sat within the couldren like atmosphere and everyone watching at home are entertained by one of the toughest sports going!