WHEN it comes to rugby there is nothing harsher than getting knocked out in the semi finals of the Challenge Cup.

Friday’s loss finds a place in that locker of matches that includes the loss to Wigan in 1990, Huddersfield in 2009 and the pair of defeats suffered to Leeds in 2003 and 2010.

Wembley has so much history and the final is such a wonderful occasion that the hunger to get there is strong.

For Saints – spoilt rotten with six cup final visits in the previous decade – the wait since 2008 is growing increasingly frustrating.

It is not quite up to the drought that occurred between 1978-87 yet, but this time it is different.

Saints, unlike that crop in the 80s, have assembled the sort of team that should be making it through to the big days out by rights.

Younger fans, who missed out on the noughties, scratch their head and wonder if it will ever be our turn again.

I can empathise with them having started watching Saints the game after the 1978 Wembley final.

Maybe Saints were just unfortunate that they come up against a Leeds team that is in top form and motivated by Kevin Sinfield and Jamie Peacock’s desire to go out with a flourish.

And without being disrespectful to the other pairing, you would have fancied Saints to have got past anybody else but Rhinos.

The first problem with Friday’s defeat was the day – an unusual one for a semi which gave no thought to travelling fans who had to leave work early to get there.

My other beef with Friday was that it left two whole days over the weekend to mope.

And we all do it. I don’t think we ever grow out of that feeling we get from losing knockout games and Grand Finals.

I was as miserable on Saturday morning as I was after the 79 loss to Wakefield or the 81 defeat by Hull KR. (Though not as bad as the Goodway forward pass of 1990).

Friday night’s defeat to Leeds has now produced this sense of fatalism among our fans that says ‘we will never beat Leeds’.

Leeds are now 4/1 to win the treble – a feat not done since Daniel Anderson guided Saints to the Grand Slam in 2006. It is worth pointing out that they have won nothing yet.

Leeds are strong – but they are still heavily reliant on Peacock and Sinfield.

The last seven rounds and a Challenge Cup final will put pressure on them.

Let’s see how the cards fall at the end of September, and who is standing where, before we decide all is lost.