1. Two tries, 50 tackles with no misses, 82 metres from 12 carries and one tackle bust.

Figures that show Saints skipper James Roby is showing no signs of letting up.

The man is a machine.

At the end of last year when he picked up a shoulder injury, which meant he was on reduced powers for the business end, there were thoughts that measures would have to be put in place to preserve the 33-year-old's longevity in a similar manner to the way Wigan use England skipper Sean O'Loughlin.

But so far, the cotton wool has remained packed away and we have had four 80-minute masterclasses which shows up clearly on the Steve Prescott Man of Steel leaderboard. And nothing embodied that more that five minutes from time, when wing Tommy Makinson had gone full length.

Who was up there to take Lachlan Coote's pass from dummy half but Saints' Mr Perpetual Motion.

2. Thursday night games are universally unpopular - and that was probably reflected in the 4,000 gate at Salford.

That figure is almost 1,000 up on last year's gate - so maybe Salford are happy with that improvement.

Despite it being a work/school night, the shocking traffic which looked gridlocked both ways and the travelling fans being charged as much as £27 to get in, there was still a strong away following.

In an ideal world, we would not have them, but he who pays the piper....

Are Thursday night's a necessary evil when it comes to television negotiations? They are much better than the Monday aberration that cropped up a few years back.

Ticket prices are a different matter. There is a campaign in football that says £20 is plenty for away followers - and we need a similar benchmark in rugby league.

In times of austerity, wage freezes and the proliferation of zero hours it is not right that fans are priced out of supporting the team they love.

Clubs have their own business models - and own ways of making ends meet - but ticket prices are one area that needs to be looked at by the game as a whole. Maybe one for Mr Elstone's Super League team.

3. There was a brief discussion at the game on Thursday - after another under the radar outstanding effort from Morgan Knowles - which involved how many non-English players could conceivably make the great Britain team.

Knowles is certainly one.

Compatriot Regan Grace took his try well, but given the sheer quality of flankmen in front of him, it would take something extra special over the next eight months to get past some of those.

In particular Tom Johnstone, with three tries again at the weekend, is again showing remarkable form on the wing at Wakefield.

His duel with Golden Boot Tommy Makinson was one of the most compelling features of the recent game.

It is fantastic to see wing play come back in vogue - as nothing gets the fans out of their seats more than a speedster dashing down the wing.

4. Saints play London on Friday.

And after the way the Broncos dispatched struggling Wigan at the weekend that should act as a little bit of warning that no team can be taken for granted.

You have to admire the way London have bounced back - and the way they have patiently built their side in difficult circumstances.

London's promotion came as a surprise last year - and if they can keep this team together, dovetailing with the grassroots work in the south - they can continue to be a huge asset to rugby league.

5. It was pleasing to see a huge crowd and fantastic atmosphere at Widnes yesterday.

It is way too strong a rugby league town to die - and this week showed it.

There were plenty of Saints fans there too, showing solidarity.

And that was the least they could do - after all Saints have enjoyed plenty of fruit from the Widnes orchard.

From greats like Alan Prescott, Vince Karalius, George Nicholls through to Super League winners Bobbie Goulding and Karle Hammond, and now current stars Mark Percival and Danny Richardson, the town of Widnes has provided Saints with many a top player.

For that rugby league nursery to continue, it does need the pro club to be the beacon to keep the kids playing rugby.

6. There has probably been too much discussion about why Danny Richardson has not been picked so far this year.

There is no conspiracy, it is simply that Theo Fages was given first crack and each week he has added to his game.

He was first class at Salford, with his kick yielding the first score and a fine pass, after taking the ball into the teeth of the defence, yielding the second.

He is certainly setting the benchmark for Richardson to rise to - hopefully Danny will rise to that challenge.

We can be very impatient with young halves in this country - but this current situation is part of Richardson's learning curve, not an indication that he is being shoved out.

In the meantime, let's hope Fages can continue to set that bar high.