1. There was plenty to enjoy about Saints’ win over an admittedly depleted Wakefield side, not least seeing a side with the confidence and strike to score from anywhere.

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Eight tries from eight different scorers, from both sides of the pitch, tells its own story. The spectacular finishers will rightfully get their plaudits – but special mentions have to go to the way Jonny Lomax and Zeb Taia helped set some of those up.

And it was pleasing to see Morgan Knowles get a reward for his constant pushing up in support by scoring on the wing after a Kevin Naiqama breakaway had been halted short of the line.

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2. After racking up a 28-6 lead, and defending doggedly for the last two minutes of the first half Saints must have gone in at the break thinking the job was done.

They had a wobbly spell just after the break when they forced passes, overplayed to compensate for errors and then were punished on a warm, humid day by conceding a try that looked like it was very briefly going to make a game of it.

There is no doubt coach Justin Holbrook will dish out the plaudits publicly to his players, but I don’t doubt there will be aspects of that middle bit that will have been picked up in review. Learning to correct those – while still winning – will give Saints the best of both worlds.

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3. The first half was very slow – so slow that Saints opted not to make any substitutions. It was also frustrating – and a head knock for Craig Kopczak, followed by a knee injury and then concussion for warhorse Danny Kirmond meant that play was thrice stopped when Saints were just building momentum at the end of the set inside the Wakefield half.

Player welfare is paramount – and that is why play is stopped for head knocks….but knee injuries are a different matter.

Saints supporters suffered a bit of criticism - on television commentary and on social media - for booing when Kirmond limped back into the line the first time after having his knee treated.

I suspect those boos were for the decision to halt play for an injury that was not interfering with play.

And if you want a history lesson – do any of you want a reminder of what happened in the 2011 Grand Final? Saints were leading Leeds 16-8, going into the last quarter of the game when centre Michael Shenton dislocated his elbow.

There was no empathy for the player as he lay in an agonised heap on the ground, instead it was ruled play on, with Leeds raiding down the left whilst Shenton was treated and then led off the field.

In the next set Rhinos went over (in the place Shenton had vacated) and the game had turned on its head. If the rule is play on, unless it is a head knock, then play on - but it is the inconsistency that infuriates fans.

4. Zeb Taia celebrated his new deal at Saints by producing another stellar, big game performance.

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Now I don’t want to get too carried away – given what an absolute club legend Chris Joynt was – but sometimes the way he carries the ball and slips it out of the tackle, he doesn’t half play like him.

The past two weeks he has created tries that Joynty regularly used to set up for his left-hand gang of Paul Newlove and Anthony Sullivan.

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5. Cup semi-final draw paired Saints with Halifax. The last time Saints played a second division outfit in the semis was 2006 when Saints pulverised Hull KR. Does anyone else see similarities so far with 2005/06 and last year and this?

Let’s hope it continues.

As for Halifax, it was good of the BBC to remind us all of that horrible day at Wembley in May 1987 when Murphy’s men were pipped 19-18. And Wilf George’s try still looks like his legs were well in touch long before he put it down.

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6. Remember the days when Challenge Cup crowds were always significantly higher than the corresponding league fixture and the admission price was greater?

That was before the season ticket culture took over.

Clearly a significant body of fans who pay out at the start of the season can’t be persuaded to turn up at all pays games.

Slashing the price of the cup tickets would devalue the comp – after all, Saturday’s game was MORE important than the regular league game. But something needs to be done.

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Would it be feasible to put two extra games on the season ticket price and if they did not come off, then give the fans a rebate in May and June?

Understandably it is complicated because the gate is shared in cup games, but there has to be a way of stopping cup crowds being an embarrassment on national, terrestrial TV where floating sports see Tommy Makinson’s spectacular dive against a backdrop of empty seats.

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