FLITTING from disaster to triumph is something that St Helens became famous for on the rugby field within the same game.

They have lost their reputation for Houdini-style escape acts in recent years – in part because they got much better at being ahead with 20 or 10 minutes to go.

But, on paper at least, they enjoyed a similar turnaround from last weekend to this, following a one-sided defeat at home to Hull with a one-sided win away at Bradford.

After their defeat to Hull in the first game of the season, some Saints fans bombarded a fans’ website with hysterical demands for the immediate sacking of the coach, Mick Potter.

Now that they have gone away to Bradford and won 38-6, I wonder if some of those same fans will now be demanding that Mr Potter’s contract is extended?

Is this because they have had too much success over recent years and they are used to winning again and again?

If so, they need to prepare for a turbulent year. Leeds, Super League champions for the last three seasons, have been beaten in their first two games, and against opponents I will wager they had down as comfortable victories – Castleford and Wakefield.

In addition, Wigan, Warrington and Hull KR will be tough to beat and will feel they have a chance of honours this year.

It all creates a sense of excitement around the competition and it is a healthy thing for rugby league, given its small fan base, that the supporters of most of the teams are still able to believe that this could be their year. The game cannot afford the kind of permanent elite that dominate the Premier League and, as Henry Ford once said, ‘there is no such thing as bad competition’.

But that means supporters of the more successful clubs will have to steel themselves to see their teams lose more regularly than they have been used to.