I know we've had a few similar threads, but with Pryce's departure confirmed, how will we line up ? It'll interesting to see where all our backrowers fit in. Personally I'd go with :

Wellens
Gardner
Shenton
Meli
Foster
Hohaia
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Puletua
Laffranchi
Soliola
Wilkin

Moore/Flanagan
Flannery
LMS
Clough

Leaving us with Moore/Flanagan, Gaskell, Armstrong, Magennis, Dixon, Ashurst and Wheeler in reserve. Doesn't look all doom and gloom, but I think we still need another new face if we're going to challenge.

5th is where it will leave us.

Your only real loss, based on the fact that Eastmond and Pryce have barely played this year is Graham. A big one admittedly.

However, you bring in Laffranchi, Flanagan and Hohaiha - all very good players and you say 5th, Sad-end?

Bet you're the life and soul of a party aren't you

To be fair, if Eastmond and Pryce had been fit, I think we'd be challenging Wigan and Warrington. I reckon we'll still be top 4, our pack is up there with the best in the league, but having a halfback combination of Hohaia and Lomax worries me. Lomax undoubtly has the talent, but is still inexperienced, whereas Hohaia is a fullback by trade and has had a horrible season in the NRL. It'll be interesting to see what Simmons does with what he's got.

Yup I am.

Losing Graham is the biggest possible blow. He's our best player. Leon is our best creative player.

5th may be an exageration, but this recruitment is poor again and will cement us in the second division within SL.

Meanwhile Huddersfield continue to add to their impressive squad with a couple of improvements in the pack which they needed and Catalans look very strong, particularly if they did manage to bag Carney.

1 - OAP
2 - Teenager
3 - Teenager
4 - Teenager
5 - Teenager
6 - Teenager
7 - Teenager
8 - Teenager
9 - Teenager
10 - Teenager
11 - Teenager
12 - Teenager
13 - Teenager

14 - Teenager
15 - Teenager
16 - Teenager
17 - Teenager

and another season of winning nothing will follow. Where is our kicking game going to come from? we need an experienced halfback to play alondside Lomax (with Gaskell as backup) and we need Hohaia at fullback which is his position. Wello should be moved into the pack or used as a utility.

1. Wellens
2. Gardner/Makinson
3. Shenton
4. Meli
5. Foster
6. Hohaia
7. Lomax
8. Perry
9. Roby
10. Laffranchi
11. Soliola
12. Flanagan
13. Wilkin

14. Moore
15. Puletua
16. LMS
17. Wheeler

Giving us guys like Gaskell, Clough, Maggenis, Flannery etc as back up. Squad-wise we are looking pretty strong. The only question is who is going to be the gamebreaker we have lacked this year.

The word solid is very true. If everyone stayed fit we'd be solid. If 3 or 4 of those are injured we're in major trouble and we won't win a thing. Is that good enough?

Hohaia is a terrible signing. His form is apparently terrible and he isn't a half back.

You need a new Full Back.

we've got a worldcup winning fullback coming, sadly we probably wont play him there

The front row is excellent IMO, lomax will have the experience of playing at least one full season. Hohaia is Off form but that could be just temporary. Most of the team is very young, the future could be bright!

No kicking game. Wilkin probably has the best long kicking game in that side, which is a poor indication.

The front row is suicidally weak. We only have 3 props in a squad (Minimum is 5 IMO) and one of those is a complete and utter tampon.

I'll be honest, I'm very very worried about next season and also very concerned with whoever is doing our recruitment. In fact it looks a real mess.

We've lost eastmond, Graham and pryce who are very important to saints and we've replaced them with hohaia ( fullback ), laffranchi ( backrow ) and Flanagan ( backrow) so effectively we've not replaced any out going players in the correct positions.

We've got a winger playing centre (Meli), a fullback playing scrumhalf ( lomax ). None of this makes sense at all.

Glad it's not just me who thinks this. Lomax maybe a little unfair though, I think he has spent the majority of his time playing the game at 6 , sadly he doesnt have much of a kicking game.

Meli at centre has been a major success. So has Lomax in the halves. It's not an issue.

What Saints need is a FULLBACK and TWO PROPS.

Or just play hiho at fullback and get 2 props and a halfback. That would give us a much better balance

Hohaia cannot catch. It's a minor issue given Wello can't run, but still.

We don't need a halfback with Gaskell and Lomax there, there aren't going to be any better ones available now are there.

You say the three players are very important but can you honestly say Graham aside that they have had any real contribution to our play this season? Would we have been worse without Kyle / Leon for the time they have been on the pitch?

Add in the players we have signed to the players we have been able to use most of this year (less Graham) and are we really significantly worse off?

I do think we need another two at least to push the top two but its hard to say we are definitely going to be worse next year considering that two of the three leaving have done practically nothing of significance (so far at least)

Meli has done ok in the centre but were just make doing with what we've got. Let's be honest he's not exactly a great centre.

IMO the recruitment is shocking! Players playing out of postion all over the place. We've got more wingers than props!

How the he'll can we Los a prop, stand off and scrumhalf and replace them with a fullback and two backrows!

Maybe we can combine them in some way? Stick Hohaia's legs on Wello's bod? Frankinstein anyone?

This i do have some concerns with, versatility, multi-skilled, adaptable - we'll hear that a lot next year lol!!

Meli is being utilised where he is best (for the team) he is far more effective for us at 4 rather than 5 even when he had good partners.

You are quite in the know, can you say if possible if the player we are looking at is a prop?

I know Royce has said it previously but I'm just wondering with Perry, LMS, Puletua, Clough, AN Other in the squad as props, do you see Laffranchi as an out and out prop or more likely LF?

This isn't a time for jokes



Today is the day we've become a club with no ambition!

I've had this on my chest for past two weeks and not been able to let my anger out due to saints moaning at me!

The player I was told we was talking to isn't a prop but another backrow. I've heard since that Wigan and hudds are front runners for him now.

I spoke to my mates who play for the firsts and they told me they was looming at a outside back ( hope to god it's not the player they said) and a forward. That was few month ago now so maybe things have changed.