Just heard from a very reliable source that Wheeler is on his way to............Wigan.

Was rumoured when he signed his last contract, and had been rumoured again at the start of the year.

Would imagine he's the target to replace Blake green, whose supposed to be returning to aus at the end of the year.

Mixed feelings over it all.

Don't ever play him again and don't let him train if that's the case. We've wasted an incredible amount of time, effort and money on him to this point and got nothing in return.

strange still. Can't imagine wigan offering much cash with his record. Perhaps this could be why he's been left out of the team in recent weeks?

As i've said for a while, i fear him leaving Saints only to star for one of our great rivals.

Wonder if Rogues still thinks hes over rated?

I'll tell you what if he does go there and they get a prolonged injury free run out of him you've got to ask questions about our physio approach to managing his injuries.

If he does go to the scum, let's hope his time here is made to look like a picture of health & vitality in comparison.

Why? We've had players go through nightmare injury runs (soliola on his first season, Roby last season) and come out the other side.

If he has a prolonged injury free run, it'll be because saints giving him the boot gave him the kick up the backside he needed to correct the things he needed to correct (like the rumoured problems with his game management)

Saints have given him every chance, he owes us as much loyalty as we've shown him.

Of course its possible Saints have tired of his attitude re training and have told him he can look for other clubs

Either it is true or a last desperate throw of the dice from Wheeler and his agent.

I predicted this in the off season, story circulated that another club was in for him,
with him being OCC. Suppose nobody would buy interest from Cronulla
twice in a row.

The only problem with this is should have been done on the back of a red hot few
games rather than just one.

True or not he can go. Five years is too long to mollycoddle anyone.

Two words George Williams more than adequate replacement.
Learn from Walsh/Hohaia and cover half back and hooker short term.
Step up when one of them goes.

Goodbye Garry.

I like Gaz and got bags of potential but if he goes, he goes. Can't say I'd be to bothered.

Yes.

I'm not sure what you mean by his game management? If you mean his attitude to training then if that improves because of a move I think it's a poor reflection on our man management.
I think the lads simply injury prone and if he is then I can't see that changing wherever he goes. Just hope if it is true he doesn't come back to bite us.

And where would that leave Charnock and Dave Hewitt. Aren't they meant to be the next big things? Rumour I heard on Friday was that Travis Burns is on the Saints shopping list.


Williams is going nowhere in the short term.

I agree, Charnock should be ready to be drip fed into the team soon if he's going to be good enough. By the end of 2015 when Lance leaves he should be our regular 6, again if he's up to the grade

Hewitt is 17 isn't he? Hardly ready to be called upon for first team action, or even to be first reserve. Charnocks position long term is still under debate isn't it? I thought he was seen more as a ball playing lock (Sculthorpe style) than a half back (in which case he could be Wilkins long term successor as opposed in the halves)

If wheeler is to go, we need an early 20s first reserve for lance and Walsh. Williams fits the bill (given you guys are playing him at 9 at the moment, he ticks 2 boxes for us) - if it's a wheeler for Williams swap I'd be happy I think. Not saying anything is definitive of course...

As regards the travis burns rumour, to go alongside the green and cox rumour, I'm starting to think there's an agent in hull who likes using saints' name.

Even if it were true, I'd imagine were shopping around for lance replacements given the rumours of his return to the NRL - we'd still need a reserve to which Williams would (as said above) fit the bill

Williams is only a year older than Hewitt.

Don't see the problem.

Wigan are as selling club and Saints are looking to buy a halfback.

So 6. Hewitt 7. Williams 13. Charnock isn't infeasible



A year is a long time in a players development at that point, and can be the difference between being ready, and not

As I said Travis Burns is the player Saints are looking at.

Quote ="exileinpietown"I'm not sure what you mean by his game management? If you mean his attitude to training then if that improves because of a move I think it's a poor reflection on our man management. I think the lads simply injury prone and if he is then I can't see that changing wherever he goes. Just hope if it is true he doesn't come back to bite us.'" Missed this with rogues. The sum extent of my (confirmed) knowledge comes from a quote: Quote ="Nathan Brown" “He is obviously a talented player who has had an unfortunate run with injury – some probably through sheer bad luck and some through some of his own mismanagement. '" www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/109 ... ff_puzzle/ However speaking to a couple of people "in the know" there were bigger issues than attitude (I didn't enquire further as I was reassured they had been resolved) - if whatever they were have come back with a few good performances - aka he's slipped back into old habits - then only major change would be able to give him the kick to sort em out permanently - my fear is saints letting him go will be just that kick

Quote ="exileinpietown"I'm not sure what you mean by his game management? If you mean his attitude to training then if that improves because of a move I think it's a poor reflection on our man management. I think the lads simply injury prone and if he is then I can't see that changing wherever he goes. Just hope if it is true he doesn't come back to bite us.'" Missed this with rogues. The sum extent of my (confirmed) knowledge comes from a quote: Quote ="Nathan Brown" “He is obviously a talented player who has had an unfortunate run with injury – some probably through sheer bad luck and some through some of his own mismanagement. '" www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/109 ... ff_puzzle/ However speaking to a couple of people "in the know" there were bigger issues than attitude (I didn't enquire further as I was reassured they had been resolved) - if whatever they were have come back with a few good performances - aka he's slipped back into old habits - then only major change would be able to give him the kick to sort em out permanently - my fear is saints letting him go will be just that kick

half backs arnt props. If they've got the talent they'll be showing it by 19-21

Quote ="Magic Superbeetle"Missed this with rogues. The sum extent of my (confirmed) knowledge comes from a quote: www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/109 ... ff_puzzle/ However speaking to a couple of people "in the know" there were bigger issues than attitude (I didn't enquire further as I was reassured they had been resolved) - if whatever they were have come back with a few good performances - aka he's slipped back into old habits - then only major change would be able to give him the kick to sort em out permanently - my fear is saints letting him go will be just that kick'" That's where I'm puzzled with this whole matter. He has been fully fit now for the past couple of weeks as far as I'm aware and yet Lance Hohia drops out last Friday and he puts Wilkin in at stand off. If that's not giving out mixed messages then what is. So it now looks as if he's third choice stand off- if that- when only a few months ago Brown declared him the best at the club. I believe he's played at Rochdale today by the way.

Quote ="Magic Superbeetle"Missed this with rogues. The sum extent of my (confirmed) knowledge comes from a quote: www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/109 ... ff_puzzle/ However speaking to a couple of people "in the know" there were bigger issues than attitude (I didn't enquire further as I was reassured they had been resolved) - if whatever they were have come back with a few good performances - aka he's slipped back into old habits - then only major change would be able to give him the kick to sort em out permanently - my fear is saints letting him go will be just that kick'" That's where I'm puzzled with this whole matter. He has been fully fit now for the past couple of weeks as far as I'm aware and yet Lance Hohia drops out last Friday and he puts Wilkin in at stand off. If that's not giving out mixed messages then what is. So it now looks as if he's third choice stand off- if that- when only a few months ago Brown declared him the best at the club. I believe he's played at Rochdale today by the way.

I suppose:
A fully fit, hard-working, determined wheeler is the best 6 at the club
A (whatever is the real issue that was alluded to) wheeler doesn't get close.

I saw he played (along with Clare, Tilley and Richards) for Rochdale, but I can't find any report atm so have no idea how he (or any of the others, we also had players for Whitehaven!) went - though I did see he was chosen to play centre instead of standoff.

There's a massive question mark over Gary Wheeler's integrity if we offer him a deal and he goes elsewhere. I know its a professional game, but we've invested an awful lot in him for practically 0 return.

We'll all be ed off that he leaves, but in all likely hood, we'll see little comeback. If someone does manage to get him fit, then it may result in a kick up the for our conditioning staff.
You also can't miss something you've never had, we'll just have to regret that his potential has gone amiss.

If he's signed for anyone else, let alone Wigan, drop him. Let him skip training and (if rumours about his personal attitude to training and conditioning are true) by the time next season rolls around, he'll be so out of shape he'll be months of match fitness. Given how prone he is to injury, it'll take him to September to get on the pitch.