Stolen from 'The Riddler' on the Wolfs forum:

Dobson 86.7% (104 from 120)
Schifcofske 86.2% (50 from 5icon_cool.gif
Tickle 85.6% (77 from 90)
Sinfield 82.4% (84 from 102)
Bosc 80.8% (42 from 52)
Westwood 80% (44 from 55)
Brough 78.3% (18 from 23)
[uEastmond 77.8% (63 from 81)[/u
Orr 77.6% (52 from 67)
Richards 76.7% (135 from 176)
Holdsworth 76.7% (46 from 60)
Witt 74.5% (35 from 47)
[uLomax 73.5% (25 from 34)[/u
Hodgson 72.5% (66 from 91)
Sykes 72.5% (37 from 51)
[uFoster 71.9% (46 from 64)[/u
Westerman 70.1% (82 from 117)
Orford 68.9% (31 from 45)
Briers 66.7% (32 from 4icon_cool.gif
Bridge 66.1% (39 from 59)
Cooke 65.5% (36 from 55)

Must say I was surprised to read that. I always thought Foster was 'the most natural goalkicker I've ever seen' and so on. Turns out he is the 3rd best at Saints.

I have wondered before why Foster had the kicking duties as i though Lomax and Eastmond were both better. I put it down to the fact that JL and KE are injured alot and potter would want somebody there kicking week in, week out?

I do believe Foster has had some sort of groin/hernia type of injury and has not been as consistant as he would like to be. I think it was in the Saints programme a while ago. He used to kick for the under 20's but Gaskell took over the kicking duties when he picked up the injury. Since Foster has been playing in the first team he has had to kick because of Kyles injury.

Ah right i see, that makes sense. Also i believe Johhny's quad strain(s) has been on his right leg? if so that would make it difficult for him to kick also.

Foster is pretty consistently successful so long as he doesn't kick from the touchline. He is then consistently unsuccessful. Either he isn't practising kicking from the touchline or he struggles with the pressure or as is suggested he is kicking with some kind of injury. Of course it is quite possible that with all the jumping, running and tackling he does, he's quite simply too knackered to kick as well. He seems to have very lean legs!

He does kick fabulous kick offs though. I wonder why we still have Wello kicking from under the sticks for dropouts? Foster could earn us some serious space with his boot.

It would have been nice to have had Lomax, Eastmond and Foster all playing at the same time because they could have taken it in turns to kick goals! If we had kept Smith, we would have had another goal kicker to add to the collection. And Wheeler can kick too although not as accurately as the rest.

I suspect its to do with defensive formations.

If Foster kicked off, then someone else would need to cover on the wing, as Foster would be positioned in midfield.

Good point. I hadn't thought of that.

I shouldn't really be biting, but go on... what percentage of each of their kicks were from the touchline or difficult positions compared to relatively easy kicks?

I have no idea, but over that many kicks, they would normally balance out. They are playing for the same team during those stats, so I'd bet they would even out.

The Dobson, Tickle, Sinfields of this world are still top of the stats where you would expect them to be.

Another thing this stat shows is that Paat Richards isn't even that hot with goalkicking. Mr Average.

but sooper dooper pat richards can do no wrong, surely? just ask our brethren from over t'lump!

But he's kicked far more than anyone else - he's missed nearly as many as Westwood has kicked for example, but does that make Westwood a better kicker?

We have had many different kickers throughout the season due to injuries. Richards has rarely missed any games for the pies and has kicked in all of them. he is bound to have kicked more goals than anyone and also probably missed more than anyone.

Westwood has a better percentage. It does need a further analysis of which zone the kicks were taken from, but it's okay as an indication of relative ability. The obvious choices for the best kickers in SL like Dobson and Tickle etc are still at the top.

we have a lot of natural goal kickers at the club all seem to be outside backs,aswell...through the acadamy we have tom makinson who kicks then for fun and also adam barber

I don't think fosters goal kicking is is as good as he was billed.

He kicks the kicks that all kickers are expected to kick but is pretty avg with touchline kicks.

He's still IMO the best goal kicker at the club.

He'll get better with experience. Longy was pretty good, but nothing more when he joined. After a few seasons, up until injuries started to take their toll and his confidence went, he was devastating.

'99 Grand Final, from the touch line - no problem for schlong. It was starnge the way he "went off" the goal kicking when he was so good.

Was thinking about Saints goalkicking when discussing junior players the other day...

Widnes signed up Danny Craven who I believe you guy's let go at an earlier age? And he is an excseptional kicker (as well as a future star I must add). But then I understood why you let him go as have Eastmond, Wheeler, Lomax, Lee Gaskell, Ellis all coming through who can cover between 1/6/7 but then all of those are cracking kickers IIRC?

I wonder if this is something Saints work on with their young starlets especially in playkicking spots just to give them that added extra as they come through?

It's a bit strange as when I first saw him at Widnes pre-season last year in a friendly he kicked 9 from 11 or something and some from both touchlines. Maybe he'll get better at the tricky ones over time like Hodgson/Tickle/Richards.

I see my motivational thread worked okay tonight. I'll go away to pen my thread about Francis Meli's lack of length of the field hat tricks .

Yup. Seven out of seven wasn't too bad, was it? And two touchline kicks as well. I reckon he's been slacking on the practice and that's why he's been dodgy around the touchline!

Well done Jamie Foster.

I believe that to be true and he is having an operation at the end of the season. Makes his performances even more impressive.

For kickers it would be interesting to see a 'pressure' statistic, as when you watch the likes of Sinfield, Hodgson, Richards kick when the pressure is really on they tend to deliver whereas maybe the likes of Westwood & co not as much! Young Foster seem's to have that attribute as well, kicked superbly last week!

Richards hasn't. He had three chances to win that play off game and never took one.

True I was letting him off with the last one as as near impossible most wouldn't of even took on, but their was the pen pretty straight be' should of nailed. Have seen him nail a few crucial ones before but your point us certainly a valid one and maybe Saturday will tell more...