My opinion of Shenton is pretty well documented on this forum but I would like the pro Shenton brigade to be given a fair crack of the whip. To do this is a simple matter of switching Shenton to left ; he would then get a good share of the ball to prove his worth in the side. I am sure he played left at Cas on numerous occasions so would not be out of position.

Now; it is just a simple matter of persuading Rush to implement the change.

I would love to see him given a chance at L/C.

I was just thinking yesterday that he played left centre at Cas. Perhaps thats why he's no been performing?
I might of course be completely wrong, it wont be the first time!

im pretty sure he was mainly a right centre. Would be interesting to see him at LC if we were planning on keeping him but it looks like the club might be looking to offload

Players will tend to pass where they perceive the greater attacking threat lies. This could be due to the opposition's lack of numbers, running a set play or that the players on one side can create and score more that the other side. My question would therefore be is Shenton's lack of service due to the players on the field not trusting in his abilities? I don't think this is the whole reason but I do think it may be part of the reason. This may be also why he has been given permission to speak to other clubs due to the senior players having an input into tactics.

I think Shenton's main problem is simply that he's just not very good.

I think that's an ignorant viewpoint based on the fact you beat us in the derbies this season. Shenton looked a great prospect at Castleford and played very well for England in his time there. His move to Saints hasn't worked out for one reason or another, but that can happen to players at certain clubs.

His introduction into the Saints side came at the worst possible time really, when we had moved from Knowsley Road to Widnes under a new coach. The team was already in free fall by then with only James Graham's presence preventing the club from struggling to make the play offs. So he's come into a team in transition and took time to bed into the system. Just as he was getting into some form he broke/dislocated his arm in the Grand Final, . So the first half of this season is also quiet as he's coming back from what was a very serious injury. You can still tell he's not 100% after that injury, whether that's physical or mental I'm not sure.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Shenton turn back into an international centre at his next club, whoever that might be. You might mock him, but Wigan could do worse, he's a lot better than Gelling and Goulding who seem to be the rather average future of Wigan at centre.

Whilst that carries logic there is a greater logic which is that the majority of players (90% based on demographic averages) are right-handed and find it easier to pass from right to left. This means that left centres in RL tend to see more of the ball and it is why it is considered to be the attacking centre. Therefore players are more likely to pass this ball in this direction because it is easier for them to be more accurate and effective. It's one of the reasons why youngsters must be taught to spin pass in both directions from an early age.

Clearly Goulding is much better than Shenton this season.

Gelling belongs on the next plane home, in my opinion.

plane?

I think you are right , and its no surprise to see saints fans getting a bit defensive as he was one of their steller signings , the new Matt Gidley if I recall .

Fact is when he was at Cas its difficult to remember him ever having a good game against us , for years he was nothing more than Seniors bitch , cant believe we bid for him when he came available , boy did we dodge a bullet there !

average at very best .

Oh dear



Shenton was ok at Castleford and did well as a big fish in a small pond. We have seen this many times with players and have had more than our fair share at Wigan with the likes of Danny Orr and Denis Moran springing to mind. However even at Castleford I never saw anything that special in him and he always seemed a fairly bog standard centre.

Goulding has been outstanding this season and is the form centre in Super League. He has been our number 1 centre this year, playing far better than Carmont, and has great hands, great defence and scores tries. There is simply no comparison with Shenton.

Gelling has never even played a game of centre at Wigan and I dont know if he ever will as I honestly could not say where his best position would be. Thornley has much more of a chance of taking over Carmonts role than Gelling imo.

Keeping a close eye on him tonight due to us been linked with him. Has had nothing but poor service to him all half, been good in defence though so far.

Nothing new there!

What a fabulous pass by Shenton for Makinson to score.

That's what happens when we actually pass the bloody ball to Shenton. WE SCORE!!

Shenny worked hard in defence too - again.

Shenton was probably the best player on the pitch in last years grand final up until his injury.
As for the whino fan, Shenton had a pretty sweet game against Leeds in 2008 at Wheldon.


He'll come good again, whether it's this season for Saints, or next year elsewhere.

He may be average but that was still too good for you boys tonight.







Talk about famous last words.

Shenton ran rings round Senior the majority of the time!

What's happened to him at St Helens anyway? He left Cas with his 2 main strengths were his pace (he could chase down pretty much anyone in the league) and his defence!

I think that has been his problem, if he really was that fast then he's lost quite a bit of speed for whatever reason.

He isn't slow, but he far too light for a centre that isn't rapid and he certainly hasn't been that at Saints. This coupled with his injury means that things haven't gone as well for him as hoped.

I love how people say he is garbage.

Everytime he has been taken off of the field, Club or Country, The side has been much weaker for it.

It appears, Hull Kr have withdrawn their offer, And he will be coming to Cas. I am pleased about that.

He was never talking to KR in the first place.

I agree. I remember the 4N Final at Leeds and I remember the Grand Final last year. His departure at both had a massive impact. He was also one of the better England players in the last 4N down under.

Mind you, on all those occasions he didn't have an extremely dodgy elbow. That ongoing injury - the strapping on his arm is massive - could be what has undermined him this season, along with the very obvious one of hardly ever getting the ball.

It was an improved performance from him. Defence was still a bit ropey, but he was getting more involve and looking for work a bit more.

Anyone would think he was in the middle of contract negotiations or something...

Hull KR aparentley have never even made an offer as of yet where as you lot have clearly bit the bullet due to losing Arundel and have taken a chance that he can get back to some relative sort of form,if anyone can get him firing then it's Basil

Personally speaking here but Shenton is not of the required quality desired by the Saints as we've clearly been spoilt most recently by the likes of Newlove,Lyon and Gidley,how could Shenton ever follow that?

The difference between the likes of newlove, Lyon and gidkey(in his prime) is they didn't rely on good ball, they can make something out if a simple pass.

Shenton needs to be basically put they a gap.

Indeed true, but at the risk of sounding like a broken record, there [iare[/i no Lyons, Gidleys, Newloves, Iros, Judases, Loughlins, Gibbses, Gleesons, Huntes etc. etc. etc. out there right now - that 3/4 talent simply does not exist in the British game at the moment. Shenton on his best form of a few years ago is one of the 2 or 3 best centres in the country [iright now[/i. Average at best by the standards of 10/15 years ago, but [ione of the best[/i by the standards of now. There is no point moaning about how average he is compared to Saints legends past - we have to live in the cold hard world of reality and not in a fantasy sun-drenched land where we can pick Newloves and Connollys off trees. As things stand right now for next season we're relying on a #6 who is injured 80% of the time, an 18 year old kid and (probably) a guy who's had no more than a few good games at centre over his entire career so far fighting out the #3 and #4 shirts. That's a worrying place to be if you ask me...

Maybe he'll never recover that form. Maybe the injury has just taken too much out of him. Maybe he just doesn't fit in at Saints and can't settle here. Maybe he's sick of picking daisies up on the touchline waiting for Lomax and Hohaia to remember he exists. Maybe he hates the other players or the coaching staff. Maybe he simply just doesn't want to be here anymore. Maybe Wheeler will finally stay fit and develop into the top player he has the potential to be. Maybe Jones will do the same. Maybe the name "Shenton" will join the ranks of "Carrington", "Trindell", "Kebbie" and "Hohaia" in the great annals of signings we all want to forget about and are glad to see shut of. But if we [ido[/i let Shenton go we may very well live to regret it.