Leaving theo out is very strange Opinions on KC are beginning to swing. He's had a year and we're still playing boring rubbish

Whilst it would have been nice to have a bit of explosive pace last night - I don't see anything to be concerned about just yet.

Theo is still very young and inexperienced. He had only limited opportunities at Salford - especially toward the back end of his time.

Basically he's still in the development phase of his career. Further along the line than Knowles and his cohort - but not the finished article.

Saints are very proud of their junior development system. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that Cunningham has opted for Knowles this early in the season. Had Theo been immediately promoted above kids Saints have invested a lot of work and faith in it wouldn't have sent a great message. Pull your tripe out in what was an excellent season for the kids and your reward is playing second fiddle to a talented but very green youngster who did precisely WHAT last season?

Sometimes there are bigger issues than raw ability. We have a long season ahead of us and Fages will get plenty of opportunities to show what he is capable of.

So you think picking the young inexperienced loose foward in Knowles who's only played twice before the france international who's played many many games in super league and can play hooker makes sense ?

I'm not sure you watched much of Knowles in scholarship or u19s but he's a backrow and not a hooker. He is a real athlete wirh bags of potential but to pick him Over theo is pretty silly.

To be fair, I've kept quiet on the players we have signed until I've seen them in our line up. I'm fairly happy with Peyroux and Tasi has done the job I expected, not a barnstorming runner but very effective tackler and runs pretty hard.

Owen's is a bit of a punt by the looks of it as our two bigger money fullbacks are crocked.

But e can't really expect to have a great FB for a third choice FB, it would be daft of us to imagine he would be top quality.

I'm giving peyroux time. He's only played two games. Not done much wrong and not done anything great but tine will tell.

Tasi looks poor imo. I put his last season at Salford in which is was very poor down to the fact he was at a club with lots of problems on and off the field but he's looked the same this year. His first season at Salford he looked good and was hoping for thst form. He looks soft, lightweight and tbh he looks like he's not interested.

Up to now Peyroux hasn't done much wrong, seems to stay in position when defending (unlike Jones when at centre) and seems to be OK when he can get quality ball. Similar with Tasi still finding his feet in the team puts in a honest performance and has given Amor less minutes to do the donkey work and improve his metres made. Owens is a big risk at full back and offers no pivotal attributes at all, would sooner see him on the wing with Swifty at full back until the injured return.

I don't know what we are playing at with Fages, he should be an automatic bench player especially with our hooker and half back problems.............its baffling Owens and Knowles getting game time and Fages sat on his backside in the stands.

I'm as baffled as everyone else regarding Fages. You'd think he'd want to blood him into the side with the injuries. As he rubbed KC up the wrong way?

I heard theo wanted to pass the ball Wide In training but KC went mad and said he should be driving it in like a prop and told him never pass

Players moving up from the academy regularly play out of position. And no one can deny that Knowles deserves a shot based on his performances last year.

Speculation that Fages would have performed better in that position is precisely that.

I don't buy that Theo is inexperienced, he has played over 60 Super League games. I couldn't believe that Cunningham chose a back-rower at stand-off, a stand-off at hooker as well as an actual inexperienced kid as interchange hooker, all above Theo. Madness.

Welcome to KC's world.

He's played over sixty super league games ... [ifor Salford[/i.

I think Peyroux will do ok for us...from what I saw in NRL he seemed very good with ball in hand going forward but his defence in the centre could be suspect at times, although he wont be playing against the same quality centre over here so that might help us.

Fully agree on Tasi - imo he has been the worst forward we have used this season. He offers nothing going forward and is soft in defence. Like you, I was hoping his form last season was down to issues off the field and a fresh start could get him back playing well but from what he has shown so far he looks like a total waste of money. I'd say Richards offers more than him and deserves a spot in 17 before Tasi right now

KC is on a loser with respect to Fages whatever happens. If KC keeps him until he's ready and then Fages plays brilliantly, we'll all say Fages should have played earlier. If he doesn't play brilliantly we'll all say he was a poor signing. Who'd be a coach?

Nonsense. If he's not ready for Super League after 60 appearances then he never will be. He should have played from the start of the season without this messing about period.

Is this the same Salford which was a laughing stock for practically all of last season? The same Salford which threatened to redefine the meaning of the word "shambles"?

We're saying that sixty games playing under Salford's regime is EQUIVALENT to sixty games at Saints?

[iSeriously?[/i

It's 66 games at super league level and that's a fact. It's 63 games at super league level more than Knowles.

Fages also played for France 7 times.

How is 60 games for Salford different to 60 games for Saints ? they play the same teams don't they ?

It's different because since the beginning of SL the demand that players [uAT THE VERY LEAST[/u are expected to finish in a playoff slot and get damned close to an Old Trafford appearance is what Saints players deal with as a matter of routine and Salford players demonstrably do not.

To be honest I'm amazed I need to illustrate this point. It's like saying 60 games playing for Manchester City or Chelsea or Barcelona or Real Madrid is equivalent to 60 games playing for AFC Bournemouth or Levante.

Some might say playing 66 games for Salford as a young kid in a side that's struggled yet he's stood out Is harder than playing 66 games for Saints with its so called best pack in super league and all its strike players

Not quite, its more like 60 game Liverpool struggling for top 4 against 60 game Newcastle struggling in the bottom 4. I seem to remember Fages played a couple of games as the lone creative player when Salford suffered quite a few injuries and suspensions.
I can only assume Fages is currently being "de-coached" to suit our restrictive game plans.

Isn't the most obvious explanation that he's just not impressing sufficiently in training?

From what I remember Fages was very raw showing glimpses of talent whilst making some pretty fundamental blunders - especially in defence. Given all the hullabaloo we've seen in this forum over the last twelve months about "defensively weak" Saints players I find it amazing that so many folk are on their knees pleading for Fages' inclusion.



He certainly wasn't consistent enough to hold down a first team position at Salford - which is hardly an encouraging sign. Given that consistency of performance is one of the hardest facets of a player's game to address (requiring significant mental readjustments which many players just aren't able or willing to sign on to) it shouldn't surprise anyone that Cunningham isn't in a rush.

KC praised the hell out of fages in pre season and said he's fitted in very well. Doesn't sound like someone who's not impressed in training.

Are the club paying you for this? All you've done for the past week is blindly defend them on about 6 different threads. It's cringeworthy.

Has Fages ever played fullback?