A careful and well constructed post but I think your missing a key point.

In the last couple of years there have been a lot more quality imports and a lot more faster players coming through the ranks at clubs. For instance, I think that the back 3 are almost as important as front rowers interms of starting sets well early and getting a "roll-on". Therefore go-forward is far more a collective issue than a front-row issue.

Consequently, a few returning props won't fix your problems IMO - it's almost as if your team is playing in 2006 mode and hasn't responded to how the competition has evolved in terms of game plan and recruitment.

Saints will be a top-four team again next year but days of winning silverware are long gone whilst your team continues to persevere with such a slow back 5 and whilst a clutch of your players are collectively coming towards the end of their respective careers.

I think next year we will see Wellens be primary Fullback, but i expect Lomax to play a number of games in that position, as well as the odd game at centre or wing whenever an opportunity arises.

It appears to me that the coaching staff are fast tracking Lomax into the first team, as he is getting 1st team opportunities whenever possible, and at an extremely young age.

2011 is the year i would expect Lomax to assert his authority on the fullback position.
He will be 20 then and should therefore be good enough to be starting matches regularly.

Lomax was very poor tonight.

Spot on. You only have to look at Hunt, Slater, and Brett Stewart to see the importance of a fast attacking full back.

I recall earlier in the season that you said 3 of your youngsters would be playing for England within 3 years - that just is not going to happen.

Eastmond is a class act and an international player in waitin gbut the others are no-where near this class and will feel the pinch as it dawns on them the responsibility of living up to the past few years.

Rubbish.

I wouldn't say he was rubbish but he's no centre is he. I've seen one or two glimpses (Against Cas oddly) but not much tonight.

Christ you're boring.

No. I meant what Rogues said was rubbish!

Lomax didn't do too badly.Whilst he was hit by a high tackle,it seems our youngsters are prone to injury.Eastmond,Wheeler,Dean,Dixon play one game and then miss 3.If we are to rely on these guys in the seasons to come,they need to toughen up.

I'd agree with that. Flannery is to much like wilkin. The both tackle but do nothing with the ball.

We have to many players like that.

The problem with potter? HES OUR COACH THATS THE PROBLEM.

My nephew has played with a lot of these young guys and apparently the real deal will be Shaun Magennis. He's a second rower who can break tackles all day long and is rated by his peers as the best of the bunch of lads coming through.

Hope he gets a chance soon.

I thought lomax did ok. His tackling is very good.

The problem with Potter is he is not getting the support he should be getting from our supporters. At the start of the season we'd all have taken where we are at the moment. Many of our fans had written us off before the season start and yet we're still hanging onto second despite a [iM*A*S*H[/i type run of casualties during the middle months of the season.

Anderson would have been in the same boat and I don't think he's have coped with the pressure any better than what Potter is. Potter has shown plenty of dignity and I like his calmness which is exactly what we need in situations like this when many fans are losing thier heads.

The fans will get behind him if he can coach us back into form, it's not the losing that got to people, it's the current lack of form and dire rugby on offer.

Yes but we're still winning games. Leeds stumbled a bit into the play-offs last year and were manhandled by us in our knockout game only for them to bounce back when it mattered.

Booing or a negative atmosphere amongst our supporters can translate onto the pitch and undermine our team's confidence. It's okay being critical of the side when they are underperforming, however on the terraces we need to be singing and backing them not jumping on the Boo Boy Wagon whenever we are in a tough match. We can play a very positive role in supporting our team if we apply ourselves better and [isupport[/i the side. We are supposed to be supporters not knockers.

He's injured. Out until next season if I remember correctly.

There you go, once again talking sense. This WILL NOT do!

I wasn't booing but I wasn't cheering or singing either. Someone else has posted something similar, people just aren't going to sing and cheer while watching 5h!t3 rugby. Even loyal fans. Sad but true.

The team have to give the crowd something, a glimmer/spark of skill/passion, to get them going. It's always been that way. Nothing like a fight in a derby game for example to get the crowd stoked. There were three things to cheer on Friday, Sean Long's kick to the corner and two pieces of brilliance from Meli and Gidley. That was it from 80 mins of rugby.

As I said in my earlier post, I was saying that what Rogues said was rubbish! I don't think Lomax is rubbish at all. He tackles like a demon and gets about the field very well. I hope, once he is recovered from his multiple injuries, he puts in some good practice time on the goalkicking. We need lots of goalkickers and we have quite a few in the young guys. All of them need to be practising like mad ready for next season.

Spot on. We went on a dreadful run early in the season under Anderson culminating in an embarrassing defeat in the snow at Castleford, and then went the rest of the regular season unbeaten. People seem to forget this, and Potter has had nowhere near enough time to be judged.

As for Lomax, I thought he did brilliantly considering he has only had a handful of games, had been out for weeks and was playing out of position. What else can we expect of him?

Amen!

Hear these words guys, hear these words! We may not be playing well, but some of the hysterical reactions on here and Redvee have been alot more embarrassing than Saints current performance levels.

If we responded to that glimmer/spark on a regular basis I might agree with you but seeing as we don't back our side vocally anymore I think your comment sounds an excuse for our supporters when we should be taking them to task for not providing vocal support when it's most needed i.e. when we aren't firing on all cylinders.

The reason it is do dull at KR is because of the lack of signings. We've been watching the same players bar the odd one for about 4 years. It's like Groundhog day.