I would agree with that short term, but we are fairly disrupted and busted anyway so I think Brown might look at what he can do to maintain a threat with the loss of Wilkin, Walsh and Lance for the rest of the season.

Rather than focussing on what we haven't got, and trying to compensate for it, I'd rather we now worked to our strengths and everything else can just slot in however. Our strength is having as big a pack as possible and we should work off that:

Amor Roby Walmsley
Soliola Manu
Thompson

Masoe Laffranchi LMS Flanaghan

And leaves us a backline of:

McDonnell
Makinson Turner Percival Swift
Wellens Wheeler

Need a surprisingly good kicking game like we had vs Leeds at LP though

I totally agree with you on the starting pack. That gives us grunt upfront and a great platform. I would really like to see Turner at Stand Off because he played well there last Friday when he was moved there. I think Wellens at Scrum Half gives us that leadership and above all else he talks, he can direct. McDonnell fits in at Full Back which is another massive plus point for us because he can be a great attacking player and that's what we need at the moment. The more attacking threats we have the better. I can also see your side of the argument.

I would hope he would do so because that's how it's going to be. We then just have to cross everything that no other key players get injured before the absent key players come back!

You just couldn't write it. The ONE thing we all hoped wouldn't happen more than anything else has happened.... The main man has been crocked for the rest of the season. Then to make it worse, his partner is out, and the emergency backup is out! That's as bad as it gets. We really have gone through a horrible spell with injuries over the last few years.

Gutted for him and us! Hope he recovers and can play again, whether it's for us or not. If that was his last game in a Saints top, then I'm glad we got a glimmer of class, and something we haven't seen at halfback since Long was in his prime.

What chance do we have, when we've has injuries to Walsh, Lance and Wilkin that we could keep Wheeler fit for the rest if the season?

Deffo Plus One

The club twitter didn't make it sound very good when they simply announced they would be making a statement about Luke Walsh early next week. Not even a hint of positivity.

They are making a statement about his prognosis since they won't have known it when they tweeted that. We generally do find out about injuries early in the week, usually Tuesday, so I would imagine that's when we will be updated as by then they will have heard from the surgeon.

Wilkin is also not good news according to Brown's little reference in his post match interview. But it would appear Lance's prognosis has improved since last weekend when he was due to be out for 8 to 10 weeks as Brown has this weekend said he should be back before the end of the season.

We will need to upgrade our defence considerably in order to back up our inevitable lack of clue in attack, unless we unearth a previously unknown halfback among our ranks.

Charnock had another good game today for the academy according to the Warrington fans (as did Savelio).

For the second week in a row played at hooker though.

Both should be in the first team now. This season is a write and it's always been. We're not good enough to win anything, even with the first 17 fit, so why not give these kids a go?

Hang on saddened the other teams are not exactly great either

We're top of the league with 5 games to go and the season is a write off. Jesus H Christ.

What does the H stand for ?

Not a clue, just a common expression.

I know but just wondered when I seem it in writing.


Could it be Holy ?

Or Howdoesanyonebelieveinthiscrap

I'm very religious

Fair play, it's your right to be if you are. I'm not as you may have guessed.

No-one really knows what the H stands for, if anything. And no-one has yet traced the origin of the expression.
It's possibly from the IHS symbol on crucifixes, which was commonly used as an abbreviation for Jhesu from the Middle Ages on, as was IHC. It's also possible that early users felt that inserting the H made the expression somehow less blasphemous.

Thanks




Are you a vicar ?

I dislocated my ankle quite badly last June, I was lucky in that there was no break but all I was doing was putting a pair of boots on to coach a rugby team. 12 months on and whilst I'm now able to go to the gym, running any kind of distance just isn't on the agenda. Now I know I havent had the level of medical treatment that Walsh is getting but I just can't see him coming back inside 12 months. If that's his target, can you honestly see him being fit, healthy and up to speed enough to slot straight into Saints first team (he can't go on duel reg remember) for the last half a dozen games before the playoffs?

Let's be realistic, whilst we all wish him a speedy recovery, I just can't see Saints making any kind of business decision that doesn't involve bringing in another 7 because it will be impossible to predict if he will be able to come back at all. They can't possibly run the risk of him being unavailable for for the start of next season when in all likelihood, every available half back will be off the market by then. If they do bring someone in, will they sit him out half way through next year so Walshy can comeback in the team for the most important part of the season? Remember he only has 18 months left on his current deal and there is no way saints will take up the option of a third year unless he is 100% fit.

Every scenario to me points towards him having played his last game in the redvee. It's a crying shame for him, for the team, for the club and for the fans, but I just can't see us settling for another season without a guaranteed fully fit scrum half that is raring to go come the opening day of SL next year. Rember there is a new structure so there is even more at stake to perform in every game from word go.

Crikey, no I'm not a vicar, just have a penchant for obscure knowledge.

I hope Walsh plays rugby league again. I think that'll be the last time we see him in a Saints shirt though. His missus is understandably going to want to go back to Australia now, he's gonna be having at least a year out the game so there's not much point him putting his feet up in our glamorous town.

I really hope I'm wrong.

Another Lad that stood out for Saints was your number 17, a big rough Lad that took 3 of our players to haul down each tackle, he has a similar physique to Mose.