We won't know that until he settles in here I guess.

Some people on here I think were saying that Hohaia looked like a panic buy at one stage. That's kind of not looking the case now I guess!

We'll be fine. It's always better having players at the club who want to be at the club. Leon didn't want to be here so he is better gone.

Correct on all counts. I can't believe some of the utter crap I read on here by people who think we are playing fantasy rugby and that 'anything goes' and 'we'll be fine' We maight be bloody fine but we ain't gonna win anything. We need recognised specialists in their strongest positions. Laffranchi ain't a prop - we need a prop. Hohaia ain't a half back and boy do we need a half back. Before anyone flames me they are both good players but not what we need right now.

I am more excited by the Flanagan signing than any of the others and that tells you something.

More than anything we need an on field leader in a key position - we ain't got one.

And we need a top coach if we are gonna be competitive.

We are back to buying and being second rate and trying to dress it up that it is ok. It's not.

Thing is hiho isn't a halfback he just fancies playing there. I always fancied playing scrumhalf but that doesn't mean it would be a good idea ... For context I ended up as a prop

Blimey.

OTT response or what!

It's not like Leon going was a bolt out of the blue. Saints have prepared for the eventuality by recruiting Hohaia and by putting faith in Gaskell and Lomax and Wheeler. Gaskell and Lomax will be that much better next season with the experience of this season behind them, and Simmons has worked with Hohaia down under so knows what the lad will bring to us.

I think Saints have approached this very well. They can't force a player to stay and so they have recruited and planned to take account of key positions becoming vacant. There is nothing to indicate that we will be worse next season than this. What will make a difference IMO is whether our backroom staff plus the players themselves can retain their fitness.

Hohaia has played at 6 before but has not played at 7 since his junior days. He said that on his interview with Radio Murkeyside just after he had signed. Fullback isn't his chosen position and he was told to play there by his coach. That's what Hohaia himself said.

More than a bit annoyed with him TBH and not optimistic we are going forward as a club on the playing front.
It seems that for the next few years at least Eammon is happy to repair the finances even if this means us being a top 6 team and not a top 2 team.

Pryce was quoted this morning as saying:
[i"They were patient with me when I was out injured and their support when I came back will be something I will always remember."[/i

Its a strange way of repaying this loyality/support.
Its bit "thank you now feck off".

But to be fair you are a fawning, gushing shower of positivity. You were one of the people telling us we'd win trophies this season.

The cold, harsh truth is we're out of the running, not just for this season, but probably for the next two or three. The club put a lot of faith in the young players, but bar Lomax they aren't good enough. Solid SL level players yes, but SL winners, no.

We're noticably behind this season and are losing our best forward and our best back. We've not replaced either of them yet.

In context we're the 3rd best team. With this news today and the poor (And it is poor) recruitment for next season, we face a battle for 3rd/4th/5th.

We've gone from being a club that demanded success to one that is totally willing to accept mediocrity. Once you get into that frame of mind it is very difficult to get out of, look at Bradford.

I'm sure I read he played in the halves as a junior but not in senior. By halves I mean 6 or 7. I played fullback when I was 10 , that doesnt make me a fullback now. As far as I can tell Hohaia has played pretty much all his professional Rugby as a fullback and a succession of coaches have picked him there .. does he even have a kicking game?

Well, I don't accept mediocrity easily - never have done and I don't dress things up for what they are not but the good thing about this board is that we all have a different view.

If your definition of OTT is my view of the facts then I respect your opinion.

In my view, Saints have prepared for letting go our one and only recognised halfback (as you say, not a secret) by recruiting a full back of some years standing regardless of his long term history to bring on the youngsters at half back. A full back who wants to be a half back. And one who, from the commentaries in the NRL , has had a very very poor few seasons indeed. That's not a good reference. It doesn't make him a bad player but he's out of form and we're gonna play him out of position.

Do you think that's well prepared, astute or well planned recruitment in one of the most important positions on the field?

We have ZERO recognised half backs at the club next season save for Gaskell who I think we all agree the jury's out on.

So - with no recognised half backs, a second rower recruited to replace probably the UK's number one prop and our pack leader, and a solid workhorse second rower recruited for next season you still think we're gonna 'be fine'? Thats not a side that has a strong spine; indeed the only strong component part of our side's spine is Roby. I'm not being negative - just calling it how I see it and I'd actually be over the moon if I am wrong.

In addition and as I have said many times, we don't have an 'A' coach who can get the best out of the same crop of players. I am not sure that I trust Royce's judgement enough yet on player positioning and ability.

In my 40 years of watching, playing and coaching this game I have never seen a side win anything without recognised half backs or a pack short of front rowers.

I admire your optimism - just don't quite see where you get it from in the face of seemingly overwhelming opinion, professional and message board alike, that we are taking retrograde steps at a time when we should be kicking on.

I'm willing to have you a fair bet if you are up for it?

We all want the club to have the best players and be competing for championships and cups, but the harsh reality is we lost £1.3m in 2009 and it is probably going to be at least £2m in 2010 at Widnes.

Leon is probably our second highest earner behind Roby at the moment ( I think we really had to break the bank to keep Roby) and his contribution is great when he is fit and available. When he is injured he is nothing more than a financial millstone round our necks. I think we offered him what we felt he was worth and Catalans offered him more and a longer contract so good luck to him. It is more than likely his last pro contract so he needs to get the most money he can.

In my view I am a little dissapointed as I really rate him, but what is the chances next year Catalan fans are saying "what a waste of money Leon Pryce was, he is always injured"

How? I'm stuggling to think of a way we could have done this worse! We lose Eastmond , Graham and Pryce and replace them with a couple of second rowers (one we will try to convert to a prop) and a fullback who fancies himself as a halfback (but with no pedigree there at all). AWESOME planning .

Wasn't Leon Pryce a winger when you signed him? He seemed to do ok in the halves.

He wasn't 30 by the time he arrived though and he had Sean Long, the greatest half back that ever played in Super League with him as well.

Hohaia has, at 30 when he arrives, just decided he fancies playing in the halves. If he turns out to be rubbish, we're stuck with him for FOUR YEARS. Utterly stupid from the club when you consider how they treated players like Long, Martyn, Gilmour and Pryce.

very very true. No halfbacks = FAIL

Wigan brought in Deacon to add some knowhow , we will need something similar

He was a utility player, he'd played pretty much everywhere in the backline for Bradford but wanted to settle as a 6. Also we had Longy at the time so he had time to settle in the team

Season ticket burning at the Salford game in protest anyone

I think I'll hold off buying a season ticket for next year though now. Not inspired by next years squad at all so I might just keep my cash and be selective on my games.

We simply MUST have cap space available next year and we need to be bringing in some quality and offloading some of the average players like Ashurst

I've no reason to be pessimistic.

No.1 Saint - feel free to listen to Hohaia's interview. It's on the Saints website somewhere, assuming they have retained the link.

I've seen Lance Hohaia kick. He did one of Stevo's 'chips over the top', regathered and scored. I remember thinking at the time that we have no-one who can do that at Saints. I also love his pace. He can fly from a standing start. And he is evasive. I would imagine how well he goes in the halves will depend on how vocal he is and whether he can organise us. Only time will tell that bit.

Doesn't that merely prolong the problem? The Club needs the supporters to get behind them, fill the fantastic new stadium we have, and give us the spending power we need to compete for/with the best? This is assuming that people are able to afford it of course.

Despite my reservations I have signed up for another 5 years - I have had a season ticket for over 30 and will continue to have one for as long as I am financially able to do so.

I will be at every game no matter how good/bad we are.

Ditto. I'll be first in line behind Blobby and his crew the next time they storm the Director's box though!

#newstadiumriotsnextseason

Maybe your right, but I'll wait and see. There is nothing more painful than watching a team without direction , it's normally dull and more often than not involves a good kicking. I've played in teams with no recognised halves and it's horrible as a forward.

And can you tell me exactly how Saints had any say in the decisions of Jammer, Eastmond and Pryce? They were all out of contract and all free agents as a result. Saints made it clear that they had offered Jammer the 'best deal ever', they offered Eastmond and Pryce deals which they thought reflected their value. These three all want to do different things with their lives than play for Saints. That's a fact. And there is sod all that Saints can do about it short of chaining them all in a darkened room somewhere.

However, Saints could have done nothing and we would have no experienced halfback at all by now. Thankfully they didn't and they planned for the eventuality of having no experienced halfback by bringing in an experienced halfback who Royce has actually worked with and knows, making life easier all round in terms of him (Hohaia) settling in and blending with the team. Saints controlled what they could control and did their best in those areas they couldn't.

I like everyone else with a brain know that you cant do much with players out of contract if they dont want another one however you can recruit PROPER replacements. Hohaia IS NOT A HALFBACK anymore than gardner is a prop. If we had an established halfback then the risk of recruiting a fullback then converting him would be lessened, like when we brought in Leon to partner Longy .. this is not the case. I think the recruitment strategy is at best high risk at worst a total and utter disaster.

Ok. So Hohaia was lying on his interview with Radio Murkeyside then? Have you listened to it yet?

Never mind about lance and what position he plays or would like to play ,he was coming before this announcement, so is not a replacement.

Unless you are really Andy Coulson it is not possible to put a positive spin on another one of top players leaving us. The quality of the squad is going backwards - we are going to be also rans for next season.