That's a poor avoidance technique you have there.

Gardner is great at being a forward. But he did not do in that one game more than Makinson has done in all of his this season. That's an insult to Makinson and reveals a lack of awareness in yourself.

Makinson has been well below his best all season, surely you agree on that? however, if he'd have been following Percival up the pitch i think at least a couple of those breaks could have been tries with his pace instead of Meli

I agree on both points.

Makinson has been poor and wasn't great towards the end of last season too, but it did seem like Meli didn't have the pace to keep up with Percival - maybe Turner wing outside of Percival and then Meli/Gardner the other wing? I wouldn't try this against Wire tho!

Gardner is a one trick pony. Pretending to be a second row on exits sets. He is good at that.
The issues are is that all that you want from a winger and WTF are the forwards doing.

Re Makinson. He is a finisher with pace to beat people. He is a threat. Saints style of play
starves the right flank of ball therefore he has lived off scraps all last season ,playing outside
a one armed bandit in Shenton.

Suggestions -

Play Gardner in the SR ,
B*llock the other forwards for not having Gardner work ethic ,
Play makinson on either wing and give him some good ball.
Playing him outside Percival wouldn't be a bad idea.

I'd have both Makinson and Percival at centre. That is Makinsons main position afterall.

Gaskell and Walmsley in for Wheeler and Walker for me.

Makinson isn't a threat though, that is the problem. He's anonymous in almost every game, coming up with the odd finish here and there but generally not contributing enough to warrant a shirt at the moment. Whilst Meli and Gardner are both clearly far from perfect, they offer more than Makinson is at present. Makinson should have been at fullback for the last 3 years, but instead is a timid, uninvolved winger.

I'd be tempted to play Gardner second row too, he offers a lot going forward than some of our forwards. It makes me cringe, the force he takes the ball up.

Bump this for those wishing to discuss Gaskell v Lance.

Lance did ok, but got turned inside out for the Wire try in the first half.
Took his chance and scored a try. Would Gaskell have offered more seams academic after a good win, but if you want to debate it here's your chance.

It's quite simple for me. If the pack had performed in the games he played in as they performed tonight, what would we have seen of Gaskell? The lad gets dumped as a matter of routine when the problem isn't him - or at least not all him.

And he can kick goals too. And drop goals!

I'd still like to see Gaskell back as I think he's a better 6, but a lot of tonight was about hustle in defence, which Hohaia is good at. Often seems in danger of conceding a penalty at the ptb, though.

I get the feel by Good Friday lomax will be 1 Gaskell 6 Wilkin 7 roby 9 wellens 13 and lance 14 interchange hooker

I think we'll see him get a run either against Wakefield or Salford.

Add Makinson in at wing, Walmsley as prop and Percival as centre instead of Jones, and that would be ok by me!

You mean you know that inside info

Gaskell to start against Wakey, with Hohaia on the bench as an interchange back/hooker, for me.

When Gaskell gets back in he got to take is chance like lomax as at full back one bonus Gaskell brings to the team is he is a very good goal kicker but he needs to improve lots of what he did he the first three games the lad needs to get more inviold and not get push out unless he be dropped again

It looks like Gaskell will play for Rochdale this weekend.

Just been reading the league express and notices Martyn Sadler saying Gaskell was shocking for Rochdale surely he should be standing out at that level or is it a case of him just can't be bothered playing at that level and just happy with whatever he get payed for playing for them

The treatment Lee Gaskell is getting at Saints is very poor imo. He should be a starting 6 ahead of Lance Hohaia every day of the week. Gaskell with a big run in the team will only improve and if we are not careful we could lose a potentially very good player.

You have taken what Sadler said completely out of context there. He suggested that Gaskell, like Richard Owen whose awful performance was on Premier Sports for all to see, was unhappy to be there and that playing for a Championship 1 side was, to those players, like a punishment. He also said that this was a very unwise use of the dual registration system.

And I agree with him wholeheartedly. Gaskell, like Owen, is bound to feel punished. Unlike Owen, Gaskell has played in a first grade grand final. To be unceremoniously stuck in a Championship 1 team when at the outset of the season his coach was saying he had a kicking game like Danny Brough is a terrible way to treat a player, particularly a young player.

I think of the 3 so far, Biscuit Wheeler is the best of a very average bunch.

Lance, Gaskell and Wheeler have not really put in an effort that would make me think, hmmm we must keep them in at 6.

If he gets another chance he will have to seize it on the day as he can't live off the back end of 2011. He's a pro player now so needs to show up, the next time he is picked.

I would have liked him to get 6 games, but Brown has now seen all 3 at half, at the moment all 3 could lose out to an academy player, a new recruit from another club or even to Wellens.

Why is all this going on?
Surely there's no long term future with/for Wilkin at 7?
Gaskell, IMO, is a talented lad who is suffering from a lack of first team rugby.
If he doesn't get selected he may well come to the conclusion his future may be better at another club.
There will be plenty better clubs than Rochdale after his signature, that's for sure.
You never know Wire might be after him. Briers ain't many years left in him. Ratchford isn't good enough at 6 which leaves them with O'Brien and Myler who basically are scrum halves.
The old saying "Use him or lose him" does seem appropriate.

It all depends who Saints can get, if we can't get anyone then it would be daft to outcast him.

If we get a Brough then Gaskell needs to prove his worth, but we should not assume that Gaskell is the only option,, even if he maybe the best option today.

I think Wilkin will stay as 7 for the rest of the year. So it's up to Gaskell, Lance or Wheeler to put their hand up and grab the 6 shirt, so far I'd say performances mean none of them are nailed on.

If they are not careful Brown could easily go to the academy and throw a 16 - 18 year old in. It would not shock me.

If Brown does not play Gaskell in the next 2 games then maybe Brown has arrived at the same conclusion of Rush last year that he is not good enough for first team selection. If Gaskell has seen the Rochdale game as a form of punishment and as a result has performed badly then there would be a question of his temperment and attitude.
Maybe he has mentally already committed himself to another club .