Or just play hiho at fullback and get 2 props and a halfback. That would give us a much better balance

Hohaia cannot catch. It's a minor issue given Wello can't run, but still.

We don't need a halfback with Gaskell and Lomax there, there aren't going to be any better ones available now are there.

You say the three players are very important but can you honestly say Graham aside that they have had any real contribution to our play this season? Would we have been worse without Kyle / Leon for the time they have been on the pitch?

Add in the players we have signed to the players we have been able to use most of this year (less Graham) and are we really significantly worse off?

I do think we need another two at least to push the top two but its hard to say we are definitely going to be worse next year considering that two of the three leaving have done practically nothing of significance (so far at least)

Meli has done ok in the centre but were just make doing with what we've got. Let's be honest he's not exactly a great centre.

IMO the recruitment is shocking! Players playing out of postion all over the place. We've got more wingers than props!

How the he'll can we Los a prop, stand off and scrumhalf and replace them with a fullback and two backrows!

Maybe we can combine them in some way? Stick Hohaia's legs on Wello's bod? Frankinstein anyone?

This i do have some concerns with, versatility, multi-skilled, adaptable - we'll hear that a lot next year lol!!

Meli is being utilised where he is best (for the team) he is far more effective for us at 4 rather than 5 even when he had good partners.

You are quite in the know, can you say if possible if the player we are looking at is a prop?

I know Royce has said it previously but I'm just wondering with Perry, LMS, Puletua, Clough, AN Other in the squad as props, do you see Laffranchi as an out and out prop or more likely LF?

This isn't a time for jokes



Today is the day we've become a club with no ambition!

I've had this on my chest for past two weeks and not been able to let my anger out due to saints moaning at me!

The player I was told we was talking to isn't a prop but another backrow. I've heard since that Wigan and hudds are front runners for him now.

I spoke to my mates who play for the firsts and they told me they was looming at a outside back ( hope to god it's not the player they said) and a forward. That was few month ago now so maybe things have changed.

Please PM me the names. I'm in need of some truth.

And risk the wrath of saints?

I'll pm you after.

No wonder you feel depressed!

I don't think we are particularly doing it on the cheap, however we could show a little more ambition

He's been a fixture for the Kiwis for a few years and isn't past it, age wise.
We picked Meli up from the Warriors when he was languihing in the reserves after a loss of form (only a couple of seasons after winning their Player of the year) and, apart from the odd dropped ball, he's worked out a good signing. A new club can invigourate a player.

Perhaps full back isn't the best idea, but we need to get some kicking into th halves.

I reckon next year we may look better with lomax at 1 and Gaskell at 7 than Wellens at 1 and Lomax at 7.

Well Wigan are supposedly chasing Gil Duson. But seeing as Dudson's classed as a prop it's probably not him. I can't see Wigan pursuing another backrower, to say we're flush in that area would be an understatement. Perhaps if he has the ability to play frontrow then Wigan may well be interested.

I've no problem with any of the signings as players, hohaia is a good player and laffranchi is a very good player but it's the fact we've not replaced the out going players.

So that's a first team of seven overseas players, and only five who have come through the clubs academy (I'm discounting Moore as I expect him to be elsewhere)

Where are all these fantastic juniors that Saints supporters keep telling us about?

Do people think we're entering the NRL next season or something? We've finished 3rd this year without Pryce/Eastmond/Perry/Clough (NB both half backs and two props!) for most of the season, but because Pryce/Eastmond/Graham are off, we'll suddenly finish 5th despite adding Lance/Laffranchi/Flanagan to the squad and having Perry, Clough and Gardner back fit?

This team is EASILY good enough to compete for honours at a lovely new stadium in front of big crowds:

Lomax
Gardner
Shenton
Meli
Foster
Wheeler
Lance
Perry
Roby
Puletua
Soliola
Flannery
Wilkin

LMS
Laffranchi
Clough
Flanagan

Likes of Wellens, Makinson, Moore, Gaskell, Armstrong, Magennis, Dixon, Ashurst as pretty experienced back up, plus any of the kids that can step up.

Will there be a better pack and bench than that in SL? I'm not so sure. And in Lomax/Wheeler/Lance/Roby/Wilkin we have a very talented and exciting spine to the team.

I personally can't wait for 2012. What's to be down about? Not that we've finished with 2011 yet!

Carmont, Richards, Finch, Leuluai, Hoffman, Lima, Cross.

Jog on Rogues. Oh and if you're going to count Flanagan as overseas then I'll count Harrison too seen as Flanagan has only been there a couple of years.

And Roberts = 8. They even play him in the under 20s instead of one of their own "fantastic juniors". Now THAT'S what I call hampering development, signing overseas players for your youth teams.

Me too, me too! We're going to have a freshened up team in a brand new stadium with a coach who coaches a more expansive style of rugby.

But you'll be cold because the cladding won't be done and the team you'll be watching will be losing every week

We're getting a new coach?

I can't remember a Saints team making fewer offloads than this one, and we only play to one side.

Very funny.


Yes. That will be something to do with having young, inexperienced halfbacks. There is a whole off season ahead now and since Pryce will not be there or Eastmond, hopefully our coach will be able to develop our attack in the way he wanted to but has been unable to thanks in part to our youthful halves and in part to our continually changing game day team.

You don't need experienced half backs to offload the ball in the tackle.

No, but good ball distribution comes with experience, and that is what I was thinking of in response to the comment about going to the left.

Even at U15's I could pass the ball left and right, it's obviously a tactical ploy from the coach to target play down the left hand side. Whilst they're inexperienced at SL level Jonny and Lee have both been playing for at least 10 years and are able to distribute the ball BOTH ways should that be required. It's tactics going down the left, nothing more nothing less.