Batley's season is over now, isn't it?
He'll be ith us through a full preseaon and has probably already been lined up for a new conditioning regeime. If he goes back to playing for Batley next year, he's be running in a differnet gear than now, and don't forget that if Batley are part timers, he'll still have a lot of time to spend here learning.

If he's the talented lad people are saying he is, then I don't see him spending the full year at Batley, given the above. If we are to recall him, we could send someone like Forster, Hand or Walker the opposite way to help their development.

Happy with this, although I was told it was going to be four!

Can he play Fullback or Stand Off



Big Bugger though

We could end up looking like the circa '90 circus freak team when we had Jones, Harrison and Kay all in the same side.

he is a monster, and full time training will make him huge. He is a human wrecking ball !!
I watched him at halifax a couple of weeks ago and he was just running over the defence.
the fans wear chanting Beast, Beast, Beast !!! he is better than Chris Hill and far more aggressive
he will be a huge hit at st helens. I doubt he will be back at Batley for long as he will be better
than Perry and Lafranki....mark my words.
Leeds were trying to get him but clearly thought they could do it on the cheap.

The strange thing re that is today, only Harrison would stand out as being tall. Kay and Jones would just be run of the mill sized.

Tony Kay was a real cult figure of mine. Loved his awkward swivel hips style of play.

Dead Ball was rubbish

Harrison was a decent journeyman pro.

I'd be tempted to switch TP and Laffranchi

Props - TP, Perry, LMS, Clough, Walmsley

Back row - Soliola, Manu, Flanagan.

LF - Laffranchi, Wilkin (Laffranchi playing at loose when we are going into a game needing our biggest pack, so effectively running with 6 props if we wanted to) Wilkin when we wanted a bit more guile at loose, with Laffranchi moving to the subs bench as a 2nd rower.

I agree with that - no way is Boof a front rower and TP does a much better job for us there because of his sheer size. Laffranchi was a really effective back rower in the NRL and could really shine there alongside the others you mention.

Thats how I'd play it too.

Obviously you would not play the same guys each week, we need to give Forester etc a go and not just for injuries.

A pack of TP Roby Perry Sia Manu Wilkin

sub LMS, Clough, Flanaghan, Forester

is still a good enough pack when playing teams lower down the division and gives Laffranchi or whoever more rest time for the end of season and the youngsters time to develop alongside a strong pack.

I dunno about that - all 3 were 6' 5" and over as I recall. Tony Kay was one of my favourite players ever actually - I've never seen another player who clearly loved every second he had playing in a Saints shirt as much as he did. He couldn't either make or break a tackle to save his life but I loved watching him anyway. Harrison was a great meat and potatoes player - if Walmsley ends up as good we'll be doing OK. Jones was quite posssibly the worst player I've ever seen in a Saints shirt...

Who was Jones?

So, is the considered opinion of the posters that this is a good signing, and well done Mr McManus?

I think we should file it for later use, when he fails to win 10 consecutive man of the match awards, and people start to say that our recruitment is appalling. Am sure that people were equally pleased at the signing of great young prospects and current internationals like Shenton and LMS, but time seems to dim some memories.

Paul Jones... Decent defensive workhorse but the worst player with ball in hand you'll ever see in the top division - he could have played with oven gloves on and you'dve noticed no change in the quality of his handling. I remember one midweek game against Bradford where we ripped them apart with one long flowing passing move after another all night (those were the days) and [ievery single one of them[/i broke down the instant anyone passed it to him, usually with a knock on. If you were lucky he just died with it when he got the ball and I don't think he ever made a pass in his life.

The less you know the better probably

Really positive signing if he's as aggressive and destructive as people are saying which, added to Manu who is an absolute machine, really does give our pack a more formiddable look for 2013.

For all the (justified) criticism the club have copped over our recruitment, they've noticed the weaknesses in our pack and at least made an effort to address them.

Definitely, should be done NOW.

A certain video hosting site shows a glimpse of Walmsley’s 2 tries for Batley v Halifax 2/9/2012.

Nice little dummy to beat the fullback on the second try.

Wow I have no memory of him at all. Pickavance played about then, who I seem to remember was fairly tall too. One of my face players from that time, shame he never made it

Alex will rip it up in Super League, i will wager anything he's Englands first choice prop within 2 years, ive watched him play since his amateur days and this was the only possible outcome, he is truly awesome and much better than Chris Hill was in his Championship days.

So who do you think he'll play more for next season, Saints or Batley, given he'll be on dual reg?

To be honest, if he gets started with Saints now and has a full pre season with them id say he'll spend more time with you next year and probably only turn out for Batley if he picks up an injury and needs easing back in.

It's been an absolute pleasure to watch Alex this year. I have no hesitation in saying he will be in your starting 17 in no time and we will see very little of him in his dual reg deal. The lad is unlike any prop in the game today championship or SL. Will be an instant cult hero. I train with the Bulldogs comunity touch team, and whenever we train on the Mount after 1st team training he stays out after all the other lads have finished and does extra sprint training. I'd be shocked if he isn't at least an England knight by 2014. Good luck Alex very well deserved.

SOunds like he [imay[/i go back to Batley early on to try out his improved condition and skills from a full time preseason, but won't stay long. I'm very excited.
As I say, I'd hope that if he's playing at Langtree, we could compensate Batley with one of our other good young props on dual reg too.

'The Beast' is an extraordinary talent, and the most destructive, hardest runner of a ball I've seen at any level of the game. I've lost count of the number of opposition players who have been left shivering on the ground in a crumpled, demoralised heap after attempting to stop him.