Excellent!!!

opps forgot Beaumont.

Means any youngster breaking into the team will have to earn their spot. Should make for lots of competition in the pack.

With Beaumont, Flanagan, Walker, Clough, Thompson etc all pushing for a first team spot.

Puts pressure on Jones to to keep up his high standards as nearly all the above could switch to 2nd row, too.

Terrible lack of ambition from Saints yet again. When will they ever learn?

Top signing and a real signal of intent from the Big Mac. We jsut need to uncover a stand off and we will be singing and dancing.

Has Laffranchi actually signed an expension? I know there was talk of this a while ago, but cant recall anything concrete. I would keep Clough over him, freeing up an extra overseas slot for if a player comes available. Clough and Laffranchi are similar grafters, not a role that shuld be blocking a quota spot.

Highest metre making forward at Wakey by a long way (2809 metres), with a very impressive 7.8 average gain. There's only Walmsley in our front row ranks that can hold a candle to that go forward.

561 tackles made with only 27 missed (4.81%) seems as good as anything we've got, too.

He pretty much licks LMS on all fronts (probably because of Louis's inconsistency this year).

A low number of offloads confirms to me that he's a head down worker, who'll get you the yards rather than play expansive. He seems pretty athletic, so I wonder how quick he is on the floor?

Young, British, hopefully a transfer fee means we weren't in a massive bidding war with his wages, either.

For me, Boof's got to go, now. No point keeping him hanging around to just be back up - we have clough and walker (and Richards and hand) for that.

Am I missing some sarcasm here or is this a genuine post?

You are missing the sarcasm!!!

I get what you mean, but there is no harm in having a massive number to choose from. It should make it a more competitive pack in terms of starting places. It would only take an injury to LMS and Amor and we would need the likes of Clough and Laffranchi to move from a bench spot to a starting spot leaving spots on the bench for Walker and Thompson and Beaumount.

It's likely we are going to be playing with LMS at loose so effectively 5 props a match. They will get bumps and knocks so rather than playing with a bump a week later, you can rotate one out one in.

We did it with Graham, Baloo, Fozzard, Cayless and Tuilangi? (I think that was the line up).
Each week one would miss out to keep them fresh or to cover injury. It made for a competitive pack and I think Fozzard missed out on the GF. If we are playing effectively 5 props each week with LMS at loose then, there will be always 6 or 7 props getting regular games.

Faasavulu.
I know what you mean, the 5 props in the squad thing may have a bearing on it, but with Beaumont signed and forward back up from Flash, Walker, Clough, Greenwood, Richards and alike, I don't think Boof's a keeper.

The more I think about this signing the more I like it. I am not convinced that Amor is the superstar in the making that some people are saying he is but he is a good player that fills a massive hole in our team. That is a true starting prop rather than an interchange prop.

We have had 4 problem positions this year (prop x2, stand off, scrum half) and this signing takes us to 3 our of 4 filled very well. This also means that Masoe is definitely been signed as an interchange prop and Beaumont has been signed as a squad player (5th choice prop).

This leaves us with a very large pack with the likes of LMS and Laffranchi moving into the back row, with plenty of competition for places in the pack especially in the front row. I still believe the key to our success in 2006 was having 5 international class front rowers. I don't see how any club can last 30+ games in a year with the same 4 props.

Regarding our last "problem position" stand off you feel the club has the players to fill this spot Wilkin, Hohaia, Wheeler will all be looking to fill in. Given we have a playmaker at fullback and Brown is clearly going for a big pack Wilkins nature position in the team probably is stand off.

Just like I transformed the heat from a mid table team to greatness, Amor could do the same for St Helens.

Regards

King James

I don't think anyone is saying he's a superstar, but he's as good as the other props on the edges of international honours.

Amor's stats are up there with the likes of Chris Hill - in a far poorer team he averages 112m per game at 7.8m per carry (109m @ 7.2m for Hill) and busts more tackles.

Comparing to Scott Taylor at Wigan, who I think has been excellent this season, his average gain and tackle busts per carry are higher despite carrying the ball far more often and making more tackles in a weaker team.

He's a top, young, go-forward prop and just what Saints needed.

Great signing! About time we beat other teams to a good player.

Should this squad being assembled for next year boost season ticket sales?

Improved squad + cladding should equal bigger crowds if the whingers are true to their word.

He will definately fill a gap and although, for me, he isnt the player i would have chosen for Saints from the ones available he looks to be the best. So well done to Saints for addressing this seasons issues.

We will however have an issue next year that NB will need to address. The fact that we now seem to have 2 impact props neither of which on this years form look like starters.
NB will have to be really crafty with his interchanges next year and this may burn through more than he would like.
You cannot have both of these players on the field at the same time (except in exceptional circumstances) so managing their game time will be crucial.
Penrith this year have been using Masoe in a very organised way, he comes on at about 20 - 22 mins and plays the 20 - 18 mins till half time. he then plays the opening 8 - 12 mins of the second half. They then bring him on sometime in the last 12 mins - so he can fill at the most 44 mins at the least 35 mins, but doing this he was running on empty for about 8 of those mins especially at the end of the 1st half in his last game against Manly. Probably because he wasted energy in a fight.
So that would mean Walmsley would need to cover 2 stints each of about 22 mins - this season he doesnt look capable of doing this.
So do you have a second row/loose forward fill in at prop for at least a 10 minute spell as needed and bring in other back row replacements? - seems like an idea for me.
Amour is probably a 50 - 60 min prop and there isnt an obvious opposite to him so prop management will be one of NB's headaches for next year - mind you its a better headache to have than trying to put Perry into a shirt

I don't see why Walmsley and Masoe can't be on the field at the same time. They wouldn't be a good starting pair, but bringing them both on after 20-30 mins would be devastating IMO. Laffranchi can spell the steady stuff with Amor.

Interesting, who is the player you would have chosen for Saints?

If you didn't want Walmsley and Masoe on at the same time (although they could really blow a game open on 20 minutes), you could use Amor like Canterbury use Graham - start on the bench, come on at twenty minutes and stay on for the duration.

I just can't wait to see what Saddened! has to say about this signing and the fact we've paid a fee. He's been so quiet on the subject, where are you?





Out of curiosity who would you have gone for?



I imagine we'll start with Amor (the long minute's prop) and either Laffranchi or LMS, perhaps even both (one at loose) and then Walmsley and Masoe will come off the bench for impact stints.

We also have Beaumont who the coaching staff may be looking at to play a work horse type role within the side and let's not forget the young lads like Richards and Walker are breaking through and will be looking for more game time next season.

Either way, we've got far greater depth and quality in this position than we have this season. Puletua shows glimpses of quality but lots of inconsistency. He also isn't the player he was and Perry has offered nothing. We've signed 3 players to replace those 2, so unless they all spectacularly fail we're in a stronger position.

Add in Walsh and I think we look much stronger next season as an overall squad. The only loss so far of the outgoings is Meli who will we will miss in the Centre position.

As I said good signing, I don't understand a lot of the hype around Hill, think he is solid and has had an unspectacular second season. Taylor has not justified the money Wigan have splashed out on him, they have spent a lot on his potential. Only time will tell. I think Amor is better than both of them at present but all are nowhere near the class of a Graham/Morley/Peacock/Burgess standard player but that is nothing to be ashamed of.

There is a big difference between performing at a mid table club and a team that should be playing in the big games. It will be interesting to see how well he handles the big playoff and cup games.

The real bonus is that we have got a high quality prop without using an overseas quota spot.

Excellent signing for Saints. Real grafter, never says die, and a top bloke as well. Wakey will miss him

Oh, BTW, in the Ireland squad for RLWC

Everyone I would have gone for comes with a problem that they would either cost too much or they would take up a quota spot.
removing the obvious candidates like Graham, Burgess etc who we wouldnt be able to get.
As a starting prop Michael Weyman would have fit the bill perfectly from all of the props who are moving. But he would have taken a quota spot and we would have had to free up some space by ditching Lafranchi or Hohai both of who have current contracts.
So as I said from the ones available I think that Amour is the best we could pick, English with good credibility and 4 years to work with him is a bonus in my book as he isnt a player who we are taking a chance on.

You will when you see what they look like defensively after about 15 mins, to play both at the same time has the potential to open us up defensively to the smarter quicker teams.

I watched Masoe very closely against Manly this week and we will have to manage him closely to get the best from him. He seems to have some issue getting back in the line after he has been on a while. On the plus side he doesnt miss them if they run at him. he just doesnt seem to be the type of player who can "play tired"

Walmsley on the other hand is someone we should be working with very closely in the off season to increase his stamina, if we could increase his stamina he would be perfect as the other starting prop