I'm still adamant they should sign a winger to ensure Meli could play centre for usnext year.

Well we will have to agree to disagree there. He needs to be building on his experience of last season. Going down to the u20s is a backward step, at halfback or anything else.

And like I say, the lad played in a Grand Final. Short of playing against the Aussies in a World Cup, there is no greater pressure than that.

I really don't like Rush and his attitude towards the young players. Why do they have to work harder yet the senior players can just be excused poor performance for year on year.

Not just work harder either but do so while dropped to the u20s. There are a few senior players who should have been dropped to the u20s to 'learn their trade' this season but that aint gonna happen.

Would you entrust Betts to develop one of your brightest young talents?

I don't see the problem with what Rush has said there, Gaskell is still learning the game and you do have to work harder to force your way into a 1st team spot, that's always been the case.

One thing that does go in Gaskell's favour though, after watching the tries from the Salford game I think all of them came with Hohaia at dummy half. I sign of things to come perhaps?

I think the main boost from having Lance and Robes in the pack at the same time at Salford was that the energy level was significantly higher amongst the forwards.

Quote ="EHW"Rush on Gaskell, Foster, Meli and others www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/2107 Looks to me like we are lining up to give Meli a new contract. '" Reading into it, foster sounds like he has had his day. A new contract for meli should be the end for foster

Quote ="EHW"Rush on Gaskell, Foster, Meli and others www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/2107 Looks to me like we are lining up to give Meli a new contract. '" Reading into it, foster sounds like he has had his day. A new contract for meli should be the end for foster

I was meaning Gaskell will probably get dropped for Perry. If it was down to me then Gaskell would be in, but at least fans voices have started to force good words for Gaskell. That is progress. Gaskell is obviously in someones plans or we'd be letting him go to Wigan permanently, or go to Salford or Widnes on Loan.

Everyone is crying out for halves.

Wigan (for finch and tommy)
Hull (for horne and ellis)
Salford (smith leaving)
Widnes
Warrington ( after chase)
Castleford (looking for a replacement for chase ?not sure about Ore is he retiring?)
Bradford (well who knows there)
Huddersfield ( will they lose brough? brown is going)
etc

And saints. Brown has said number one priority is a half.

Wello
Makinson
Shenton
Jones
Meli
Gaskell
Lomax
Perry
Robes
Laffranchi
Sia
TP
Wilkin

Flanaghan
Flannery
LMS
Clough

Is that your selection or the actual one?

That will be the team

Is Hohaia injured or just dropped?

It's pretty much the team I'd go for anyway

Hohaia dropped?

I would swap flannery for hohaia

Wasn't Lance's Mrs due to give birth???

Could be the reason why he's out.

Foot injury and he's out exiles game but back for Widnes.

Well this will be the chance people have wanted for Gaskell, lets hope he does not mess it up.

He's been named in the Exiles squad today.

If Hohaia isn't playing and Gaskell has a blinder what happens then?

Would Hohaia walk back into the team for Widnes?

I hope that isn't the case....

It would make a lot of sense to give Meli another year - whether anyone likes admitting it or not he's still consistently our best player up the flanks. He looks to still have another year in him and God knows there's nobody else of even remotely the same quality available on the market. Assuming Foster is history (as now seems to be the case) and Turner is still coming in then we're at absolute bare minimum 1 outside back short for next season if Meli goes.

I'd swap Flannery for Stan Wall on recent form.

What will be interesting is IF he does rip it up will he still drop out for Lance or will Lance have to warm the bench?

IF is a big word.

Given the pressure that we have all been lumping on to have him in the team. I'm a big fan, but I am also aware that Gaskell can make errors as well as play excellent Rugby. I think he needs to learn a little from Lance. Lance seams to be in favour due to less errors. I would argue this is because he risks less, hence our poorer halfback play. I'd say rather than trying to rip it up, he just needs to play his own game.

It's tricky. I don't mind a half that makes errors if he is trying stuff. ie making a break for 80 meters but then failing to pick out the right pass at the end of that break. For me the break is the thing that matters.

Were as others seam to favour a half that makes no errors, but risks nothing either.

You can't please everyone all the time. Gaskell will never please those who are risk averse, when ever there is a kick or an offload that does not work, there are lots of hindsighters who will then shout, why did he not do x , y or z instead.

It's easy to shout the options after it goes wrong, but when you are running at speed, with other guys running at speed at you, it's the variety and creativity of those options that is important for me, not only taking an option if you are in space and have time.

I recall these same people would lay into Long (not comparing players), when his options did not come off, yet he was still the best creative half in the league by some distance.