No he doesn't, and expecting him to has affected his game as I said, what he does provide though is a steady experienced partner to an inexperienced half back.



He is, he has a passing game and a kicking game which is better than Longs was at his age. I don't understand why people think he's just a runner. What he lacks is the experience at picking the right option at the right time, he learn more having to do it. But he'll still need the support of more experienced players.



Possibly the wrong choice of terminology, but I feel that we'll lose more games than we win with such an inexperienced combination in such a vital area of the field.

From what I've heard about him in the Academy and seen of him, he may well go on to be better than Pryce, but he won't be next year without more first team experience.

[size=59To dispel any comments about me being Mystic Meg, this is of course all IMO.[/size

another fine point, something we've been missing

I'll get shot on here for this, and it's not the first time I have said it but here goes.

I've seen nothing yet to convince ME that Wheeler will ever make a top class Superleague player.

Have I been unlucky in that when I have seen him he has been average (and I'm being kind)?

However, I know of quite a few (scouts, coaches and people inside the game) who are much more knowledgeable than I, who rate him.

In fact Wigan tried to sign him this year.

Am I wrong in my assessment of him?
And if so why.

Oh, I think that Pryce would make a superb running loose forward.

Personally Rogues, I think you are.

He has great footwork, good hands, a solid physique and most importantly, a great attitude.

His one problem is his biscuit rating.

Long term, he could well be a good centre, he never disappointed there. He needs a solid run to carry on growing as a player.

I've been v impressed with Wheeler. Great footwork. I honestly think (injuries permitting), if he was playing for a Salford, Wakefield etc he would be making a big impact & would be playing regularly. If Myler came through the ranks at Saints or Leeds, do you think he'd get much game time at scrum half? He'd be played in other positions to 'gain experience'. Scott Moore struggled for game time at Saints, but eventually got picked for England as a hooker whilst out on loan. I'm rambling on a bit here, but my point is, we shouldn't be holding potential back, we shouldn't be scared of playing them. Especially with players who are holding there place by there name alone....whats the Aussie mentality with this? Do they hold potential back & when they do play them,play them out of position? Is that were we are going wrong-i mean our kids are more than a match for the Aussie kids, but they then fall way behind as they go into there early 20's. Is it any wonder though, talent is held back here & regularly played out of position..

He is a young player who came in, and didn't look phased at all. He had some solid performances, with the odd touch to show he has potential to step up.

That is all though. He is a young player with potential, but its early days to say how good he could be.

People tend to get carried away. Every time a young player comes in and does ok, they are mentioned in terms of being a future England international.

So you think Long and Cunningham should have been dropped last year then to make way for Eastmond and Moore then?

No, not both of them, they're both leaders, but definately one of them, to help the transition. They are both all time greats, but the impact they had on a game was decreasing, due to lack of pace...injuries etc
I really think Cunningham should have had his last game at the grand final, especially with Moore coming back.
Don't get me wrong, great players, but they'd be handing the reigns to 2 current England internationals...thats not too bad is it?

Leon Pryce has speed , size, power a good step and very good hands he's probably the nearest thing we have to Greg Inglis in the centre's. For me he's just not creative enough for a 6 , especially not at international level.

The problem is that Pryce doesn't want to play centre, one of the big reasons he left Bradford was because he wanted to play stand off. Noble decided he wasn't consistent or reliable enough for stand off when he was at Bradford. When things are going well Pryce looks like a world beater but if your back's against the wall he goes missing.

He'll serve Saints well at stand off in most of your games in SL but don't expect great things from him in the really tough games.

We got that message a while ago.



I think it's time he was made to fight for his place.

Pryce's strength is his running game and general athleticism. He can pass the ball as well but he simply doesn't really look like a stand off in terms of controlling the play. What he could do is play inside centre with the right centre partner - that could be hugely effective.

I would have picked him at centre for this series, although I'd also like to see how he'd go at full back, as he is a very good broken field runner.

I think you should throw eastmond and wheeler in at the deep end, they might have a rough first season but so did burrow and mcguire and look at them now, Does Pryce have it in him to fight for his place or will he wander off and hide?

Really? His own reasoning for playing rugby is that he was too stupid to do anything else.

He's a young lad who's come in and played mainly out of position. He's defended well in the centre channel and looked very assured with ball in hand. He has made breaks and scored tries.
When he had a run of a ffew games in the centre, I think most people who watched him favoured the team with him in the centre and Gilmour in the back row.
Not bad for a lad of his age, especially knowing how critical fans can be.

The only question marks I have is over how injury prone he is and that I haven't seen much of a kicking game from him.

I don't know what you expect from a youngster, but I'm happy and I'm sure there's plenty of Pie Eaters that would be very happy to see him in the C&W. Past that however, Wheeler has a sort of subtle assurance in his game which is giving a lot of speccies hope that he'll be a great player in the future, some even reckon he'll be better than Eastmond.

[iI'm not a particular fan of quoting stats, but his tries and try assists per game is around the same as your young Sam Tomkins. [/i

Which to me suggests he is someone who will do what it takes to succeed.

That quite clearly shows to me he is actually very grateful to be given a chance to make something of himself.

As I said at first I know of far better judges of players than myself who really rate him.

Perhaps I am being over critical, but having heard so much about him from him being 15 years of age I maybe expected too much.

And yes he has some "supporters" inside the Wigan club who were keen to sign him this year.

I suppose time will tell.

There's just something about him that means I've never worried about him being up to the task, I'd never worry about him being under pressure, I don't worry about him in defence, I've faith in him as a desicion maker, I know he'll put his body on the line for the team, I know he presents a danger in attack.
I don't know if he'll make a GB/England player. I don't know if he'll be a centre, a stand off or even a full back. I do know that (injuries permitting) whichever SL team he plays for will be glad to have him.

well put sir

What team would you go for next year?

I'd have:

Wellens
Lomax - needs game time, faster than Gardner and probably better
Gidley
Pryce - Not good enough this year to play SO
Meli
Wheeler - Good enough to be thrown in
Eastmond
Graham
Cunningham
Fozzard
Soliola - Not a centre
Wilkin
Roby

Moore
Fa'asavalu
Puletua
Clough

I think we have a really strong squad for next year with plenty of opportunity to rotate and rest forwards as there is also Hargreaves, Flannery, Ashurst, Magennis, Dixon.

Hopefully we will find time to fit in game time for Foster, Frodsham and more of the younger players. Alos not many teams will look forward to us having Soliola, Fa'asavalu, Puletua and Graham all on the pitch at once.

Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Pryce, Meli, Wheeler, Eastmond, Graham, Cunningham, Hargreaves, Flannery, Soliola, Puletua SUBS Wilkin, Roby, Fozzard,Clough.

That would be my team. Moore is 18th man. The season after, Cunningham will be gone. I'd like to see Maurie go now, along with Meli & Gardner but not much chance of that happening.

Why maurie? He was excellent for most of the season.

He doesn't have the same impact on a game when he comes on. Super League defences know exactly how to deal with him. A few seasons back, it was like 'here comes Maurie' & you could tell the opposition were thinking 'frigging hell, we've gotta deal with him now'. These days, I actually think they fancy there chances of smashing him & dislodging the ball.

He always seems to lose the ball-I actually panic when he gets it. He tries daft offloads at times.

Thats just my opinion though mate. To his credit, he does give 100% every game.

that's not his game anymore though where he comes on and makes a couple of great runs and then goes off again. Nowadays he is playing more minutes, making good yards and defending well, more like a proper prop. He can be a little careless with the ball every now and again but still the 2nd best prop at the club IMO.