I'd like to see Foster have a gallop. I don't I've ever seen him put clean through from far out. He looks nippy enough to me close to the line.

He showed a bit of pace for his try against Wakefield when Wilkin broke free. Granted there was nobody in front of him but he still had to run about 50m.

He did fine for his longer try against Wakey but he doesn't have the natural speed of Makinson so far as I can see. However, he has other qualities. And great boots.

And lovely hair

The speedster days of Offiah and Preston are long gone. Cover defences are now so effective (in terms of player fitness, speed, stamina and organisation) that you need freakish speed to round the last tackler in the line. Had Offiah played today he'd finish with little more than half his end-of-season try total.

Speed is a useful asset. But it's no longer the prime requisite. When Warrington chose to run with Kevin Penny in the first team they were thinking a decade behind the game. Now if you've got a winger who scores 12-15 tries a season whilst conceding little and another who scores twenty five but costs seven tries per year because of weak tackling and a load of territory because his hands awful you take the former every time. And if he also chips in with an 80% completion rate with the boot you bite his hand off.

I really don't get what people are harping on about. Foster is going great, hardly makes big blunders, is a safe pair of hands. Scores lots of tries on a wing with a mix of centre's young and old. He's not had the service of a Lyon or Gidley. Foster did not start the season and has 6 tries only3 behind the leading scorer without an experienced centre, that's pretty good going.

He also kicks goals for fun.


Lets face it when some people are saying he is not the best, they are saying he is not the fastest. That's fair enough but you rarely see players have foot races anymore so it's hard to tell.

There are alot of big name wingers out there, but I would not be interested in swapping Gardner for them, never mind Foster.

In fact, I'd be really p*ssed off if we did let him go.

If Gardner is of contract at the end of 2011 then foster is the ideal replacement. In fact I'd have foster ahead of Gardner now when everyones fit.

I think it was tough call leaving him out at start of the year as he was one of our best players in the back end of last season.

He's really impressed me to be honest.

Gardner is playing extremely well this season. I've no complaints about either of our wingers.


Well, maybe he wasn't impressing at the start of the season? Perhaps last season got to him a bit. I notice that whenever Royce is asked about Foster in the press he says 'he is getting better', complimenting his finishing but that is all. So perhaps Royce is making sure Foster's feet stay firmly on the ground, in those great boots of his. Or maybe he suffered for not having Gidley inside of him? After all, Foster himself has said that Gidley used to stay behind after training to help him improve his game.

Even tho Gardner has played well this year I don't think he should get a new deal as he's been crap for the last 2 yr.

Gardner will be on good wedge so by replacing him with Gardner who IMO is better than Gardner we'd have extra cash to spend on new players or other players who's new contracts are up.

i'm assuming you mean replace gardner with Foster?

Can't see why people have such a problem with Gardner. he is a solid if not spectacular player who cant be on a huge wedge. Let's face it when saints
Wanted to offload last year the only sniff was from salford

Foster is still just a kid (seen his new boots for Easter) and still developing, his heart is in what he does, but with his kicking game of course union will look at him and I would be flattered if they came in via my agent talking big money and what playing for England in union can do for you!

This week the Times did a two page spread on how it is 20 Years that Sky has been in sport and were proud to claim what they have done for Premiership Football, Cricket and Rugby Union! no mention of our great game, just at a time when the BBC seem likely to scrap the Super League show, what message does this send out to young players and the Big Future for Super League??

Correct.

Hes younger, faster, better under the high ball, full of energy, awesome goal kicker and full of energy.

He'd also but on lot less than ade.

By giving ade a new deal would run the risk of losing good young talant in fodter

If Armstrong contnues with his impressive form at Leigh, I'd suggest he should come back into the squad at the expense of Gardner and, although Ade's been playing well, will offer us as much but for less money.

Id agree with that, and we'll have armstrong and makinson as cover there too

Gardner will get a new contract if he continues with his current form. As much as he's been poor for the last 2 or 3 years, this year he is hitting some of his 2007 form and definitely deserves his spot. He's been one of our better players this year.

strange that he has a good year every time his contract is up

You know the answer - give him a one year extension.

Royce has also paid tribute to Ade Gardner:

"He has been very good. He has been running the ball in 16/17 times a game; that's like having an extra front rower. He gets us some real go forward and a roll on as the forwards are getting on side.

"When he gets the chance he is finishing well too. He has done a lot of work under the high ball and has really improved and has been in good form. He probably doesn't get the credit he deserves.

"We had a conversation at the beginning of the season and I told him there was an opportunity to get back into the first team and earn a new contract and he said that was all he wanted to hear.

"He has taken that on board, has trained hard and it's no fluke where he is at."



Interesting insight into the Gardner senario

Gardner has been excellent this year so far. His work from around the ruck and more importantly returning kicks has been first rate. More of the same please.

I'd be happy with Gardner and Foster as our starting wingers next year as long as the current form is maintained. If Meli can come back well at centre then he or Wheeler could fill that gap next year too.

To be fair, his strength of finishing has always been good and he's never been shy of work. However, in 2006, he was absolutely superb under the high ball, so much so that not only was he flawless in defence, we turned it into a threat in attack. Somewhere along the lines he's got the wobbles and lost that, if he could get it back, he'll probably extend his saints stay.

He's been pretty solid so far this year. I think we're seeing signs of the old Gardner. He seems to have lost a bit of weight and that half of yard of pace is back. His work rate has upped considerably this year and that's good to see.