He was a utility player, he'd played pretty much everywhere in the backline for Bradford but wanted to settle as a 6. Also we had Longy at the time so he had time to settle in the team

Season ticket burning at the Salford game in protest anyone

I think I'll hold off buying a season ticket for next year though now. Not inspired by next years squad at all so I might just keep my cash and be selective on my games.

We simply MUST have cap space available next year and we need to be bringing in some quality and offloading some of the average players like Ashurst

I've no reason to be pessimistic.

No.1 Saint - feel free to listen to Hohaia's interview. It's on the Saints website somewhere, assuming they have retained the link.

I've seen Lance Hohaia kick. He did one of Stevo's 'chips over the top', regathered and scored. I remember thinking at the time that we have no-one who can do that at Saints. I also love his pace. He can fly from a standing start. And he is evasive. I would imagine how well he goes in the halves will depend on how vocal he is and whether he can organise us. Only time will tell that bit.

Doesn't that merely prolong the problem? The Club needs the supporters to get behind them, fill the fantastic new stadium we have, and give us the spending power we need to compete for/with the best? This is assuming that people are able to afford it of course.

Despite my reservations I have signed up for another 5 years - I have had a season ticket for over 30 and will continue to have one for as long as I am financially able to do so.

I will be at every game no matter how good/bad we are.

Ditto. I'll be first in line behind Blobby and his crew the next time they storm the Director's box though!

#newstadiumriotsnextseason

Maybe your right, but I'll wait and see. There is nothing more painful than watching a team without direction , it's normally dull and more often than not involves a good kicking. I've played in teams with no recognised halves and it's horrible as a forward.

And can you tell me exactly how Saints had any say in the decisions of Jammer, Eastmond and Pryce? They were all out of contract and all free agents as a result. Saints made it clear that they had offered Jammer the 'best deal ever', they offered Eastmond and Pryce deals which they thought reflected their value. These three all want to do different things with their lives than play for Saints. That's a fact. And there is sod all that Saints can do about it short of chaining them all in a darkened room somewhere.

However, Saints could have done nothing and we would have no experienced halfback at all by now. Thankfully they didn't and they planned for the eventuality of having no experienced halfback by bringing in an experienced halfback who Royce has actually worked with and knows, making life easier all round in terms of him (Hohaia) settling in and blending with the team. Saints controlled what they could control and did their best in those areas they couldn't.

I like everyone else with a brain know that you cant do much with players out of contract if they dont want another one however you can recruit PROPER replacements. Hohaia IS NOT A HALFBACK anymore than gardner is a prop. If we had an established halfback then the risk of recruiting a fullback then converting him would be lessened, like when we brought in Leon to partner Longy .. this is not the case. I think the recruitment strategy is at best high risk at worst a total and utter disaster.

Ok. So Hohaia was lying on his interview with Radio Murkeyside then? Have you listened to it yet?

Never mind about lance and what position he plays or would like to play ,he was coming before this announcement, so is not a replacement.

Unless you are really Andy Coulson it is not possible to put a positive spin on another one of top players leaving us. The quality of the squad is going backwards - we are going to be also rans for next season.

I dont honestly care what he says. He plays FB for NZ and the Warriors not 6 or 7 . End of really.

As for his kicking game I hope he has alot more in his locker than a chip and chase, we need someone capable of pinning teams back or getting us out of jail like Deacon does for Wigan etc

No I suspect he wasn't lying. Then again neither were Darren Bloor, Gus O'Donnell, Scott Moore, Matty Smith or indeed Jonny Lomax but that doesn't make them specialist halves either. I think you are (mischievously I suspect

) avoiding the issue.

Hohaia is not a halfback. He may have been once but then that begs a different question......if that's his hot position and has been all along then why has he not played there for 4 years? If the answer is that there were other, better HB's in fornt of him at NZW, then he would have had plenty of opportunities at other Clubs. Souths go through halves like they're out of fashion but no NRL club was chasing Lance to play at half. That's a fact.

I would suggest you are being selectively blind or deaf. When Kyle announced his decision to leave, Lance was recruited. Replacement for 7. Leon is 6. We have Wheeler, Lomax and Gaskell who all play at 6. We only need one experienced halfback and no matter how many times No.1 Saints repeats what he does, Lance is an experienced halfback, but at 6. Royce has already enabled Jonny Lomax to give it a go at 7; I'm quite sure he could educate an experienced player like Lance Hohaia in the finer arts of feeding the bloody scrum.

Oh, and the sarky comments about his chip kicks are silly, No.1 Saint. That is what I have seen him do, as I wrote. Not all that he can do. I have no idea what other kicks he can do. I was just excited by the fact that he could 'chip over the top' and regather - something I haven't seen a Saints player do for years. Scuse me for allowing the small things in life to make me happy.

No he isnt. He may have played the odd game there but that does not qualify him as 'experienced'. In fact I bet Lomax has played more games in the halves than him




And there lies the problem. Oh next seaon should be fun when we cant get over the half way line when we play a set out of our own 20 under pressure.

got to love saintsfan and her 'fingers in the ears la la la i cant hear anything youre saying' approach.

You credit me with a deviousness I don't possess.

I heard Hohaia's interview and just accepted what he said. No reason to disbelieve him and since Royce coached him then I figure he has no reason to lie, given that he will be playing under Royce again.

Am I the only one who can see we are doing it on the cheap?

I've been saying it for 3 years. We've lost our ambition to win things and now looking fir cheap option signings.

I've got a great deal of respect for sir mac but he's gone down a little in my eye now. He's come out in public a number of times saying we will have a team to grace the new stadium, obviously that's lies. He should just be honest and say, we are broke and doing best we can with what little money we've got.

The great names that have left this club over the last few years and never been replaced.

I wonder what sort of impact Losing Graham, pryce and eastmond will have on season ticket sales?

I've just signed up for another year but now I've starting have I done the cottrect thing.

Yes. But that's because you live on your own little planet, Pete. It's called delusion.

Strange about Radio Merseyside; players quite often say things that later turn out to be a little different.
e.g. Leon on 20/01/11:


Funny that...

I think changing your mind is very different from changing your history!

The future shape of your squad has to be a concern for you guys but it seems that the club have done their best in view of the finances available.
Pryce was offered a two year deal and that was seen as right, the player wanted three. Three years for Pryce on the very top money is something the BOD have not been prepared to go along with. That is very understandable.

You will have Lance H with experience as well as Gaskell, Lomax and Wheeler who can and have played at six. It is also rumoured that you have another signing to come in. Do you know if it will be a prop or a half?

I just think that in all of this you can't take the finances out of the whole matter. There is then the unknown of the test court case with Leeds and the HMRC over ebt's etc. Lose that and it's a another pile of debt for most clubs.

Chill out. I said mischievous as in fun not devious as in malicious.

He's not gonna come out and say 'actually no I ain't played HB since x years ago so at best I am gonna be rusty, at worst utterly diabolical' is he? This is PR for God's sake. The point, which I am staggered you are repeatedly failing to acknowledge let alone see, is that Hohaia is NOT a half back. Ergo we do NOT have a recognised half back next year.

Most people other than you it would appear, as is your right, are more than a little concerned about that given that we have played this year without recognised half backs and have manifestly demonstrated an inability to win when it matters.

In the main I agree but you need to read this post in it's entireity. Lance will play at Half Back. Lance is not a half back.

I think

that the incoming player is a prop. No names mentioned

Since Royce Simmons helped coach him down under and he helped recruit him, if there were lies, deceit, PR or whatever you want to call it going on, Royce is in on it too. And the club. A veritable consipracy really, to fool all the fans into thinking we have a true halfback when really we will be total sheeite next season.

Jeez. Get a grip people.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Hohaia in action. His pace alone is fabulous. And I just loved seeing that chip kick and regather. Gave me great hope!