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I think you've misunderstood my posts.

I've never ever said hohaia is a bad signing, I'm made up with the signing as he's fast, can beat a man and will always be threat with ball in hand.

I'm a big fan if his.


Also you've misunderstood my posts about him playing in the halves. He'll go well in the halves as he takes the line on, he's a born attacker but my only worry is we will lack a ball player and little bit of direction as we have all this year.

So the is a pic of him kicking, that proves he's got a kicking game then phew!

Nail on the head! We do need a little general to direct us. At the moment were so predictable it's unreal.

I don't think so , if he was the 'general' type he would have been playing 6 or more likely 7 in the NRL. From what I remember of him he is almost certainly going to be more in the mould of a 6. I expect him to work the link with the backs and be a very good runner but I cant see him directing us round the park. Hope I'm wrong

As a big NRL fan I can't tell you that lance has never really shown he's the playmaker ball playing halfback we need. He's a runner and that's why he's been so good at fullback in the NRL.

The is nothing to day he can't adapt and take the ball playing role on but his game is taking the line on.

Well, I think Simmons will know more about him than anyone on here and he said he'd brought him in because we needed experience in the halves. So I'm tending towards trusting Royce's judgement on this one rather than the mere speculation of people on here.

Lee Briers takes the line on yet nobody would question his ability to direct play. Longy used to do it too. The two are not mutually exclusive you know. He could be a right gobby git on the pitch but we have no idea about that because he's not here yet!

I just hope Royce knows what he's doing as some of the recruitment for next year is a little worrying. I'm not worried with the players we've brought in as I think laffranchi and lance will be high level super league players but it's if they adapt to playing postions they are not used to.

Only time will tell.

When I say lance takes the line on, I mean he's more of a runner who runs at the line.

Your correct we don't know if lance is a gobby git but I'll tell you jonny lomax is a very quite guy which I know for a fact saints are trying to get him out of his shell.

That sand you've got your head in must be nasty. It's not speculation if you've seen him play. Take it from someone who's played in a team with mish mash halfbacks (like fullbacks who fancy themselves as a 7 because they want to get more ball) it isnt petty to watch or be part of. We desperately need a real 'general' 7 to help develop all these talented young players we have.

I hope to god I'm wrong and Hiho proves all his NRL coaches wrong and turns out to be a world class halfback who guides us round the park and kicks teams to death.

I've seen him play, yes, at fullback. He'll presumably have some direction over the defence from that position. But I haven't consciously watched him to see if he's talking! I've been watching the match and I've been impressed with his skills. I love his speed from standing start, his passing, his ability to score tries, his supporting play, his short kicking game, his elusiveness and his willingness to put the hits in for defence. All those are good things that are equally applicable to a halfback as to a fullback. The only bit we don't have is the vocal bit because he is playing at fullback at present. Since we now all know I was right when I said he HAD played at 6 in the NRL then we can assume he knows something of what is required of him.

Lomax, however, was asked to do a job that was meant for someone else. He's a quiet lad and so may never make it as a halfback. We'll no doubt get a better idea next season when there will be options rather than no choice due to injuries.

I think this year proves that without good quality halfbacks/halfback that it's pretty tough to get a result in tight games.

Off topic - you want to see the stud mark I got last Saturday, right on the knuckle and completely down to the bone. You can see my bone thru the stood hole. I didn't need a op like that s*ithouse charnley.

Spot on with your comments about lance, that's exactly the sort of player he is and he'll be breath of fresh air having a real attacking back that can beat players.

Nasty, they stitch it up ? I miss playing already and were only 1 game into the new season

Absolutely. But I think Hohaia is a quality halfback, in much the same way as Tomkins was. Who is saying that Tomkins isn't a halfback just because he can play well at fullback? I hear nobody saying that. So why are people saying that just because his coach has asked him to play at fullback, Hohaia isn't a good halfback? He has played at 6 in the NRL, as everyone now knows.


I don't think Charnley had an operation either because according to a report in I think it was League Express but it could have been League Weekly, there was no sign of a bandage or anything on his finger. It was supposed to have been broken!

Well before I head to bed I would like to point out Wilkin has played halfback in SL , Wello has played hooker and Ade Gardner has played a stint at second row ... so having played the odd game in the halves doesnt make you a halfback, it makes you cover.

No mate, didn't go hospital but if it gets infected ( looking that way) I'll have to go docs. Didn't bleed tho, just big hole.

I've not suggested he can't play in the halves but IMO it's a risk. If it turns out he ain't up to it leaves us with two young halves again.

And if memory serves, Wilkin impressed a lot of people in the halves this season. I remember people saying on here just how good he looked there. As somebody in one of the RL papers said, there is a halfback trying to get out of Wilkin. It's why he loves a running game I reckon.

I remember taking a group of teenagers out to a skating rink in Manchester and one of them decided to kick a total stranger in the shin with her ice boot because that stranger had called her a racist name. I had to look at the stranger's shin while I was grovelling in apology on behalf of my now banned young person. There was a big hole into the bone and not a drop of blood. It turned my stomach.

Wilkin is like a old school 13.

That's exactly how my stood mark is. Its gone down to the bone and no blood. It's horrible, if you picture hole in your knuckle with bone showing

I've mentioned that I'd like to see Forster.

I'd also like them to have a go with
#1 Lomax
#6 Wheeler
#7 Gaskell

I think that would be very potent.
However, so close to the playoffs, I wouldn't expect Royce to be doing any experimenting or resting anyone. He'll want to go into the POs with a settled side.

Pryce and Lomax at 6 and 7 for definite. They need as much time on the field as possible beofre the play offs start. Why play Wheeler and Eastmond there when they won't be our starting halves come playoff time? We're lacking cohesion and need to get our starting halves some game time.

Wheeler should play. He can then be given a prognosis for how long he'll be out for and might be back for the start of the new season.

Read off saints twitter that Simmons said he will field a young side. Roby (hand) and Meli (hamstring) will be given the week off, Soliola a doubt also.