So now that Gardner, Gaskell and Foster are out of the team the witch hunt turns to Shenton.

Shenton has been the subject of negative comments for a while now. Personally I just don't think his elbow is good. That strapping is massive.

I think Shenton would be helped enormously by actually having the ball passed to him sometimes. Our playmakers don't seem to believe in the existence of our right edge.

the lack of ball to the right side is a joke. I was screaming for it to go that way. This needs to be sorted in training, and quickly. Its like attacking with half a team

There are a few problems, somethings can be altered now, but alot can't really change until the off season.

I actually think Wellens was one of our better backs yesterday, him and makinson stood out, were as the rest, well they didn't. But even with Wello being one of our better backs, it's all relative.

If we take each spot, we could put Lance at 1, or even makinson at 1, but then that put Wellens no where. Whilst some may rejoice at this, firstly it ain't going to happen and secondly it takes out Wello and puts who into the back line? Lance has not impressed me in any of his spots bar the leeds game, so putting him in for Wello is a none starter.
Half back we do have options, Gaskell was making errors early on in the season, but he was also doing stuff, kicking, passing, taking the ball 1st receiver, linking with Lomax and busting a gut running at the line and getting his head through. If people can't remember this then remember the verbals he got for not passing when he made his break.

Lance does none of the above, to be honest I'm not sure what he does do, and part of it maybe what was said by someone else if he is still running to dummy half.

The pack I thought did a job and whilst none of them made a killer blow in attack, they were solid defensively and gained Saints the majority of the possesion and territory. TP/Sia/Wilkin and Perry would be my suggestion as to who our attacking props are supposed to be. But with TP injured, Sia has not really been as blistering since his incident, Wilkin not seen much of this year and Perry AWOL going forwards, then it's not surprising that whilst being effective we are not turning teams around with the pack as basically every man in the pack offers the same type of game.

So in summary we have a pack that can do the basics very well, but nothing more to offer without TP playing or Sia getting his pre-incident game back.

Halfbacks are not what we need.

Backs, the experienced ones are not being effective, the young ones are making errors.

The daily star reporting today that we've signed turner and told shenton he's playing wing but he's not happy and linked with cas and hull.

that'll be interesting! still unless its the left wing he still wont get any ball!

I cant see it to be honest, he looks far too slow for a winger.

it is in the star!

Darren Albert to Michael Shenton in just a few years, some difference in speed there

i'd give up my arm for a '05 vintage Albert on our wing now!

It was the one game of the season so far that did matter, but never mind. It's only a game and I'm stuck going to a wedding that Saturday and couldn't have gone to Wembley anyway. And I didn't have to spend my Saturday afternoon being surrounded by 6-toed knuckle-dragging types so everyone was happy

Yes, and I'd remortgage my house for Newlove, Hunte and Judas to go with him, but those players simply don't exist in the British game anymore and we sadly have to make do with what is available instead and that, depressingly, is Shenton, Makinson, Wheeler, Foster, Gardner and maybe Turner. Nothing the signing fantasists rant about is going to change that unpallatable fact.

Of course they exist, they are just not at Saints.

They're not on this continent either!!!

As Top Saint beat me to pointing out, there are lots of players of that quality around, but practically none that wouldn't fill an overseas quota spot, or cost a very large amount of salary cap.

Must try harder. D-

Says a fan of a club with Carmont and Gelling on one side. He's faster than both of those.

I reckon Shenton in a straight line would be quite quick. It's just that no one has ever seen him have a run at Saints as he's never made a break.

One of which is a centre who has never played on the wing and the other is actually a second row by trade and isn't even a first choice winger and is only playing because Richards is injured and Russell and King werent ready when tried there. I thought Saints fans would have had higher standards than comparing their wingers, or potential wingers, to Wigan players that really arent. I would even doubt if Shenton is any quicker than those two anyway.

Shenton is a lot faster than Pat Richards while we're at it too.

And yet you say



If you have no idea how quick Shenton is how can you make such stupid statements. Shenton has been burned for pace time and time again this season and I would seriously doubt he is faster than Richards. I am sure that most SL fans would rather have Richards on the wing than Shenton.

Richards is in Wellens' class. His threat isn't from his speed.

Atkins and Bridge are a decent pair, I reckon those could be comparable to Hunte, not Newlove though.

In maybe now yes, before his injury in the 2010 GF he would have skinned shenton.

Luckily Richards has other qualities than just speed.

Putting Shenton to wing, something does not ring true about this.

That Brown would already have stated this as his intent would seam unlikey. If we are going to push Shenton to wing ahead of Makinson and Swift and Foster et al and we know this, then why continue with him at centre now. Put Josh jones in his centre spot and get him used to the wing.

Turner may have signed.
Shenton may be wanting to leave.
But Shenton to wing just does not sound true.

thats because bits balls, shenton is a centre, and pehaps if he bulks up and gains strength a 2nd row. the pace for wing he has not

It's precisely this kind of attitude which has seen us slide away into mediocrity. [i"There's nothing we can do - so let's just huddle down and accept failure"[/i. You're this site's very own Wallace Hartley - stoically playing "Nearer My God To Thee" on the deck of the Titanic as she slowly slips beneath the waters and into the oily black depths.

Six weeks ago there were simply no possible centres or wingers available that could improve upon Saints first team regulars. Which is odd given that Josh Jones - with a handful of games under his belt - has looked every bit as useful as Gary Wheeler whilst Adam Swift (yet another wet-behind-the-ears rookie) has weighed in with a brace of hat-tricks and shown glimpses of safe hands and excellent footwork.