Thats how I'd play it too.

Obviously you would not play the same guys each week, we need to give Forester etc a go and not just for injuries.

A pack of TP Roby Perry Sia Manu Wilkin

sub LMS, Clough, Flanaghan, Forester

is still a good enough pack when playing teams lower down the division and gives Laffranchi or whoever more rest time for the end of season and the youngsters time to develop alongside a strong pack.

I dunno about that - all 3 were 6' 5" and over as I recall. Tony Kay was one of my favourite players ever actually - I've never seen another player who clearly loved every second he had playing in a Saints shirt as much as he did. He couldn't either make or break a tackle to save his life but I loved watching him anyway. Harrison was a great meat and potatoes player - if Walmsley ends up as good we'll be doing OK. Jones was quite posssibly the worst player I've ever seen in a Saints shirt...

Who was Jones?

So, is the considered opinion of the posters that this is a good signing, and well done Mr McManus?

I think we should file it for later use, when he fails to win 10 consecutive man of the match awards, and people start to say that our recruitment is appalling. Am sure that people were equally pleased at the signing of great young prospects and current internationals like Shenton and LMS, but time seems to dim some memories.

Paul Jones... Decent defensive workhorse but the worst player with ball in hand you'll ever see in the top division - he could have played with oven gloves on and you'dve noticed no change in the quality of his handling. I remember one midweek game against Bradford where we ripped them apart with one long flowing passing move after another all night (those were the days) and [ievery single one of them[/i broke down the instant anyone passed it to him, usually with a knock on. If you were lucky he just died with it when he got the ball and I don't think he ever made a pass in his life.

The less you know the better probably

Really positive signing if he's as aggressive and destructive as people are saying which, added to Manu who is an absolute machine, really does give our pack a more formiddable look for 2013.

For all the (justified) criticism the club have copped over our recruitment, they've noticed the weaknesses in our pack and at least made an effort to address them.

Definitely, should be done NOW.

A certain video hosting site shows a glimpse of Walmsley’s 2 tries for Batley v Halifax 2/9/2012.

Nice little dummy to beat the fullback on the second try.

Wow I have no memory of him at all. Pickavance played about then, who I seem to remember was fairly tall too. One of my face players from that time, shame he never made it

Alex will rip it up in Super League, i will wager anything he's Englands first choice prop within 2 years, ive watched him play since his amateur days and this was the only possible outcome, he is truly awesome and much better than Chris Hill was in his Championship days.

So who do you think he'll play more for next season, Saints or Batley, given he'll be on dual reg?

To be honest, if he gets started with Saints now and has a full pre season with them id say he'll spend more time with you next year and probably only turn out for Batley if he picks up an injury and needs easing back in.

It's been an absolute pleasure to watch Alex this year. I have no hesitation in saying he will be in your starting 17 in no time and we will see very little of him in his dual reg deal. The lad is unlike any prop in the game today championship or SL. Will be an instant cult hero. I train with the Bulldogs comunity touch team, and whenever we train on the Mount after 1st team training he stays out after all the other lads have finished and does extra sprint training. I'd be shocked if he isn't at least an England knight by 2014. Good luck Alex very well deserved.

SOunds like he [imay[/i go back to Batley early on to try out his improved condition and skills from a full time preseason, but won't stay long. I'm very excited.
As I say, I'd hope that if he's playing at Langtree, we could compensate Batley with one of our other good young props on dual reg too.

'The Beast' is an extraordinary talent, and the most destructive, hardest runner of a ball I've seen at any level of the game. I've lost count of the number of opposition players who have been left shivering on the ground in a crumpled, demoralised heap after attempting to stop him.

Out of curiosity, how many minutes does he tend to do? Is he an impact player or a starter?

Looking forward to seeing him play.

He's an impact player doing a couple 15-20 minutes stints if I'm not mistaken. He certainly works hard on his fitness so no worries there.

Pickavance had a decent career as far as I remember - was a regular in the side through the mid '90s. Did he retire due to injury or something? Or get shunted off to Swinton?

I seem to remember him kicking a drop goal at Wigan once.

In the 16 all draw in the CC at Central Park. Always played well against Wigan.
Went to Swinton around '98 I think.

He,s had 18 games as impact player and 1 game as starter, in that time he has scored 8 tries and won 3 MOM awards.
Last few games he,s playing like a wrecking ball, difficult player to stop when on the charge.

I believe he will be dual reg, saints appreciation to John Kear who processed some of the move. He will be brought into the team cautiously and maybe taken out of the first team squad to play a couple of games for Batley. Thats what I was told, perhaps St Pete can confirm this.

That's exactly the same as what I've been told, bar the bit about Kear. I'm not sure Pete is posting anymore, certainly haven't seen any recently which is a shame.

Jones was only around for a couple of seasons and only ever made the side when we had an injury crisis (for very good reason) and even then almost always on the bench, but he stilll managed to rack up double figures in first team appearances I think. I can understand why you might have blocked him from your memory though

Pickavance came into the side 2 or 3 years after Jones left I think - another great young player who just never quite fulfilled his potential although he still had a pretty good run in Saints' squad for 3 or 4 years as I recall.

a bit in the fozzard mould