When I posted the other week that some young lads wasn't happy with the Royce sacking and one player in particular then guess who?

I just think it's a bit of a step to not playing to being thrown out. We will have a reshuffle during the year, at the moment our form is good and the halfbacks are playing well. If it was Royce then yes you could expect a move around for no good reason. But the new team are only changing for players who are unavailable. Gaskell plays neither FB or Centre, so he ain't going to get a shot until Lomax or Lance are injured or need a rest. He may make the Castleford game with such a quick turn around.

Wellens will be back for that one and Makinson will be out.

Gaskell should only be worried if we where still having poor form and he was not picked, or if Lance or Lomax where injured and someone else was brought in.

Gaskells issue is that unlike Lomax, Lance, Wheeler he is more of a one position player at present, with a bit more bulk he could slot into loose forward, but until that time. He is the 3rd choice halfback and there only room for 2 in each game and back on the bench has been binned. (rightfully so).

He may not be happy and in a way I'm glad, any player happy to sit out the team and take the money is not worth having, but without having other positions to his bow, he will have to bide his time. I have no idea if he has the temperament to do that, you may know better. But he was accelerated into the first team a good 2 to 3 years ahead of schedule. Had Eastmond re-signed a contract, would Gaskell even have got a first team game last year????

I think he's got good temperament and is a good lad but he's had a taste of the big time and was getting picked infront of pryce around play off time last year so I'd imagine he pretty gutted!

Yep. I would imagine he's not the only one.

Your probably right but when your team has turned over the world champions and the champions elect in the last two games, it's hard to go knocking on the door.

I see it as all very positive rather than negative. We all know there are players who are due to retire. At some point they will need to be replaced. We have SL ready players ready to come in. Rather than having to test players once the old hands are gone.

They might have done that anyway. We will never know.

But is he willing to wait for that I heard someone say at the wire game that the chairman had offered him a new deal

Well that's down to Gaskell but he only just got a new deal in his pocket last year. There is another Saints player who was pushed out or jumped ship some years ago. That would be Lee Briers. Whether pushed or jumped, you cannot deny his pure talent and neither can you deny that without the intervention of Tony Smith, Lee Breirs could have ended up his playing days at Wire frustrated at not achieving the heights that his talents could have taken him too at other clubs.

If Gaskell wants a move for being out for 3 games, well that's his choice, but I would doubt it firstly and if it was the case he needs to think carefully as a move in haste may leave him frustrated for years to come.

Roby bided his time as a reserve for many years and it was an apprentiship served well. Same for Wilkin.

Gaskell has played the last 3 games for the 20's and gone about his business in the right way let his talking be done on the field

He has been playing well and his kicking and running game has been superb

I also heard McManus has offered him a new 4 year deal

He'll get his chance now Lomax is likely to be missing for a few weeks.

Time for him to grab it and make it difficult for Rushingham (are we still doing this, or did it stop with Royce?

) to drop him.

Gaskell will be a fine player. Arguably the best of the current academy crop.

But [iright now[/i he's still trying to cope with being physically deficient against established pros who clearly aren't.

More than anything Gaskell needs time.

Miss out on Mondays squad brine swift in instead of him think it's time for him to start looking elsewhere not.looking good for him under the current coaching staff

He's injured.

He aint injured just one of the coaches won't pick him

I've heard he's injured, maybe your source is better though?

If it is true that he's available but not selected, it not only signals that he's not got a career at Saints but also indicates a shocking team selection. We have a halfback in the ressies who was good enough to get MOM in two high stakes play off games, but we choose to overlook him by playing a slowing full back at scrum half and an untested kid at fullback.

Madness, if true.

I've been told he's broke a bone in his foot.

Wasnt broke last night

He played the full game against Wigan and was walking around with everyone at the end no problem.

Not injured. Just not picked.

He could have been injured doing anything it might not be rugby related. If he has been dropped however given our current injuries my prediction of him not having a future at Saints looks right.

Is he out of favour?

Always thought he and Lomax were your most promising youngsters.

Gaskell if not injuried should feel unlucky not to be picked now lomax and wilkin are out

Maybe Gaskell and the coaching staff have concluded that, at this time, he'll be better served learning more of his craft and rebuilding his confidence in the 'reserve' team. Don't forget that Rush has been his mentor at Saints and knows him as a player better than anyone (and, one would assume, Gaskell has trust in Rush)