Hohaia is a good player, but I think he's taking time to adjust to the way we play and his position. He's already played 3 positions for us and has only just strung a few games together at 6. I think he'll turn out to be a good signing in the long run, we'll just have to be patient with him.

That doesn't hide the fact that I think we made a big blunder in releasing Leon Pryce, a naturally classy number 6 who hasn't picked up an injury this year.

To be fair, I don't think anyone has suggested he's come for a easy paycheck as he's certainly putting the effort in.

He did, hence his nickname "Howler"

He did make mistakes but usually waited till he was on his own line in a big game, Meli style.

The last few week has proved IMO that Gaskell's future at Saints is in doubt and for me he is highly over rated.

I said he didn't make [ithis number[/i of mistakes - not that he didn't make any mistakes.

It's only a blunder in hindsight. Let us not forget Pryce's form was hardly stellar when we let him go.

Well said.

Yesterday what he did well was the subtle and little-noticed plays - the unselfish stuff. Yes, he got bagged a few times trying to work a play, but I can live with that on the odd occassion.

Royce never got anything like a performance out of Hohaia, probably a combination of Hohaia being new to the club & having to get used to gameplays/players, and Royce not having an effective gameplan (and the team lacking cohesion & confidence as a result)

In the games since Rush/KC have had the reigns, Hohaia - playing at 6 - has put in a stormer against Leeds, a very good performance against Wire, been isolated against wi*an when Lomax went off early, and had one of those games against Widnes where the very visible stuff didn't come off (like many players in the second half, likely trying to do the showboating thing as Widnes had looked like conceding every time we got into their half in the 20-40 minutes period)

He's therefore played 4 games at stand off for Saints (since Royce left) and I think it's ridiculous to write him off as a stand off in that time - especially when he's put in two great performances against two of the best teams in the competition in those four games.

I'd rather wait another 10-12 games before I judge whether he's going to be a good enough No6 or not.

But, having watched Saints since 1984/5, I know how fond my fellow Saints fans are of piling into a player and creating a bogeyman out of them - something that seems to gather a momentum of its own and, over the years, has led to players losing all confidence and never reaching the heights they're capable of.

The guy never runs with the ball.Looking a very poor signing

After reading something on redvee and then hearing him say that I'm not so sure!

Pryce came back from a serious injury, it's natural he was going to need some time to find his form. I still think he could've given us 3 more good years, especially when we signed Hohaia (overseas player and the same age as Pryce).

Tbf the poster who you are replying to has a point: it's easy to say that now.

I think Hohaia is two years younger than Pryce.

Does anyone know why we actually let Pryce go? Was it down to his injuries? Or did he ask for too much money maybe? Seems like an utterly stupid decision in hindsight.

Do you think so? I don't think so. He's already had two sessions of injury at the Dragons and he did drift in and out of games, just as he is doing still. I think we need someone more consistently 'present' partnering our young player in the halves.

As to why he left, I've got no idea. Nothing was ever said. It never is!

I do remember Pryce himself saying in a press interview that he wanted to stay at Saints if 'the money was right'. So it could have been a question of money.

We did offer pryce a two year deal but Catalan blew us out the water, he's on huge deal and also got the extra year.

Let's look at what really happened - not revisionist history. Pryce was becoming increasingly less effective (largely because he was being asked to assume near total responsibility for providing the side's attacking thrust resulting in him being marked out of the game) in the lead up to a string of injuries which - at one point - looked like finishing his career completely.

Given his age, hefty wages and diminishing returns it was only natural to consider alternative arrangements. There was no evidence - at that time - to suggest he could ever repeat the best days of his career. And even if he could - for how much longer?

He does run with the ball, plenty of metres too...[size=50pity they are all sideways[/size

Pryce didn't rate Simmons. I told you about his radio summarising on the Bradford v Saints game at Odsal last year. It was obvious then that he was leaving.

Wigan had played at Cas the same day and we had the Bradford v Saints game was on the radio whilst coming home. Pryce was quite scathing on Simmons style of play.

Pryce didn't rate anyone - other than Pryce.

He rates Anderson

If I recall Brown's comment on Hohaia came after Chappers (i think it was) incorrectly stated that Rush & Cunningham had moved him to stand-off from fullback where he had been playing. Which obviously wasn't the case.

Lance is obviously a very good player and will be a useful Saints player ultimately, but is struggling to settle into a team in a process of upheaval and isn't being helped by having no obvious natural position free to be able to play in it. He still looks like a very odd signing to me overall and the fact that he prevents the extra Aussie prop or #7 we need being signed indefinitely makes it all the worse. Unless he was asking really silly money or the medical reports really were that bad then we'd have been far better off taking the gamble on a 3 year offer to Pryce any day.

To me and maybe it's just me, we are a team in transition, we have lots of potential and a few players who are past their best, but probably only Roby and Sia who are at a peak. (Like I say it's only my opinion). Occasionally some of those past their peak turn up and roll back the years having stormers. But they are happening less and less, leaving it to those with potential to fill the gap.

As for Leon, he was never someone to control a game. He was someone who could run strong and create a gap or a nice pass, but he was never the general directing play. He relied on Long for that and when Long was gone his game became all the less for it. He's have about 1 good kick a game. He has not been as far as I am aware the man lighting up Catalan's.

I would think that 2014 should be the year where we look to resurge and anything before then is a bonus. I'm not talking about being out of the races until 2014, but not being hot favourites, like say Warrington currently are.

By the end of 2013 there will be alot of names up for renewal. At this Point Brown can really change the team.

Names up between now and 2013 Wellens, Ade, Meli, Perry, La Franki (but has an option for another year), TP, Clough, Dixon, Flannery (gone), Shenton, Flanaghan, Magennis,

Now I'm going to be harsh but I can see Brown saying don't bother resigning any of these until I've had half a year with them. That's 12 players, basically a full side he could replace after next year.

Those like clough, dixon, wellens should probably only get one year extentions max this year, to not tie Browns hands. If he likes what he see's then fair enough, he can offer further extentions, but if he see's better down the academy, or elsewhere then he should be able to change the team and he will get the benefit in his first year of everyone playing for a contract, (which is always a good incentive).

My 2014 squad line up

Lomax, Makinson, New Centre, Wheeler, New Winger, Lance, Gaskell, New Prop, Roby, New Prop, Sia, New SR, New LF

TP (possibly), LMS, Wilkin, Clough(or Magennis I don't think we will keep both), Jones, Flanaghan (maybe),

Some players are in there, due to length of contract rather than a preferance to keep them. Also we need to have 8 homegrown, it's the rules. No doubt below the first 19 there will be a raft of academy players like most other teams have, but these will change every couple of years so hard to predict who will survive or will be new in 2014.

He rated Steve McNamara. Seriously.