Anyone know what the first bit even means? It reads to me like they are going to sign several players, but clearly he cannot mean that?

Who could these overseas targets be exactly? Interesting. Carney and Prince are the only ones I heard mentioned as potentially being available. Prince is too old already so would be a massively disappointing signing, even as a stop gap as we've no one at the club who is good enough to step in after him unless there is someone who hasn't played for the first team yet, the likes of Gaskell, Wheeler and Lomax certainly aren't up to it.

Quote ="Saddened!"Anyone know what the first bit even means? It reads to me like they are going to sign several players, but clearly he cannot mean that? Who could these overseas targets be exactly? Interesting. Carney and Prince are the only ones I heard mentioned as potentially being available. Prince is too old already so would be a massively disappointing signing, even as a stop gap as we've no one at the club who is good enough to step in after him unless there is someone who hasn't played for the first team yet, the likes of Gaskell, Wheeler and Lomax certainly aren't up to it.'" A slightly less cryptic take on this from Eamonn: "It is a pity, because the club has invested so much time and energy in Kyle's development," said the St Helens chairman, Eamonn McManus, pointedly. "But we've lost much bigger players than Kyle in recent years and coped OK, and we'll carry on now. We've started thinking in terms of finding a replacement – looking at the options we have from within, and seeing what's outside, both in the overseas and domestic market. It's for next season so there's no mad rush, but I don't think we're the only Super League club looking around for half-backs." www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/ma ... s-catalans

Quote ="Saddened!"Anyone know what the first bit even means? It reads to me like they are going to sign several players, but clearly he cannot mean that? Who could these overseas targets be exactly? Interesting. Carney and Prince are the only ones I heard mentioned as potentially being available. Prince is too old already so would be a massively disappointing signing, even as a stop gap as we've no one at the club who is good enough to step in after him unless there is someone who hasn't played for the first team yet, the likes of Gaskell, Wheeler and Lomax certainly aren't up to it.'" A slightly less cryptic take on this from Eamonn: "It is a pity, because the club has invested so much time and energy in Kyle's development," said the St Helens chairman, Eamonn McManus, pointedly. "But we've lost much bigger players than Kyle in recent years and coped OK, and we'll carry on now. We've started thinking in terms of finding a replacement – looking at the options we have from within, and seeing what's outside, both in the overseas and domestic market. It's for next season so there's no mad rush, but I don't think we're the only Super League club looking around for half-backs." www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/ma ... s-catalans

Todd Carney... ooohh, that's a very interesting one!

Why? I believe the decision on whether to sack him is going to be announced by Friday. Talented player but would he even get through the new border control regulations here with a DD charge?

I don't know if he'd be allowed over here, but he was the Dally M winner last year so I'd take him in a heartbeat. Joel Monaghan has come here with problems but is going well so far at Warrington. Carney would be immense for us, he really would.

He'd have to play in France first.

Dont worry Longy will be back.

Didn't think he was that old! I agree he's to old.

Greg bird anyone? I know he's a loose or stand off but stand off and scrumhalf don't differ much these days.

It tells me Colquitt may be a card shark



I read it as an alternative way of saying IRONS IN THE FIRE.

However these arent from other clubs, but junior players who are likely to join the first team squad in the years ahead.

One of our great positives is that we as a club have the resources to develop from within. Most other clubs would be forced to look elsewhere.

I personally expect us to promote Gaskell more this season, with him being the starting half next season, alongside Pryce.

Yes, of the nine players Saints have in the England squads, four were recruited from elsewhere.

God bless you Rogues, you could find two identical snow flakes if it made Saints look bad.

Gaskell isn't a scrum half though? He looks as though he could possibly play 1 or 6 but I refuse to believe he's played 7 much. He's already too tall and not the right type of player.

Leon is another 99.99% likely to leave at the end of the season along with Jammer and Kyle. We can't go replacing them with more kids. There has to be established talent brought in somewhere.

I know you like to play up to your persona, but "too tall" for a scrum-half ? When did I miss that memo ? Too slow, too weak, too incapable of passing, too much biscuit in the bones - all perfectly good criticisms. But too tall ? How on earth can a scum-half be too tall ? He doesn't have to run through the scrum tunnel, you know ?

Brett Seymour ?

How many 11 foot beanpoles have you seen play scrum half? All the greats I can remember Murphy, Long, Eastmond, Smith, Goulding, Edwards, Burrow. They are all diminutive types.

What position did Gaskell play for the youth teams? I'll bet it wasn't 7.

Isn't Cooke a tall half, granted he's not a great (could have been if he'd applied himself better).

He made the biggest mistake of his career when he left Hull to go to HKR,bet he regrets it now though.

There are tall halves yes, but who has ever heard of a tall scrum half that was any good?

Perhaps I'm being too old school and expecting there to be a noticable difference between the two. But the way I've always seen it is you have one half back that can organise the line, can feed the ball on to runners effectively and who has both a short and long kicking game. Normally called the scrum half. You have another who operates wider out but who can run. Perfect example being Leon at stand off and Sean Long at scrum half.

By the Saints official website's own admission, Gaskell is a stand off whose main strength is his ability to take on defenders.

his biggest mistake was picking up a pint

Second biggest mistake wad being a pint of wife better

You would bet wrong.
The first time I saw Gaskell play it was at 7 and I commented on here that he looked very good.
He was quite small and slim then, and I think I compared him to a young Sam Tomkins.

However he appears to be one of those kids that has had a late growth spurt, and he certainly shot up.

Since then I have seen him play at 1, 3, 6 and 7. He is a very talented young player no doubt.

Well he's not yet. Only turned 31 this week so he was probably 30 last time you checked!

Youngest quickest backs in the league at Leeds next season

bjb, hardacker, watkins, smith, hall and the old boys at 27/28 McGuire and burrow!

shame your forwards are old crocks though

Physiques change to meet changing requirements. If , forty years ago you'd have asked someone like Murphy whether the sizes and shapes of today's players are feasible he'd have probably said no. Back then it was common to field props which weren't as heavy as some of this era's wingers.

In Murphy's day there was far greater emphasis put on clever play around the scrum and ruck which meant being small was an asset. Today those rules no longer exist and there is nothing to prevent a taller, more muscular player prospering at seven.

The reason you don't see bigger players holding down a seven shirt (and doing well) is because they never get an extended run there.