How is it bad news we've signed a halfback? And the Gaskell subject has been done to death.

Gaskell wasn't good enough and wouldn't follow game plans! Along with all the other problems why should we have kept him?

Just read through this thread and for the last 3 pages there is just grumbles about Salford

. Hope Gareth plays to his potential and continues from where he was at when he last played for us. He's an intelligent player and has a great kick.

Brad Dywer who is our 3rd choice Hooker is on loan to the Giants.
But I don't see them as a rival come the play off's.

The last 4 will be Wire, Wigan, Leeds & Saints. If Saints don't make it then either Catalan or the Giants.

Give over, it's a sad situation when Wire's fourth choice halfback is better than anything we have. This is a recognition of massive failings in the recruitment, squad building and youth development at the club.

Agreed

He is also a very good goal kicker and from what I've watched of you this season, that looks like something you desperately need.

Our youth development has been made look better than it is by the likes of Graham and Roby. We seem unable to successfully promote young players consistently and we are years behind Leeds, Wigan and now apparently Wire. I think it has a lot to do with who we have sorting our youth compared to them.

So it seems that quite a few of you are now agreeing with what I have been saying for the last four years?

Just look at the England U18 academy team that beat France last weekend.

I've never tried to make out like our youth set up is superior. The first team shows it without going into the academy teams

We were told at the time they joined the first team that Lomax, Makinson and Percival were also very good goal kickers! What is 'very good'? Personally, I think our present crop are above Longy in ability but below Foster/Gaskell. In other words, pretty decent but inconsistent.

I'm with a lot of your comments on this, but I think you are flogging a dead horse here.

Let's see how he does - he can't be worse than Wello, Wilkin and especially Ashe at HB.

I'm all for it. I'm always in favour of playing players in position. I just wonder whether he will cope (with the pressure as we need wins) and our team will cope (with yet more disruption).

No one thinks you are anything than what you are.

Rogues Gallery is ....

Good news for me. Yes, it is worrying that we are in a position where we need to bring in a youngster from another club, but we all knew we were in that position already and we would be stupid to ignore the option of a decent quick fix. At least it shows the club haven't written off this season, even if many of the fans have.

There could easily be more to this than the mini crisis we're in this season. It is rumoured that Leigh have a really promising half back (Brierley) who will be playing Super League next season. If Warrington are that club, it may well be that O'Brien doesn't have a place for next season and wants out. This could end up being a trial more than a month's loan. (I don't see what good a month does, as we're back in the same boat when he goes).

We all saw what Lee Gaskell did in 2011, playing very well and alongside Lomax got us to a Grand Final. Since then, he was shown to be out of his depth at the start of 2012 with a number of below par and sometimes even anonymous displays, showing that he wasnt ready to be a SL standard 6. IMO it is no co-incidence that Royce left, Rush & KC moved Lance to 6 with Lomax and we went from playing very poor rugby to smashing Leeds and Warrington in a week.

NB came in and gave Gaskell a shot at the stand off position and he again showed he wasnt up to the job and that is why he was dropped again this year, and now has to play centre for Salford because he isnt good enough to play in halves for them, with McGoldrick (a full back or centre by trade) being preferred at 6.

End of day, Gaskell looked good for us 2 seasons ago when he broke through in the team, but since then has offered us nothing and looked out of his depth and for me that is a good enough reason not to play him at 6 for us

That is fantastic mate sums him up

I really cannot fathom Saints fans.

All season we are screaming blue murder for a halfback, we sign a halfback and now he is not good enough/a reject/waste of time/waste of a spot etc.

Make your minds up.

Funny, but I was mulling over the '4 week loan' this am as well. My thoughts were that there could be an understanding between the clubs for the 'rest of season', but Wire may have taken the 4 week period as an insurance policy in case Briers breaks down again. Of course Saints may also decide no thanks as well after the month, so both parties are happy.

I don't think GOB has hit his form of 2012 yet, but he has not had a settled run as he has been loaned to Cas as well as playing for Swinton, plus 3 first team games. Should be interesting to see how he gets on with you, but he will certainly be motivated.

4 weeks makes sense for all 3 parties IMO. Wire might need him in case Briers breaks down again, Saints might decide he isn't for us, and the lad himself might decide that Saints isn't for him. After the month is up, I am sure that there will be a review and if all 3 parties decide it is working then it will be continued for the rest of the season.

No harm in this it gives the lad a window of opportunity, and gives us breathing space

Gaskell would of done a job for us this year and we would not have been in this mess , and yes it's a big mess , we have signed a 7 FOR NEXT YEAR IT'S NOT GOING TO HELP US THIS YEAR I've seen people talking on er for a few years when it gose bad we just need this and we just need that , well we got a prop that didn't help , it will probly be a total dif team for next year but we could of sorted all this before I don't think Gaskell would of done a bad job alongside wilkin and we might of been in a better position than what we are