Hopefully he will prove to be a good signing, but Cunningham talking up how he can cover a number of positions sums up our recruitment in a nutshell for me.

You've been doing that, without any help, for years.

Above post is an excellent case in point.

You say this, but I'm right. If you don't agree, why?

Compare us to Leeds:

Hardaker (International) - Owens (Released by middle 8s side)
Hall (International) - Swift
Moon (International quality, doesn't play as in SL) - Turner
Watkins (International) - Peyroux (Released by worst NRL side, average of 8 appearances a season)
Briscoe - Makinson

You're okay with that? You think we'll match Leeds next year

Peyroux is an international to be fair. Moon isn't and wouldn't be even if he played NRL.

I get your point but you can make it without stretching the truth.

I'd swap peyroux for Moon any day of the week.

I agree with Saddened. Our recruitment this year is utter shocking. It's proper bargain basement signings and I don't think we will finish in the top 6 with this current squad.

Owens, fages and Tasi couldn't get a regular spot in their middle 8s teams and peyroux hardly played for a very very poor NZ Warriors side.

IMO a hell of a lot on our season will depend on how Luke Walsh plays next year, if he's the same as this year (looked finished ) then we in deep deep poo.

So would I mate, as would most people. I was just making the point he doesn't to be creative with the truth in order to get the point across.

Nit picking there Giraffe. By international I'm talking Australia/New Zealand/England. The other nations are filled with players that are good-amateur standard. I forgot about Percival, so replace Turner with him. Leeds still win that one currently, although I wouldn't swap Percy.

There are so many Saints fans running round with their fingers in their ears thinking it's still 2006. Truth is we're the 4th best side in SL and drifting. Wire were behind but have just slapped a jet engine to their boat. That might make it sink, or it might just shoot it past us. With the low quality we're bringing in we're in real danger of missing out on the top 4.

So neither Moon or Peyroux are internationals then?



I agree our recruitment is underwhelming on paper and I would have liked more. I still don't think we will fall out of the top 4 though; there simply aren't 4 better teams than us.

This is the killer quote for me:



So our new boy QUIT at Widnes rather than fight for a first team spot. He's behind stellar players like Patrick Caravan and he can't handle it.

Or, he knew a big club like saints were interested, it is also the club his best mate plays for. Widnes have signed numerous Aussie winger/centres & he was looking for a new challenge. Just a thought...

One of the reasons for a club being persistently at the lower end of Superleague is having a coaching set up that is not all that good at identifying and nurturing talent. Given that, the evidence cited for Jack Owens being a poor quality signing (that he's been released by Widnes without a fee) is scarcely worth a bean. However, if you labour under the delusion that our Chairman is not aiming for success then you probably believe that bean is magic. But there you go, on another board people are trying to persuade people that the world is flat; it takes all sorts.

Didn't we sign Sean Long on a free or nearly free from Widnes?

What have they done?

Which six clubs do you think will finish ahead of Saints?

Just some odds for next year's super league to chew over -:

Saints 4/1 2nd favs for the grand final

4/1 2nd favs for the regular season

1/3 for a top 4 finish

and 1/41 for a top 8 finish.

I don't understand the negativity here.If it doesn't work out then no harm done,Owens wont be commanding a big salary.Why not reserve judgment at least until he has played a couple of games,you may be pleasantly surprised.I am confident Jack will be a success at Saints,he's a very good RL footballer.And I wouldn't read too much into him not getting regular games at Widnes.

Wigan, Leeds, Warrington, Huddersfield will 100 % finish above us. I think catalan have recruited well as have hull and Cas are now a threat for the top 4.

I think we will finish 5th or 6th but if we lose Walmsley or Roby for any length of time then we are stuffed

So with a better squad were going to do significantly worse ... Makes sense

Be careful with comments like that mate. Always destined to come back and haunt you when you use the phrase 100% haha.

I think you're going a bit over the top. To suggest we will 100% finish outside of the top 4 when we are odds on to finish there is a bit drastic.

Jack Owens will be a quality player. As will Theo. I'm made up with our recruitment. Some big money comming off contract next year Walsh, Wilkin and possibly Burns. So expect bigger name signings then.

Names with seven letters in them rather than 6? The days of Saints making big signings are well and truly over.

You are made up with signing players that couldn't get into the first 17s of teams of a far lower standard than our current side? Really? If Owens is such a quality player, why couldn't he get into Widnes' team? Surely he'd be a star for them?

You are one of those sycophantic fans who would be made up if the club annouced it was re-signing Danny Arnold and playing it's home games on a Thursday morning and charging £312 per game. That or you're 12.

Yes I'm made up. The only thing that stopped this club winning anything last year was the coach IMO. We have a fantastic squad.

Leeds recruitment for this year is nothing special. Wigan dropped on with the fact there homegrown star was homesick, if Graham wanted to come home he'd be at Saints. Wire and Catalans have threw the kitchen sink at players because they needed too. Huddersfield and Cas,s recruitment has not been better than ours. Not a chance.

So stop crying. It is what it is. I've seen Jack Owens play from the age of 14 he is extremely talented as is Theo. Lama Tasi will be a star this year aswell

I like the signing. Both Fages and Owens are good signings as they both have good potential. But I agree that Pereyoux looks a poor signing. I'm fairly happy with tasi as there wasn't really much alternative.

We can only judge these players on paper at the moment so to make wild statements that we won't finish in the top 4 100% is ridiculous. I don't think we are any worse than Wigan. Leeds are clearly still the standout team so let's not get too carried away.

I claim my £5 if you are Widnes Academy from the Widnes forum. Jack was good at 16 and 17 with potential. But since then has been average at Widnes with some dodgy displays. I feel a bit overweight and slow.

Better squad? Really? You think ?

Will any idea these signings be in the 17 ?

Imo we won't make the top 4. The likes of Warrington hull and catalan look to have recruited well so look stronger. Huddersfield have recruited well and Leeds and Wigan Wilde Make the top 4.

Bookies had us joint favourites to win the 2015 grand final and we did didn't. The Bookies didn't give us a cat in hell chance in 2014 and we won it. Bookies odds mean nothing