Let's be realistic, would Potter really walk straight into the club and take kicking duties from a key player when that player was on 999?

Maybe the pressure is off Longy now and he'll come good or the pressure is off Potter and he'll give it to someone else. Either's a winner.

I didn't say take them away; just share them out. I don't see why a new coach wouldn't make changes. In fact, I'd [iexpect[/i a new coach to make changes - where they were needed, and here they are needed. Clearly.

Sean Long is probably one of the best goalkickers in Super League. He still clearly has a problem with doing the job though. Most of his kicks are half-d attempts that look like he's trying to chip a free kick in from the edge of the box. It's an attitude thing.

Did anyone at the game today watch Longy practicing his kicks in the warm up? Stood in the in-goal area almost on the touchline, aiming at the sticks. Hit them twice. One rebounded off the far post over the line. Show that on Soccer AM's "Crossbar challenge" and they'd be jizzing themselves. The lad can kick, end of!!
Two out of eleven is better than most on here can manage!

I don't understand where all this 'let Gidley kick' nonsense is coming from, the guy never kicked a goal in his 10 years in the NRL! And he's only ever managed to kick 4 in his time at Saints.

Years Team Pld T G FG P
1996–2006 Newcastle Knights 221 68 0 1 273
2006– St Helens 61 23 4 0 100
Total 282 91 4 1 373

We've had our goalkicking centre, he's gone. In this case i don't believe Matt is the answer sadly!

Ignoring his kicking problems of the couple of seasons Longy's kicking has took him to second on the Saints All Time Highest Point Scorers list, he has broken the club record for most points in a Super League season twice, 284 points in 1999 and then again with 352 points in 2000 and as you know knocked over his 1000th goal kick for the club inthe Huddersfield match. All of this despite the fact that he has continually suffered with knee problems (he has had at least one knee reconstruction, following a possible career threatening injury in 2001), and has arguably been the second choice goalkicker since 2005.

As clearly the most experienced goal kicker in the current squad he's the obvious choice for Mick Potter, but you should also factor in the possibility that he may be the only player prepared to do the job - even if it potentially causes him pain to do so. Maybe if we gave him more encouragement BEFORE he kicks rather than moaning and groaning AFTER the fact we as fans can help Longy raise his tally even higher?

You `d love to have Saints problems, u just worry about that shower at the jjb

I'm in 100% agreement of that post.

If he was offered £50 for every 2 successful kick he'd be 5 from 6 every week.

I remember him and Tommy God having training for kick from some American bloke (if I remember right), when Longy was kicking at his best. That was when he started to practice, pre game, kicking at the posts from the touch line. He used to hit them quite often, stick with him he is good enough.

That would probably work

Because Gidley's going to be around so much longer than Long isn't he?

What about Wello? When they had a professional kicking coach at the club he said that Wello had the best technique (and therefore potential) of them all.

Wello would struggle to kick a tin can down the street, let alone a kick from not directly in front of the goal.

Now he's got that 1000 goal, maybe the pressure is off


But wello didn't look like a kicker to me, decent at drop out's tho

bring back anderson!!

I'd think Wilkin would be a decent kicker. He's got a good kicking game in general play so kicking goal shouldn't be that difficult for him.

If we are just chucking names into the air, why don't we suggest Gilmour? He put a lovely little grubber through once.

Jamie Lyon will be our kicker for 2010, with Kyle Eastmond as understudy.

What if Foster is moving into the squad? He will be ahead of Eastmond

When we move into the new stadium we will have Eastmond, Wheeler, Foster and Lyon all good kickers of a ball....the futures looking so bright we will have to put our shades on.

Manly managed to convert a 4 into a 6

, hes a pretty good kicker too and on his way back according to the man himself.

Well, I was talking about now rather than, say, next century.



I was told at work today that Wello was a damn good kicker in the academy, though it is so hard to imagine that (sorry Wello!). But if Wilkin, Wello (?), Gidley, Long and anyone else who happened to be playing but who can also kick (eg Eastmond, Foster) all trained up and took on kicking duties as well as Long then Long wouldn't have all the pressure to produce all of the time, would he? I'm not criticising him, just looking at his performance and thinking maybe he needs some pressure taking off him. That's not to say we'd convert every try from then on but we would likely have a better chance of converting most of them most of the time, which could be crucial.

Longy will have a game where he will start kicking them for fun, he will get some confidence again and there will be no problems. Hopefully this Friday.

I had a spell of watching the academy when Wello was playing, and he kicked them from everywhere, infact I can't actually remember seeing him miss.
But watch Longy on Friday I bet he's a different kicker.

This is not a dig at Longy thread, he's a legend in my eye's anyone who can rub other teams fans up the wrong way is doing a good job, his overall play is still the best No7 in SL..
But his goal kicking has gone poor... Like someone said bring on HKR Friday & we could see him put em over from everywhere.

ARISE SIR SEAN OF LONG KING OF DROP GOALS IN LAST MINUTE V WOLFIES