Well done Saints, a full backline of English men today, and only 4 non English players.............. when will clubs like Hull KR realise that signing players like Mason is no good for our game, and that breeding our own talent will make us a dominant International team. Its a coincidence that Leeds, Saints, Wigan and Bradford have been dominat over the past decade or so and they have the best youth set up............ Crusaders will never be competative, and Widnes will!!!

Not only that, but of the 17 that played for saints last night, 10 were Saints home grown (Wellens, Wheeler, Foster, Gaskell, Lomax, Graham, Roby, Moore, Ashurst, and Makinson).

Are you sure Wigan have been dominant for the last 10 years? Bradford were full of overseas players when they went to 5 grand finals in a row, Saints have always relied on overseas players, Leeds best player last night was a thirtysomething Australian hooker, a team full of English players would win nothing this year, the standard of the average English player is rather mediocre.

I didn't say Wigan have been dominant, I said Leeds, Saints, Bradford and Wigan combined.

Bradford- Pryce, Peacock, Reardon, Feilden ect.... Saints- you know them.... Wigan- Tomkins * 2, O'Loughlin..... Leeds- McGuire, Sinfeild, Burrow....... just to name a few, the core of these teams has allways been English in grand final winning teams..........

The English players arent medicore, they just need to get a chance in the first team, and not get denied a starting spot by some overasted 30+ foreinger.

After a poor start to the season we are doing ok for a load of "mediocre" english men wouldnt you say? Theres no doubt that our overseas players are a class act but its still refreshing to see our home grown boys doing well. Keep it real homies!

Six or seven players of Bradford`s 2001 and 2003 winning teams were Australasian so you really don`t know what your talking about.

Like I said, the core of that squad was English! Keep producing the youth products Saints and in a couple of years, you will reap the rewards. Good things come to those who wait

Explain?

Scully, Long, Cunnigham, Roby, Graham, Wellens, Pryce, Wilkin.

Pretty much the core of our squad and amongst out best players for the past 10 yearts are so. Yes we have had some brilliant overseas like Lyon, Gidley at first, Puletua. Buty to say we rely on overseas players is absolutely rubbish and a very ignorant post. I'm using ignorant in the correct meaning of the word, not as arrogant.

Albert,Iro,Perilini,Fairleigh,Shiels,Tuilagi,Lyon,Gidley,Hooper,Talau,McVey,Britt, but as you say Saints have never relied on using overseas players.

that covers 10 yrs + of players, HKR have more this year!

Christ, McVey was about 1997 wasn't it?

When did we sign Apollo, '95?

Still talking rubbish. Yes there is some very good talent there as I said earlier, however we by no means 'rely' as you say. Our core of players always has been and always will be good, English, mostly St Helens trained players.

Our starting 13 from 2000

1 Paul Atcheson UK
2 Chris Smith UK
3 Kevin Iro Overseas
4 Paul Newlove UK
5 Anthony Sullivan UK
20 Tommy Martyn UK
7 Sean Long Scrum UK
8 Apollo Perelini Overseas
9 Keiron Cunningham UK
10 Julian O'Neill Overseas
11 Chris Joynt Second UK
12 Sonny Nickle Second UK
13 Paul Sculthorpe Loose UK


Every team has a dash of overseas players as you want the best mix you can afford, but to say we have relied on overseas is pushing it. You could do this every year to today.

The big difference is in the amount of players from the Saints academy mixing into the team. Where as in the past we had to buy big from other clubs, eg Newlove and Scully

Hoppe, Tuilagi, if Saints don`t rely on overseas talent why don`t we use English players only.

I think you're really stretching the definition of "rely". 3/ 4 players in a squad isnt relying really is it?

At least seven players in the 2000 squad were overseas

out of a squad of 25/30? its still the vast minority

Having a few overseas players isn't relying on them at all. You clearly don't understand the meaning of the word rely properly, I'm not gonna bother carrying on this debate with you.

Your right, the Saints board should be ashamed of themselves, fancy signing players from halfway round the world when we could of had a team of local lads who would be just as good.