One more year according to Saints email I just got.

Thoughts?

Glad he is staying, solid and we need proven players instead of going out and panic buying someone.

Good. We need his experience and graft. And he can score tries too.

Good move.

Noooooooooooooooooooooo, please god nooooooooooooo.

Please let it be April 1st

It looks like we are struggling to bring any more players in for next year. Like I've said on another thread, he's a solid enough player so if we can't replace him then keep him.

What would you suggest as an alternative? We can't sign any NRL players and I don't see any better back rowers coming through our youth system or being available domestically. He's a solid and versatile player who brings significant experience to an increasingly youthful squad.

Correct.
Solid if unspectacular, but a workhorse. Just like Phil Bailey was, and Harrison Hansen is at Wigan. And I'm sick of arguing with some Wigan fans as to Hansens value to our team. It's immense.

Hansen is an excellent player. He never stops.

I do not understand why the myth of Flannery being solid exists. I know last years grand final was a painful experience but surely someone else, apart from myself, gave it a second watch. He is a weak link who will let us down in the big games with his flat footed defending. At least if we played a young player instead of him there would be the possibility that one day the young lad would justify his position in the team.

I can hear the cries of laughter coming from Wigan already. A sad sign of the clubs ambitions if ever there was one.

What has Harrison Hanson ever done to you!!! Leave the poor lad alone.

I remember you comparing Flannery to Bailey before just before Wigan shipped him off to Salford and winning their first Championship in a decade. A fair comparison indeed.

With the increased salary cap on the way down under, this is a sure sign that the chances of signing talented NRL players has finally diminished. No disrespect to Flanno but signing a solid but unspectacular Aussie on a 1 year extension means there is no one of any standing interested in coming over here to ply their trade.

It's a decent decision assuming he's on a very cheap deal. I must admit though I don't appreciate the tone of the club's email one bit. We're not pushing the boat out with regards to recruitment at all and all the 'breaking news, Saints resign State of Origin forward' nonsense is a bit too sugar coated for my liking. He's not a major signing and he's only being kept on because he's exempt from the quota. If they're paying him as a SOO player then they need to find a new job.

Still leaves us with more than enough room for at least one new player if not two or a major lack of squad depth for next season.

Outs:
Eastmond
Graham
Pryce
Frodsham
Armstrong
Gardner

Ins:
Hohaia
Laffranchi

Compare with Warrington:
Outs:
King
Anderson

Ins:
Waterhouse
Hill
Ratchford

where have you read they are leaving, I know Pryce hasnt been offered a contract until he is fit , but the others?

They're in no position to laugh - Ben Cross!!

Only 4 assumptions here Saddened, not a bad effort!

Frodsham and Armstrong don't play and don't have a contract after the end of the season so one assumes they'll be going. It would be a strange decision to resign either of them.

Pryce has been rumoured to be moving to Catalans all year and if Saints haven't offered him a deal it doesn't look likely he'll stay but here's hoping.

Gardner has gone through a terrible injury and replaced perfectly adequately by Foster and Makinson. I'd go as far as saying they are both better than him, Foster definitely is and Makinson brings the much needed speed. If Ade resigns, it should be for a minor fraction of the last deal he signed, as he was no doubt scoring plenty and playing internationally then.

Even if Flannery, Gardner and Pryce stayed, their deals would be reduced so there would still be room to sign someone else. Knowing the club they'll resign Gardner but let Pryce go.

It's clear there is no ambition at the club anymore. The big signings, the Newloves, the Sculthorpes, the Longs, the Lyons, the Alberts just aren't there any more. People go on about Warrington's money, but they can't legally spend any more than we can yet their side is star spangled and never loses senior players like ours does.

There are 5 actually, but you wouldn't be able to argue with any of them much as I speak the truth.

They are all likely, I would just hate to drop my usual levels of pedantry thats all.



I think claiming the club has a lack of ambition is harsh though. You dont make 6 finals in the last 4 years with a lack of ambition.

Those finals were the tailing off of the greatest period in the clubs history and just happily coincided with there being no other teams with their ducks in a row.

I'll go on record and say this run we're on (3 years now since a trophy?) will reach double figures. We're behind and going backwards at the moment. We'd need Wire and Wigan to implode to catch up.

I will go on record as saying I will give you £1000 if this run goes into double figures.
You say we are behind and going backwards - where do you think we would be in the table right now if we had a full side out all season,playing at Knowsley Road? Be honest. This is 1 year where we are off the pace, but they are many factors involved in that. I see no reason why we cannot challenge for both bits of silverware this season and continue to do so for many years to come.

the rest of SL will be quaking in their boots at this news.Should have been released

Should have been released!? I'm afraid until some one can prove to me how much he's getting paid, such a statement is completely OTT. He's showed since his return how much more strength he add than the young trio of backrow we have. We don't have the squad depth to be casting people off and flanders seems a professional guy, hard worker who'll do exactly what the coach asks, whether its run wide, play tight, tackle for 80 mins etc.

If we had new signings queuing up then maybe we wouldn't need him, but the fact is that there's not a lot of people available. If we've paid him a king's ransom, then we would be mistaken, but he's worth a squad place for me.

We'd be third. I'm a grand up on this conversation. Please PM me your personal details so I can send the debt collection boys round in 7 years time. And please don't put 'Mr Yellow Giraffe, Giraffe House, Knowsley Safari Park'.

Solid squad player - if his wages reflect that position it's a good signing.

People whinge about lack of squad depth in the pack, then whinge when we re-sign forwards. Go figure.

I've still got a feeling this won't be our last signing for 2012.