....... Until we invest in some quality backs we will continue to be the nearly men that we've been fir the last 4 years.

We've no goto players in the backs, no x factor players in the backs and not enough creativity or pace.

I actually feel sorry for our forward pack as it matches any team in super league and then no end product as we dont create enough chances and were not clinical enough.

Agree to an extent - we are a bit like the England RU team has been for 10 years or so.

I think in Hohia, Meli and Lomax we have some leading team ability.

Foster is ok given his kicking.

Shenton may develop if we can get a better right hand attack.

But we defo need 2 backs - with PACE.

What about Jodie broughton from Salford seen him beat a man a few times and has bags of pace???

Nothing wrong with our threequarters.

However for them to be set free, you need a fast fullback. On the occasions when we did shift it wide, the Pies merely slid across and ignored Wello because when he did get the ball he was slow chiming into the line and the back rowers could get across. You need people chiming into the line faster than the 2nd rowers, so they get stretched. That then sucks in the centres and your centres get the space to operate.

Oh and if the only coaching move is "Get it wide" then i'm sorry but that isnt good enough. You need players running angles and offering options. We arent doing that. Infact we look like Hull in that all we did was chuck it wide and hope. With modern day defences that is quite frankly moronic.

Wigan could have defended against us all night against such a predictable attack. Most boring rugby ive seen since Eric Hughes was in charge

I don't know how you can say that. Completely blinkered from our failings.

Teams don't even need to worry about getting there kicking game right against us because our back three can't beat a man. They could kick straight down our back three throats and still not worry the the opposition.

We just haven't got the backs to win big game abd if you don't win big games we don't win cups.

Foster to full back broughton on the wing lomax should stay in the halves. Lomax to fullback if pryce stays. Plus got options then and options with pace !! Think makinson will be a good un in another year or so and he too is pacey

Sorry mate but I strongly disagree. Im not saying our backs ate total rubbish but they ain't good enough for us to win anything with. And this ain't sour grapes as I've said it for past 18 month.

Wello - to slow, no attack.
Foster - no great pace, no side step, no size and can't beat a man but very good goal kicker.
Shenton - average centre, doesn't get enough ball and can he liability in defence.
Meli - good with ball but never a centre
Makinson- I think this lad could become good winger
Pryce - vital to saints but goes missing in big games
Lomax - is he a scrumhalf?

Foster to fullback wouldn't be any better than we have at the moment with wello. Sure enough, foster is faster but he can't beat a man.

Who would you like to see realistically?

I'd like to see lomax at fullback for 2012.

Lance is a great attacking fullback but awful under the high ball.

Lets look at our 3qtrs then

Shenton England international centre
Meli former NZ winger, and NRL winger of the year, and also current exiles winger.
Foster emerging England Winger
Makinson England academy captain.
Gardner England and GB international Wing

No pace or ability in that line up.

Being a bit harsh on Makinson here, his kick returns were very good and looked like breaking through a couple of times.

I'd leave Foster and Makinson on the wings, Foster for his kicking and I think Makinson could become very good in the future, he certainly has plenty of pace.

I think we need a pacey player at full back, I'm afraid Wello is a liability now. It's a shame to see it happening but he's holding us back now. I'd like to keep hold of Pryce if possible and have either him or Lomax at FB. Hohaia is far too insecure under the high ball for my liking.

I think this would be the best solution but what if Leon leaves? Not sure hohoia/ Gaskell would be as strong as hohoia/pryce or hohoia/ lomax. Would rather have a dependable fullback than weaken the halves as opposed to an all action fullback but that's just me.

Shenton - average centre and I like him but not much competition for the England centre spot.

Foster - will never ever ever ever be England regular

Makinson - so what if he's engkand academy captain, this is super leave not academy but I do like the look of him.

Meli - former kiwi, former bring the correct word.

Mate, they are average backs and not good enough.

If Leon leaves and we don't replace him with top quality halfback then we fooked.

It's not just back, it's new plays.

Saints style hasn't changed for about 5 years, that shift play on the left with runners going through the line and the ball going behind. Top defences will be waiting for this, there's no shift play to the right whatsoever.

Don't get me wrong, with Meli & Foster you pack a punch on the left, and the weakness that is Josh Charnley was there to be exploited today, but for me, there's an imbalance left to right. We used to be like that, all went right through Briers, to Gleeson & Fa'afilli.

Decent effort today, Wigan grind out another. I'd like to have seen Saints play more football though.

its not too bad if you get a decent fullback.

Imagine your backline with Sam T in it:

Sam
Whoever you're other winger is?
Shenton
Meli
Foster
Pryce
Lomax

Miles better. But with wellens it just looks slow and unimaginative.

Although saying that Sam at fullback with any other back line in SL wouldnt look so bad.

As an opposition fan i defo see Wellens as a weak link now though. Shadow of a player he once was.

We've got to many that can't beat a man.

Maybe, but I tell you what, Wigan having Joel at centre inside Charnley is an accident waiting to happen. We managed to haul ourselves back into the QF by literally going back there set after set and Saints got themselves back into todays game from the brink, it's ann accident waiting to happen.

Who should / could we bring in and who can/ should be released to accommodate?

Get Kev Penny, your fans used to love him when he played for us.

The recruitment should have been done much better over the last 5 years. We should have replaced both meli and ade before now. We've left it to late that now we need 3/4 players.

I've said it before and I'll say it again....." Foster is a one trick pony.

Makinson on the other hand already looks the better player.