Who would play this week and be able to rest the others for the playoffs? Here's my team?

1. Ashe
2. Makinson
3. Jones
4. Ade Gardner (if fit)
5. Armstrong
6. Wheeler
7. Eastmond
8. Hand
9. Scott Moore
10. Frodsham
11. Dixon
12. Ashurst
13. Hale

subs- thought about the 2 Irish Lads?

14. Thompson
15. Wello
16. Flanno
17. Clough

we dont want to rest anyone now - the chance was against Hull KR, and Simmons didnt take it.

We want to go into this game at full strength, and get some good form together going into the playoffs.

That team would give us no coherence whatsoever going into the play-offs, never underestimate momentum.

1. Paul Wellens
2. Tommy Makinson
3. Michael Shenton
4. Franics Meli
5. Jamie Foster

6. Gary Wheeler
7. Kyle Eastmond

8. LMS
9. James Roby
10. Paul Clough
11. Scott Moore
12. Jon Wilkin
13. Chris Flannery

14. Carl Forster
15. Leon Pryce
16. Matty Ashurst
17. James Graham (Use him if we need him)

Don't forget they also had a week off last week. Personally I wouldn't rest anybody. If people were carrying genuine knocks then give them a game off but other than that we should be at full strength. But that would be my team if we HAVE to rest players.

Balls to that. Millward never worried about that and he won us trophies.

1-17 should be under 20 or over 35. I hear they have registered Tommy Hodgkinson and two lads from the Under 18s to play. Seriously.

1. Paul Wellens
2. Tommy Makinson
3. Michael Shenton
4. Franics Meli
5. Jamie Foster

6. Gary Wheeler
7. Lomax

8. LMS
9. James Roby
10.Graham
11. Scott Moore
12. Sia
13. Jon Wilkin

14. Carl Forster
15. Leon Pryce
16. Flannery
17. Clough

The time for resting players has passed.
Our timeing In attack Is still out we need to get it sorted. Gaskell on form would be in ahead of Pryce but we know what he Is capable of.

Some people can get away with "seriously". Saddened isn't one of them!

No point risking players in a meaningless match. imagine if Roby got injured and was out of the play offs.

You can look at it two ways:

1). Give the players time off and go into thje Play Offs rested.
2). Go full tilt with some momentum

I'm personally thinking option two is our better option, especially when alot of the team have missed large chunks of the season. There's only Roby and maybe Meli I'd consider resting as they have played alot of games and are pretty crucial to us. Our other two important players - Graham and Wilkin - have had 2 weeks off recently.

I wouldn't rest anyone. Our attack on Friday night was a shambles of dropped ball and mistiming. Or it was a shambles if we compare it to that of the teams we need to beat if we are to bring home some silverware this season. Our defence can do the job but we need an opportunity to blend our attack better and Quins is a good opportunity for that. They will try and do us because they did us earlier in the season but we should just go all out for the kill, to get our attack going and to get our mental attitude right (we need to go for the full 80 regardless of the opposition).

And besides, as both Hull KR and Salford have shown, giving our players a rest does them no good at all. They return with dropsey. That is what we don't need going into the play offs.

I'd 100% play full strength side and get a good win going in to the play offs.

Think I'll go down for the weekend.

I need someone to share room with. Are coming saintsfan?

That's been the case all season

Actually, I'll be going to the Stoop on Saturday. I've never been and so for some reason, when once again I will be facing the dole queue, I've decided to splash some cash on a trip to the big smoke.

Actually, the dropped ball problem only started halfway through the season. And we have looked very good in attack occasionally but not for some time it has to be said.

I think Leon Pryce is spoiling things for us at present. I'd rather have Gaskell because at least he wants to play for the team. I think Pryce has already put his cue on the rack in preparation for the beaches of southern France.

Our attack has been average all season, we're nowhere near as free flowing as previous seasons and we don't really play with much 2nd phase play either. Our offloads are over 100 down on last season. We're predictable and unless we play with more freedom in attack we've no chance of getting to Old Trafford. You can't afford to play so conservatively with the ball against Wigan or Warrington otherwise they'll shut you out. Both of those sides will certainly attack us when they get the chance.

Well, Blobby, we've secured third with our miserable attack, which has resulted in a miserable third best points for at 748 (as opposed to that marvellous attack by Wigan which has resulted in an astounding 810 points!). Our attack is bound to have suffered. We have had too many changes, we have had two rookie halfbacks (and now have a rookie plus an experienced half who can't be ahsed), we have had too many young players in the team at any one time meaning Simmons has had to keep it simple and then, when he should have been introducing more complex plays, has had to go back to keeping it simple because we have lost three players in one game.

Our attack, as well as our defence, has been the victim of our injuries and two players who have chosen to be less than professional in their approach to the end of their time with us. However, we still have the third best attack and the fourth best defence. So far we have lost seven games, which was less than one of the seasons with Anderson in charge, but we have drawn three - matches we should have won but for the thing which really has been a problem and that has been our ball retention. No excuse at all for that.

We're 200 points down on last year, and you can keep banging on about injuries but our stats are down offensively in lots of areas not just because we have had two rookies in the halves for parts of the season. As alluded to, our offloads stats are shocking, especially when you consider we scoot alot. Experienced players aren't offloading the ball enough, experienced players aren't supporting the ball carrier enough and we're not playing with enough pace to beat our rivals, it's why we've lost the majority of games against them this season. I'd expect alot more 2nd phase play around the ruck area, but we haven't seen a great deal of it. Roby should have supporting runners with him all the time as should the likes of Graham, Pryce and Puletua who are known for offloading the ball. We're too predictable in attack at times and its only when we're down we open up a bit more and play more imaginative rugby e.g. Warrington away, Wigan at Millennium Magic. The Semi Final was crying out for more second phase play, we'd have killed Wigan with the territory we had. Put Warrington in that situation and they'd have rattled 30 or 40 on Wigan.



All very well, but realistically those below us haven't got a prayer of winning SL because they're not good enough in either area on consistent basis and it's why I doubt we'll be lifting the trophy at Old Trafford either. We haven't shown enough signs this season of being good enough in either attack or defence.

I hope Saints prove me wrong, but we haven't been good enough so far this year. We haven't looked enterprising enough in attack and our defence has been shaky at times too.

We're a decent, solid side that lacks any real cutting edge IMO.

Blobby, everything you have just said reinforces my point. We have had to field too many young players in one go and had too many changes on too frequent a basis to implement all those things you suggest. Had we had a settled team like Wigan and Wire have enjoyed, regardless of our inexperience in the halves - which we would have had anyway given Pryce's injuries and Eastmond's attitude - we would have had a better attack and defence this year, and we would have had a style of play more enjoyable to watch. I sense that because we have had glimpses of it here and there throughout the season. But we have only been able to enjoy glimpses because the injuries have disrupted us so badly.

Had Wire and Wigan had the same level and frequency of injuries that we have had they wouldn't have achieved the for and against points they have this season. I'd stake a year's salary on that.

On top of that, of course, is the adjustment the team has had to make in losing a talisman leader on the field. As Simmons said at the outset, they have to work as a team now because they no longer have six internationals to sort them out. We are a better team than our league stats indicate but we are not the 2006 team. However, even so we have only been shamed by a team above us twice (Hudds away, when they were above us, and Wigan at home).

I think we have done bloody well this season given all the disruption and adaption we have had to endure and as a fan I have been bitterly disappointed in the fact that we have had to experience those disruptions and adaptions. I would rather have seen what Simmons could do with the Wigan or Warrington level of disruption. I think you would have been signing to a totally different tune if we'd enjoyed the stability those teams have enjoyed.

I agree blobby, we have no cutting edge and until this is rectified we won't be real contenders.

I feel sorry for you Pete. You must be living in a perpetual cloud of doom and gloom!

I won't suggest that Hohaia at seven will bring us some more cutting edge because I know you will just tell me that Hohaia is a fullback and a load of tosh.

Hohaia is a fullback and IMO will be great in attack for us as he's very fast off the mark and loves to attack.

My worry is with lomax and hohaia in the halves we will lack a ball player, direction and a good kicking game.

I'd go with that, we have shown glimpses of what were capable of at times and I think as Gaskell and Lomax develop we will get some of the edge back. Hohaia will add to our attack but for me Wellens is just a passenger at fullback and seriously limits our attack. In my view were also missing Gilmour or a player like him capable of making line breaks, saying that I think Wilkin has developed.

You've not seen the pic in League Express this week? It's of Hohaia kicking. And the little report reckons we have a very good buy in him as he is on red hot form. He scored a try again.

Hohaia is an unknown quantity. But who knows, next season we may see a completely unknown group of young players hit the headlines at Saints and we'll be so full of cutting edge that the fans go home sporting arterial spurts!

Ideally id like to see Lomax and wheeler in the halves next year and Gaskell as backup, Lance should play FB as Welo has shown he cant do it anymore.
IMO Wheeler and Lomax could be a great hb partnership, with Lance baccking up from FB in attack

I think Gaskell has the ability but he isnt ready yet. We could do with a proper general in the middle to guide the team around. that would give Lomax and Gaskell time to develop that side of there games while allowing them the freedom to use there running games to torment teams.

1.Lance
6.Lomax
7. New half
1st backup for any of the 3 = Gaskell
Would be my preference , Lomax and Lance could interchange

Wheeler is another option but he cant stay fit, Wigan brought in Deacon to play a steady directing role and I think he does it well for them allowing Ratboy the freedom to kill other teams.

That's why Hohaia has been brought in.