How do you start at this point?

I've watched Saints for over 30 years and I've seen good sides and bad sides but the recent one is such a shadow of very recent times how did we get it so wrong?

We're playing Wigan against yet ANOTHER 'Saints Reject' half back who looks to be doing a great job meanwhile we have a 2nd row at 7 and an OLD SLOW (still a hero) Full Back at 6!

We have no decent kicking game and no structure and even when fit our supposed 6 is also a Full-Back. All this on the back of letting a young 6 leave who maybe had his faults but had a very good kicking game - possibly our weakest element at the moment.

Then we've had to bring in an unknown 'hooker' because we've no backup - a Superleague team with only one recognised Hooker and not even backup who could 'do a job'.

I could go on - I'm past anger now I think its despair!

So in conclusion – Mr McManus we love what you’ve done for the club from a financial and business point-of-view but HOW have you let it get so wrong on the field. Remember this is a results business, results count and this squad won’t get them!

Rant over.

Wellens was terrible at 6 - we may as well play an extra forward the amount of times he got tackled with the ball.

That wasn't my point though you can't blame Wellens it's not his game.

My point is WHY do we have to rely on him at 6.

Wello proved today that the idea of him playing loose is a complete joke. Too slow and absolutely no physical impact or stamina.

As for the original point, McManus is ruining the team. To go into a season with no decent halves is a joke. Find a hundred grand and buy one FFS if there really aren't any in the academy.

Those saying there isn't enough money need to remember that the long term impact on the crowds will cost a lot more than a halfback or two would. Our averages will drop this year and every year after that until we're competing for trophies again.

Bizarre recruitment decisions of late. Could charlock have done worse ?

Great 2nd half effort always behind the eight ball with our half back pairing

Because Hohaia is injured and Brown doesn't want Gaskell.

OH Great insight THANKS for stating the obvious - I did also say Lance is a FB anyway.

Maybe it's time he said why Gaskells been shipped out - the lad has many admirers around SL - so what's he done wrong?

Ask a daft question and you'll get a daft answer.


If you want an answer to that then I would suggest you make yourself a good brew and prepare to turn into dust.

No worse than wilkin a 7. Kicking game was a bad joke.

Wellens played 6 not loose today. So he was not playing in the pack, the fact the ball stuck with him would not have as big an impact at loose. Especially as we have been playing props at loose.

As to the OP.

We actually shaped up in that 2nd half and Wilkin played a bit better, but it just shows that there has to be something else going on, to ship out our last halfback standing.

We have now got rid of in the last 3 years

Long, Smith, Ellis, Eastmond, Pryce, Gaskell.

We do not like halfbacks. We must be the only club who can't see the wood for the trees. We've shipped out more halves than I can think of, to leave us with literally only 1 half of any standard in the whole squad. Wheeler.

If I was a conspiracy theorist, I'd be suggesting the Wheeler has the ear of some important people and to keep him in contention given his injury record, he's knocking off the competition.

It's not that but seriously the last decision is just one in a long line of axing halves before their time.

Your right of-course but this is the place to vent one's frustrations.

Maybe McManus doiesn't like the numbers 6 or 7 so keeps getting rid of them! What other reason can it be....

I've no idea. If you find out will you let me know please? As can be witnessed by my rants on here, I find it as unbelievable as some others. We were crying out for a six today, a six who had pace, who could roam around, who could kick (and kick 40/20s too, as well as convert tries very well indeed!). So we had Wello. Brown must have lost a screw somewhere.

Wellens can't play stand off again surely. He had a mare today. It makes the decision to not play and let go Gaskell even stranger.

Gaskell only been playing for Salford for 10 mins and has already scored a try. Maybe he has found his level for the time being.

Gaskell is playing in the centres for Salford and will do for the rest of the season according to the radio. If he bulks out a little he could be superb there.

So why the *£*%£($! didn't WE play him there and then Turner, who at least HAS played at 6 and has stuff like creativity and pace, could play at 6?

Half backs are so pre 2010.

0 halfbacks.

It's the Garlic bread of Rugby league.

Wigan always seem to turn average players into good ones. There is something in their coaching that Saints never seem able to compete with.

It's not strange with Nathan Brown picking the team.

It's a now long running tradition at Saints to let halfbacks go.

Besides Wigan have had the wood over us on GF for some years now, they treat it as a playoff game and as I said pre-match, treating it as just 2 more points will mean we don't win this fixture for some years.

Come the playoffs we are at the same speed as Wigan, it's just a pitty we do this as it means the fans get short changed.

Saving the club from certain financial ruin and building a stadium
buys you the right to extract any essence of playing style and flair,
recruit poorly and create a culture of accommodating back office cronies.

Brings it home when your previous "fringe" scrum half who spent the majority of his Saints career
on loan at other clubs , plays in a dinner jacket against you , and confirms he chose Wigan over returning to Saints
as they have a better style of play.

Recruitment has been a disaster for 6/7 years. HB recruitment and retention has been particularly poor.

Can see EMcM finally being forced into recruiting a scrum-half , taking advice from the same old sources
and coming up with another Perry/Hohaia or splurging on Dobson after he is crocked.

I mentioned last year we should have gone for Sammut when the bulls where in money trouble, the bloke even plays similar too Longy.
Half backs in Superleague have been falling in standard and availability for quite a few years, I still think we need to find them from within the club, its going to be a problem for most clubs in 2 or 3 years.

I think we have shipped out so many with in the club that any potential half, will be looking at other clubs for career progression once they have finished in the academy.

We shouldn't have let Smith go, I said it when he went and I'll say it now. His kicking name is exactly what we need.

I blame Wigan for our demise, we had a 10 year dynasty with Mr Goulding and Mr Long rejects that where converted to world class.
Can,t think of any saints young guns that have left the club to be reknowned international players, only Judas perhaps.