www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/sai ... ff_puzzle/ Interesting comments here from Brown. Suggesting that Wheeler will always be selected when fit.

www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/sai ... ff_puzzle/ Interesting comments here from Brown. Suggesting that Wheeler will always be selected when fit.

Very interesting. Was there an element of mind games when he mentioned turner at 6? Having seen it in the friendly did he deem it not likely to work? He mentioned in another article that he doesn't want to move his 1 6 7 and 9 around and only rotate the forwards, so is he just going to have to pick one and run with it?

It seems the vast majority of saints fans want wheeler to really grasp the nettle and claim the 6 shirt - does he have it in him to go a full season?

I honestly think Wheeler is the best 6 we have, and that's not just because we have a bit of a gap there. He undoubtedly has the talent, but his age-old problem is his fitness. If he can string a run of games together, I really hope he proves what he can do.

If Wheeler plays, he is at least a decent 6. That cannot be said of Hohaia or Turner and can barely be said of Wilkin.

He could be a very good 6 - He could be one of the best, but its all completely irrelevant until he plays more than 3 games in a row.

I'm always full of hope, but why will this season be any different to the last, or 2012, or 2011, or 2010?

Fingers crossed.

I know it was only a friendly, but Turner showed he wasn't a 6 against Wigan.

52 appearances in 6yrs is terrible and i bet half of those were off the bench?

Hope he stays fit then for all of this season as a new contract would be stupid for Saints otherwise

According to the RLFans stats, 10 of his 45 league appearances were from the bench.

It's interesting that Brown seems to imply that a lot of Wheeler's problems are of his own making. That piece reads to me like a compliment and a warning at the same time.

Its obvious to anyone that has seen him play how good he is.
Interesting bit about injuries due to bad luck and maybe a bit of mismanagement.
Hopefully anything he can do to keep fit he is doing.
Im sure after his run of injuries he will be.

Indeed. The mention of him now having a family to support suggests that his injury curse isn't all down to bad luck.

Yep, reiterates the point a few times.
Work hard and you could be Saints 6 and one of our top earners for 7/8 years. Revert back and be another wasted talent by october

I will be delighted if wheeler steps up this year, but let's not forget that other than 30 mins against Wigan, he has shown nothing other than glimpses of promise, and when he finally did play last year, he was just as quickly dropped for shocking defence. We cannot pin our hopes on someone who has only a minimal chance if success

It shows how poor our options are at 6 that Wheeler is still in with a very good shout.

I really think a fit wheeler is one of the top 6's in the league

It does make you wonder how he is still at Saints and what have past coaching staff been doing to improve players.

I'd argue that what it actually shows is how talented the lad is that he's still considered the best 6 at the club given his injury issues.

Agreed. Hope above hope that if his injuries are in some way down to his attitude/training regime, hes finially changed these

It's more a reflection of the fact that we've not recruited a 6 since Leon left.

On Brown's comments, they seem pretty meaningless to me. He said very positive things about Lee Gaskell and the partnership between Gaskell and Lomax and then very quickly got rid of Gaskell and moved Lomax.

I just don't see why Brown would tell everyone that Jordan Turner is our 6 for this season, then say this about Wheeler. If Turner were to play well, presumably Wheeler wouldn't even get a game? Or has Brown already changed his mind on Turner before the season has even kicked off?

As much as it's do or die for Wheeler this season, it is for Brown as well. He hasn't got a cat in hells chance of getting the NRL job he wants. He did nothing last year to suggest we're on the right road and if we don't perform start well this season, he'll be under massive pressure.

Brown seems to have media tourettes. He just says what he's musing about at the time.

My point was if there was a decent 6 at the club, then Wheeler would be finding it very hard to get back in the team. He would have to force another 6 out.

Were as at the moment, he would walk in past all players tried there.

When Martyn was out Scully could hold down 6 and challenge for the role when Martyn was fit.

With a good 6 someone with Wheelers injury record would be sweating about being moved on, but as it is, even if he does not play 6 for most of this year, he would still be worth a shout on an extention next year. As even if we brought in a ready made 6 we would still need cover.

Turner is a possibility but that is really untested.

Being a talentless chump hasn't stopped mcbanana getting a slot over there. Or potter. Or Simmons...

The most surprising thing of that article was that Wheeler is 24. Although, it does just lead itself to the comparison that Gary Wheeler is Nigel Wright.