You are right, other than Sean Long, Kyle Eastmond, Matty Smith and Luke Walsh, Saints haven't had many good scrum halves in the time Wheeler has been with us.

It's fair to say we struggled a fair bit since Leon Pryce left as we only ever had one half. Wheeler never became that other half.

Saints looked sensational with Walsh and Wheeler? Wheeler played the first 2 games of Super League before getting injured. He then played 1 game in March, 1 in April, 2 in May, 1 in June, 1 in July, 2 in August and 2 in September. Wheeler was never put under any pressure, he was never relied upon. The fact he wasn't relied on despite us losing our playmakers for a huge portion of the season says it all IMO.

There is a school of thought that he has never really had a bad injury this season either. His availability during each of the months of SL suggest that is true and a lot of people think it's an attitude thing.

Patton's try during one of the U19's games I saw were he chipped the ball over the defence and ran on, caught it, and scored, was very promising to see. He has that air of arrogance and cockiness that a good 6 needs.

Give over.
Gary Wheeler at 15 years of age looked a brilliant prospect. By the time he was 18 or 19 there had been very little progress. Forget the injuries he has never been any more than average for a long time. Gaskell was a far better player.

12 months ago I was getting the same bashing for saying almost exactly the same things about Bridge.
I'll leave it up to Wheeler to shut up the knockers.
I'm done saying my thoughts about him.
I'm more disappointed that our own fans love being very anti at individuals at times.

All I've been reading is Wheeler is like a casualty from MASH and Clark will go AWOL.
Now Sims is on the end of a phone to the AA and not about his car!

Give him/them a chance then in 6 months if I'm wrong I'll hold my hands up.

If Wheeler does to Saints what he did to us in game 1 last year, I will be very happy.

Does no one ever give any thought that maybe all these young talented lads from saints always drop off due to the fact they get fed up of the club? Saints get so much youth talent but prefer to opt for quick fixes. Gaskell, Foster and Smith being the main stand outs. Wheeler with a fresh start with a point to prove will come leaps and bounds.

I really want to believe your joking ... I never can tell on this board...

13 out of our top 25 are homegrown players, including a player whose managed 20 years at the club without getting bored. Who precisely is our "quick fix" and for what precisely?

Assuming it's with regards to wheeler, dress it up however you like, 56 games in 8 years is no where near good enough. Nor is having 5 seconds of play in the first game of the season a good enough highlights reel

I just dont see it with Wheeler and never have, he has never got me sat on the edge of my seat thinking he was a great player and I just find it a puzzling signing!

He has excellent vision, great hands, kicks well and steps off both feet.

Agreed Irishwire my pal, he doesn't run about like a support back Myler/McGuire type and not a whippet either like a Burrow/Chase. So he isn't likely to get bigged up by match-in-play commentators. He has the type of play Jon Wells looks for in analysis.

A throw back to a more older type of back. I think he will add some balance to a left side that at times is wanting with us.
All those players who play down the left channel have had stick at some period in 2014 over form. Its an area where Wheeler could inject some creative play and turn those left side players into the best in SL.

Still underwhelmed with Wheeler, just cos he has a Wire shirt doesn't mean his bones will mend.

He'll still live where he lives, eat what he always eats, probably train how he trains and still be a burden on the cap for a year like he was at Saints.

Agreed rubber duckie. Matty Smith was let go in favour of Eastmond because Eastmond would do a few things a game that would catch the eye Whilst Smith just goes about his business. Now look what's happened, Smith has become Wigans most important player alongside O'Laughlin and Blake Green and England's starting scrum half.

My point is, I'd prefer to have a standard reliable Smith or Wheeler who play quite similar to each other (When Wheeler is in the half back roll. They both have; good hands, organization, a kicking game, in play vision and an ability to back themselves when he feels the time is right. Rather than an inconsistent McGuire, Chase, Burns etc.

When has Wheeler been consistent?

From what I've seen of him every time he's played, quite. Just been unfortunate with injury. O'Brien could have been viewed in the same light as wheeler. Good lad, plenty of skill but can't seem to cement a place in the team and always seems to be picking up an injury. He gets a good stint under his belt and presto. A shining light for us at the end of last season.

That's exactly my worry.

Warrington fans....don't you just love them.

Gary Wheeler was the 'most talented player' at St Helens and is another example of Saints searching for a 'quick fix'.





You've got to laugh.

Brilliant stuff. Wheeler was full of potential before it became apparent that he lacks professionalism and can't play more than two games in a row. Needless to say, his first team appearances reflect his ethic. Further than that, this is just another example of the food chain: player not good enough for big club being allowed to leave to sign at lesser club that hopes they can pull off a miracle. No different to Carl Forster winding up at Salford.

Good luck convincing yourselves that you've pulled off a wowser. You haven't and in time you'll crack on without him in your desperate search for relevancy. Mid fifties was your last one wasn't it ?

Crackpots.

Troll alert

He may well have, but how do you know this? I've watch all of his professional games for Saints and I don't honestly know the first thing about him as a player bar that he's got a step. I don't know how fast he is, can't remember ever seeing him make a long run. I don't remember ever seeing him kick much either, so wouldn't be able to form an opinion on that either. He spent most of his gametime at Saints playing centre and in 80 minutes he'd be on stats like 5 tackles, 4 runs and 18 metres. He's never done it for Saints in the first team, so bar at the HJ this season, how do you know he's as good as you say? Where and when have you seen him doing these things?

There's fans on here still saying similar things about Bridge.
Sometimes woods lie beyond the trees.

SM: Tony, now that you have decided to stick with GOB in the halves we have a fair bit of Cap space left over. Anybody else you want ?

TS: Well you know me Simon, I quite like a punt every now and then. I was thinking of Gary Wheeler from Saints.

SM: I don't think I have seen him play, is he any good ?

TS: No, I don't think anyone at Saints has seen him play either, but I think he has got bags of potential.

SM: Ok, but only a 1 year contract and make sure his medical insurance is fully up to date.

One Warrington fan. Everyone else seems to think he'll be a useful squad player if he's fit.

As a nipper, I seem to remember watching us finish top of the pile in 1973 and winning almost all of the available trophies in 1974. We've won three of the last six Challenge Cups and were league leaders in 2011. There are three or four teams capable of winning the Grand Final - we are one of them. Ask Man City fans how likely they thought it was five years ago that they would win the Premier League in their lifetime.

Poor. Very poor.

Try harder.

I suspect that is as good as it gets....

Some people are masters at taking one post and spinning it into vitriolic generalisations of the most idiotic kind. This is a good example.