I'd go for retiring Brown as the latter isn't the answer. Patton is likely to be our bench back in 2019 - I cannot see Patton starting and Brown being on the bench.

Brown is a conundrum.
He kicking game at time is garbage but he can be very effective if it wasn't for such disfunction from Roberts, Brown would have more time to evaluate and control things at his pace.

I'd be okay with giving him the benefit of doubt...Roberts however wouldn't get a deal if he paid us 400k a year.

Lefty's wishlist

Tomorrow morning, Price knocks on Moran's door

"Sit down, Steve.
So how do you think your first year's gone"

"Pretty good, Simon. Two finals, and top 4, from a side that was shellshocked that I inherited. Actually, Si, you know that list of 7 I want rid of,? I've been thinking mate, and I want to add a few more.

Kevin Brown doesn't do that much, for all that money your paying him. Organising 4 drives, one play and a kick doesn't warrant his pay packet. I'm done with him.

That lad with the top knot, what's his name? Sits on the bench next to me for 70 minutes, messing with his phone, telling all and sundry how good he is, then when I play him, he's no better than who I've replaced him with. Patton. That's him. Nah, he can go.

Then there's the fella with loads of vowels in his surname. Lazy bugger. Couple of runs, and he's got his hands on his knees. Had enough.

That's it for the [ithanks for the memories[/i bit.

Others, well I've told old double barrel, to lose a few stone. Fat git. And if I see him waddling down the cream cake aisle in Tesco's after training, he's gone.

I'll have to make a decision on Currie at this time next year. No point him wearing a club suit, forever, on match days.

Now, it's cheque book time, mate.
I've decided to ditch all this boring rugby, and play with some flair. So I wouldn't mind you buying me a scrum half. Loads of people keep talking on a fans forum about some bloke who plays for Catalans, and he hasn't got a club. Yeah, I'll have him. Oh, and an old fashioned loose forward, with a brain, would be nice. I'm bored of playing old props there.

Cheers, Si. I'm off to Oz for a few weeks.
See you before Chrimbo."

I've read all of that with an aussie accent and it's as if I was there and it's actually happened.

Drinkwater would be a perfect fit. I really hope we can find a way to sign him. There is no point going in to the next season without a kicking game or creativity or we will just fall short again. The short comings need addressing and we could be up for the lot next season. Especially with saints losing Barba and Wigan having a bit of a reshuffle.

I thought Hill was exceptional for you last night so to me that seems harsh. He was head and shoulders the best prop on the field making over 170 metres.

It won't work.
I like W71 but he has agendas that at times stand no level of reason.

Hill is a great forward, just not captain. I know I am not alone in that view.

I like what price has done so far regarding personel, getting rid of players and dropping them when out of form. But there were large parts of the game i thought that along with nothing coming from the halves, the vacks looked clueless with little idea and unorganised. I found it disappointing the lack of urgency and fire from lots of the players in the most important game of the season.

It was weird when they came out so early for the 2nd half. The body language looked, to me, as if they felt beaten then.

One thing that stood out is the link between 2nd row and centre in attack.

Brown and roberts were having a right go at each other at the end if the 1st half iirc

Tough job for Price next season to show progress though as we will either have to win one of the competitions or play attractive rugby again.

That was really not my impression, in fact in the second half I felt for large parts Wigan were hanging onto the ropes and if we could have breached their line once they would be there for the taking. That was a huge "IF", obviously.

I expect next season will be the start of a Price in v Price out divide in our fans. As we have overachieved this season, it will create a benchmark of "only the title will do" for some fans and if we start off a bit slow like this year then it will set off the old "I'm not calling for change yet but..."

The main arguments used will be:
- why did we sign Lama Tasi
- why did we give Kevin Brown another year
- why did we not sign a halfback
- the rugby is boring
- the two finals last year don't count because that was with the team TS had built
- fans of a club with ambition like Saints would not tolerate this
- why did we not go for McDermott/Wane when they were available

Two finals was good after last year, but two poor final performances, where we looked clueless tactically at times doesn't reflect well on the coach, and Roberts was a terrible signing. Not sure if Price is the right man long term, next season is a big one.

I don't really know how much progress we made. Superleague is so bad that a team can go from bottom 4 to top 4 within 12 months without improving that much. We had good effort throughout the season but I thought our attacking structures near the opposition line were consistently mediocre.

Austin will be a good signing, cannot be any worse than Roberts anyway, but a new attack coach and getting rid of Brown would help.

Agree with you, with maybe the GF not being a poor performance, but disappointing non the less. We had ample opportunity with field position to have taken both, yet composure and creativity was lacking. Fourth place in the league table is the bench mark of how we did, which didn't look possible after the opening six fixtures. Top four is where my expectations lie, and then see what happens when it's sudden death in the cup and playoffs.
Replacing Brown is key, as we still lack a distributor, and we ought to bring back the philosophy of support play.

Those arguments have a depressing ring to them so you may be right. If Price does not resolve the half back problem or get us looking organised in the final 1/4 of the field he will come under pressure.

But I am confident he will sort it like he did with our defence this season.

However the Kevin Brown extension beggars belief.

Did we not sign him on a 3 year deal 2 yrs ago? Not sure he has extended think it was already 3 yrs.

Quote ="Shazbaz"Did we not sign him on a 3 year deal 2 yrs ago? Not sure he has extended think it was already 3 yrs.'" 2 year deal in December 2016. https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... -year-deal

Quote ="Shazbaz"Did we not sign him on a 3 year deal 2 yrs ago? Not sure he has extended think it was already 3 yrs.'" 2 year deal in December 2016. https://www.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... -year-deal

Basically we payed just the same in the final as we did in the semi final. It worked one week, not the next. The pack was excellent both weeks. Our wingers are the most likely (almost only) place we were going to score.

Price has done half the job for me this year - our defence is so much better than it was.

Next season will be a fail if he doesn't do the same with the attack

Same way Smith approached it.

I don't think we did one one kick to the corners in the Saint's game though.

The pack are the least of our concerns in terms of defence and making field position.

I'd rather us have a chat with Shaun Wane.
Give him a 2019 off then ask him to join Price and Hendon in taking on Shawn Edwards Wigan!

Smith stated he let the players work out the attack and play what’s in front of them. I don’t think that’s Price’s style - it works when you have great attacking players and clever half backs, but we don’t. So Price’s structures approach is probably better for this period of time. What he does needs is a little off-the-cuff magic that Austin will (hopefully) provide, and hopefully another halfback with a bit more game management (and the odd drop goal in him)...

Well I’ll settle for being as successful as Wigan