The price we paid for Myler is driven by the barren state of English halfbacks for many years now. Because there are so few that are even half decent, they have a lot of market power over clubs and so their agents manage to get them big deals. I remember last season there was that business about Myler going to the NRL but nothing came of it, maybe in the NRL they have more options and weren't going to pay top dollar for Myler.

I still think Myler is a useful weapon and has his strengths but you have a fair point that he hasn't advanced in the way we'd have hoped. He was in the England set up when he was at Salford but he hasn't established himself there which I was hoping he would have done with us.

This is another reason why I'm slow to buy in to the hype of young players coming through till they have really proved themselves. We've had other examples of much hyped young halfbacks like Scott Moore and Matty Smith, or going back further Kevin Brown was supposed to be one of the biggest talents ever to come out of Wigan's youth system. They end up being so-so. Briers, for all that people say "he wasted his talent", he actually was a top line halfback for many years and got more consistent with age, nobody else has done that since: others like Horne, Thorman and Cooke, started brightly then faded away.

For years the argument was that we don't have any halfbacks because all the clubs sign Aussie halfbacks so English lads don't get a chance but those guys above have had lots of chances, and never fully established themselves. I'm beginning to think the problem isn't that there's loads of amazing English halfback talent around that never gets out of the Championship because of too many overseas players, its that there just isn't the talent around and there hasn't been for a while.

When you look at some of the halfbacks who have served us well down the last 20 or so years - Briers, Greg Mackey, Keith Holden etc. none of them were exactly marquee signings, and all represented something of a gamble.

The championship has proven to be a source of SL-quality forwards in recent times, there must be a SL-quality halfback lurking there somewhere as well, just waiting for someone to take a punt.

You probably have a valid point, Danny Brough was a championship half back and as had to work his way up the SL ladder - Now he is the best half back in the comp.

As for Myler, personally, I feel with all the investment and the hype that went with him, the return we have got back from him, on an individual level, as been pretty poor.... For all the sing that accompanied Wigan's signing of Matty Smith, it has to be said that Smith has proved a cannier recruitment for them, than Myler has been for us.

That's a great post, like you said we are only 2 games in so let's see what the core looks like after 10 and maybe we will have a better idea where needs strengthening.

Jon Roper,Mike Wainwright,Richie Barnett,Henry Fafilli,John Clarke,Chris Riley.., Now Myler and Atkins...

Always a scapegoat and always a target to hound out of the club... That's our way isn't it!!

But no one is scapegoating, surely it's appropriate to say someone has had a stinker if they actually have had a stinker.
Ryan just needs a good sports psychologist to sort his confidence out.
Richie needs to start shouting and directing.

Yes, let's just back the players, even when its blindingly obvious that they are under-performing...



I think its only fair that if the club as invested OUR money in players like Myler and Atkins, that questions should be asked if they don't perform upto expectation.

It isn't a case of hounding players, its more a case that players need to realise that they have to perform a lot better than they presently are, if they are to stay in the side.

If what Myler and Atkins are presently doing for the club is the best they can give, then, to put it bluntly, they should be told to find another club.... Personally, I believe Atkins can do better, because we have seen him do it, but as for Myler, in five years, I've yet to be won over.

I'm in two minds over Atkins, without doubt he deserves dropping, it did the world of good for briers, no player should be undroppable.


However, think back to the Matt king incident in 09, we all needed to put our collective arm around him, to bring up his confidence.

Would it not be as good an idea to be supportive for Ryan?

People are directly having a go at him on twitter, one thing I would definitely do if I was him is stay off that for a while.

It's bang out of order .

Atkins in an accident that is happening now.
I'm a fan of the fella. On his day, he's the equal of any British centre, BUT, he's in a real bad run of form. In a footballing similie, his probably going through what Joe Hart was, 5 months ago. So, Pellegrini "rested" him, and played someone else. Hart "got his head together", and was then reinstated to the team. Hart is now, not far from his previous best.
I hope Mr Smith reacts accordingly.

Without a doubt it's pretty obvious his confidence is shot.. He was fantastic In his 1st season, he hasn't become a bad player overnight.. Maybe a bit of crowd support rather than abuse on forums and Twitter wouldn't go amiss..

Forums is fair game anyone has the choice to come on here and form an opinion, direct messages actually at him though, really? Leave that to Smith Poching and Marshall.

Yes, I don't think anyone on here wants to hound either player out of the club but sport is a results-based business, and the players, coaches and clubs are judged on performance and results. It's also a squad game and, if TS continued to pick players that are abundantly out of form, it sends a very bad, destructive and clear message to players competing to get into the match day 17.

None of this is a knee jerk - Atkins hasn't performed for eighteen months and Myler has probably basked in the reflected glow from Briers for so long, he now feels like a rabbit in the headlights.

When I looked in the face of Waterhouse (a player himself some people would happily have chased all the way back to Manchester Airport) on Friday, I saw frustration, anger and annoyance. When I looked at Atkins and Myler I saw incomprehension and fear.

He has become a bad player over the last 12 months... This isn't a one off game is it?

I've been a big fan of his and ive been thinking he will come good... But there is only so long you blindly support someone on the basis of form showed over 2 years ago.

Personally, I feel if any sportsman chooses to go on social media, then they need their heads testing and deserve all the abuse they get, for being so naïve as to believe all interaction will be of a positive nature.

On an individual level, Atkins was probably quite happy receiving positive adulation when things were going swimmingly, now, when he is receiving abuse, he needs to either man up and take it on the chin, or get off there immediately.

I don't think he's commented on the criticism, that's my opinion, interacting with fans is a good thing, why have the odd numpty ruin something most decent people enjoy.

I agree that, in theory, fan/superstar interaction is a fine idea - In reality though, people like Atkins getting abuse is a totally predictable outcome, because its simple human nature.

People are stupid, people multiplied by the internet equals even stupider

..... I think you have just bashed that nail very forcibly on the head.

Where did is say it was a one off game? Enjoy booing him from the south stand if you think it will help..!

south stand?

How uncouth

How disgusting to vilify any player through the anonymity of the the internet , how many keyboard warriors would tell any player to his face what a wa***r they think he is ? I am sure once he sorts himself out & gets his confidence back we will see the best of him again .

I think he needs dropping now it was painful to watch a player lacking so much confidence on Friday. It would do both the team and the player some good!

I was only chatting to a Saints fan mate of mine (term used very loosely), on Friday regarding Atkins and, aside from the obvious frustration directed at him for obvious defensive frailties and mistakes, the point I made was that, it seems, every single time we play Leeds (win, lose or draw) Atkins gets owned by Watkins.

Now this is a guy who 'took' Atkins position in the England setup. If I were Atkins I would be so pumped up to give Watkins a good rinsing to prove that I was the best centre in the league. But all he seems to do is shy away and allow Watkins to walk all over him.

I think it all stems back from the time he was overlooked/dropped/ignored by Steve MacNamara and the England set up. It is not up to the coach of England to boost the confidence of each and every player for their club, it is for the individual club coaches and the players themselves. I agree that getting pumped up for a game is a must (and that Atkins against Watkins should be a massive incentive), but Ryan doesn't seem to be getting into that mind set. He is probably our fastest runner {await the responses} and he is always first past the half way line at the end of our warm-ups. On paper he is an ideal centre, but his form of late has lacked the evidence of this. As the line in one of my favourite films goes: "Keep sending him up"