Imagine if we could mix the 2 youth systems at Wigan and Stains, it seems we have the forwards coming through and they have the backs.
Yes i realise we have Tomkins and Charnley, they would get on the Stains team sheet every week, would any of there home grown forwards apart from Roby get on the Wigan team sheet?
Just 1 for duscussion.

would be something special I reckon, really good to see great young English players at the top of super league

They can keep Foster.

Which of their backs would you want? Don't forget we beat the all of their young backs in the U20's three years on the bounce.

Gaskell yes, Lomax maybe and that's it for me.

Just about to post the same thing.

Let's not go OTT until we see what some of our boys can do in SL this season

Would there system bring the Wigan young backs on any better then the training and development they get at the minute?Is the Wigan culture geared for forward development, its just something that popped into my head earlier not anything im judging the team on.

Definitely Wheeler.

We have Matty Russell remember, who is tipped for great things.
But I'd definitely take Gaskell, Wheeler, Lomax and Makinson off their hands.

Tomkins
Charnley
?
Wheeler
Foster
Gaskell
Lomax
Mossop
Roby
Prescott
Clough
Tuson
Farrell

Obviously Lockers would get in but Ive tried to keep the team as young as possible.

Goulding gets that right centre spot for me, and Hock gets in ahead of Clough, but otherwise, yep.

Forgot about Gaz tbh

Only Lomax and Gaskell to take notice of. Foster, Wheeler and Makinson wouldn't be near the Wigan team.

Full super league level is a totally different game from the under 18s and 20s. Some players develop a lot later and there are some kids that look great in the age groups and are tipped for stardom and it never really happens.

I would love Saints to have some of your young forwards but I am delighted with Lomax, Gaskell, Wheeler and Makinson. As for Foster there are some real weaknesses in his game which I am not sure will ever be addressed.

Although I have to take you to task on the "maybe we would take Lomax" quote. You would have him in a heartbeat !!!!

i was just eluding to the fact they've got some decent young players and they're british and its great to see, i wouldn't necessarily want Makinson in my team over Richards/Charnley, but Makinson looked very good tonight imo, with a full season under his belt he's going to be a very good player in the future

i would take lomax in a heart beat, absolute quality that kid. Gaskill still decided but he is not the style of player i like so that may cloud my judgement.

Wheeler is very talented, but Foster and Makinson for me can stay where they are. We have better.

As an England fan this thread is extremely encouraging. Roll on the 2013 World Cup.

Id have both Gaskell and Lomax. Gaskells short kicking game is superb and hes an awkward runner of the ball, decent frame to pack some muscle on as he gets older. I think Gaskell will kick on and become the more successful of the two.

Agreed, it's nice to have a decent selection of backs to chose from for a change!

Tomkins
Briscoe
Charnley
Hall
Jones-Bishop
Owen
Watkins
Reed
Arundel
Cudjoe
Welham
Hardaker
Wheeler
Widdop
Gaskell
Lomax
Myler

You can create a young, exciting backline with those players. We obviously still don't have anywhere near the talent pool of in Oz but atleast the team shouldn't be picking itself come the 2013 WC. The players above are just those who are currently playing SL regularly, hopefully there will be a few more who have come through by then as well. I'd say the only worry would be a lack of any real quality cover for Sam.

Definitely wheeler, lomax and Gaskell. makinson is also pretty good but would end up a squad player at Wigan for a while, we already have them. Going off last nights defensive display Jamie Foster is going to struggle to keep his place in a young Saints back line.

There is no doubt we're finally taking our quality kids onto the next level and it all bodes well for the world cup. These kids along with charnley etc should be included in the England set up now so we have a pool of quality kids and proven experience come 2013. Competition for places in an England -who would have thought it!

jones-bishop will mature into a top quality full back if given the chance.

Reed, Watkins, Shenton and Bridge in the centres. It's only 3 years since Sykes for getting a game there, how things have changed for the better.

Makinson's one of the best they have IMO.....would have him at centre in a flash - He battered us from there in both the P/o games last season and was pretty decent last night.

I like Gaskell. He has a lot of potential and there are many times I have seen him where he looks better than Lomax who is a bit greedy for my liking. I think Gaskell could turn out to be the better of the two. Wheeler is a talent but is a Stand Off and is never a centre where he is very weak defensively. I think he is a better Stand Off than Lomax but needs to stay injury free before Saints will even think about putting him back in a pivotal position.

Foster is a cracking kicker and thats it. It is unbelievable how hyped up and overated he is. Makinson is average, although better than Foster, and is no where near as good as say Charnley.

Not into Foster but Wheeler Makinson Gaskell and Lomax are all very good players who i think could push for Int spots in their careers.

Makinson played on the wing in both those games.

Foster reminds me a little bit of Steve Tyrer. When Tyrer broke into the Saints team he was massively over-hyped by Eddie and Stevo because he got a few tries and was scoring lots of points because he was a good goalkicker. They ignored the fact that he was defensively weak and now Tyrer is playing for Halifax.

Foster has to improve if he's to avoid going the same way.