He's played the last two games off the bench around the middle and he's been fantastic! He looks like a guy that we've had to play out of position for the last year and a half and we maybe will now see the best of him spelling with Lockers. Don't get me wrong he's done a manful job at second row and even at centre but he's just so well suited to being right bang in the middle.

If only the wrecking ball had one percent of Isa's attitude, desire and workrate!

Did we win..?

Carry on like this and we'll be seeing the best of him in the middle 8s.

It's good to see we've found a suitable role for him. He gets a lot of stick on here for being a limited Second Row/Centre, some of it justified for the odd brain fart he has, but to be fair he's only been put there because of the amount of injuries we've had. He rarely lets anyone down and he works his boll*cks off for the team. I'm glad we have him.

There were plenty of negatives last night but some positives as well. I thought Isa was one regardless of us not getting the win. I also thought both Tomkins, Sutton and Bateman went very well.

We're so desperate for a scrum half to get kick and pass us around the field though.

At the start of this season, I was really happy with our halfbacks, especially when we fended off massive offers for George.

Now, I feel they're the weakest part of the team.

Unpopular opinion, we'd be higher in the league with Matty Smith starting 7 instead of Tommy.

Both create no try assists but at least smith has a kicking game.

I love Tommy but the only good part of his play at the minute is his defence, and that's not what you want from your half back.

You sort of have to grit your teeth to admit it but I think you're right. Neither are the answer to what we need from a seven but Smith is slightly more suited to our requirements then Leuluai is.

In fairness to Leuluai he'd still be a very good hooker whereas Smith is nothing but an average scrum half but as a seven, I'm not sure Tommy looks even that good at the minute.

I've said previously and I saw nothing last night to change my mind, I'd still take a punt on Danny Brough for a season or two. Even at 34 he still offers everything this side would kill for in a scrum half. There was some talk of unrest earlier in the year and if there was an oppprtunity to get him in I'd be all for it.

I'd take Leuluai's organisation and passing as well. Smith is a truly awful passer and so many of our moves broke down because of it.

Tommy has been at best average bordering on abysmal during this run,seriously it was a huge error in getting rid of Smith,who was no world beater himself but much better than whats on offer at the moment,it needs addressing and quickly.

The only thing Smith has is a better kicking game and let's not forget on here he got slated for that as it isn't all that.
I'm not saying Tommy has been good but he's not had a dominant pack to work behind.
I remember after the WCC thinking it was a great signing,he organised us round the park,great defense,good passer and does the basics right,a perfect compliment for Williams I thought but it just hasn't worked,maybe if we find form so will Tommy.

Literrally struggling to think of a Lealuai try assist. Lots of pressure on George and now Sam to create the final pass for tries.

From the saints board after their win on Friday

"The last 7 mins was really exciting which is a rare thing for us these days but jesus the 73 mins before that we was absolutely shocking! No direction, no go forward, no creativity and couldn't keep hold of the ball.

Matty smith was rubbish again but did take his try well and a unreal drop goal in big pressure but that's hiding the fact he's not good enough. His kicking game is awful. He offers nothing in attack and by far the worst 7 I've seen in saints shirt."

Sounds familiar

The other option would be to swap Tommy to hooker and Powell to scrum half but I think that would make the situation worse.

This thread has drifted a lot but I think one of the main reasons TL was obviously as a future coach but also to give Shorrocks a couple of years to get first-team ready. Ideally Shorrocks would've played 10-15 games this year but sadly he got injured as well. Hopefully get gets plenty of chances in 2018 and can cement a spot in the halves.

I find it amusing perhaps the worst Saints team of the super league era has just a single player to pick on.

Isn't it strange that Wigan have scored far more tries with Tommy in the side than Smith?

Who said he was the only player they were picking on?

Just looking at the SL stats: Williams comfortably on top of the tree with 24 try assists this season, which is a pretty good effort in a struggling side. Gale second with 17, and our only other contender is Lockers with 7 (same as Smith). Brough has 15. Tommy not on the list (ie, not in the top 50), so less than 5.

I'd give swapping Tommy and Powell a go, most agree 9 is TL's best position, and Powell is supposed to be a half anyway.

I think the issue with TL is made worse by the fact that Williams has next to no long kicking game, so that is almost always left to Tommy, and it's his weakest suit.

And just on kicking: spiral bombs; they are a big weapon in the NRL; can no-one at Wigan produce them? Shouldn't they be part of any good half's armoury?

Yes swapping Leuluai for Powell seems worth a shot.

Tommy should be banned from high kicks, they achieve nothing and often leave us in a worse position than when we started on play 5.

They're just nothing kicks. No height, no movement and no chance of any of our chasers getting anywhere near them. I'd say they're catching practice but they're not even good enough for that!

I'd be giving the majority of the kicks by duties to Sam Tomkins if the set up stays as it is now. I'd also like to see McIlorum and Powell kick more from dummy half.

Leuluai's never played for Saints.

I honestly have no idea what you mean?