Byrne has probably been our most consistent prop this year. He really seems to be relishing doing the tough stuff. It was noticeable that he'd been tasked with keeping Walmsley quiet in that first stint and it worked really well.

It seems to be a foregone conclusion that Havard will end up in the NRL unfortunately. I just hope he stays another 2 or 3 years before considering the move, both for our sake and his. The comparison with Thompson is a good one. He could go over now and probably hold his own but with a couple more years development he could go across and take it by storm (no pun intended!).

There are a few forwards who look the business coming through the ranks at Wigan currently. Hill being one of them. Academy to first team is always a bit of an unknown but if the majority make the transition we're looking at a very strong pack going forward.

Not sure what they feed them but it was noticeable in the Wigan v Saints U16s game that I watched that Wigan had a much bigger physical team.

Just to add some credibility to the Saints fans on here and to prove we aren't biased idiots, I'll 2nd this. Havard is not only a fantastic long-term prospect but already a very good player. He would be in a full strength Saints 17 for sure.

I always exempt yourself, Stu and FTV from the numpties we occasionally get on her. You come at things from a Saints perspective, which is as it should be, but there's balance too and usually a good debate to be had.

What's your view on playing Lomax?

Thanks for that,you and a couple more are not biased idiots by a long way.

I'm no medical expert so I can't say Woolf is right or wrong when he says the injury can't be made worse. However I am confident they wouldn't put him at risk, so it's a case of having to take their word for it in terms of the moral side of things.

As for the rugby side of things, if Lomax can play to 80% of his potential he is still our best option (and better than most in the league) so again for the time being I'm happy to trust their judgement. 1 game isn't enough to judge, especially a game like last week. But if the time comes where he's a passenger or even a liability within the team, I'm sure the club would act accordingly. I think Dodd being injured probably forces their hand a bit, I'm not naive to pretend otherwise. If he was fit then it would be "easier" to let Lomax have surgery and recover in his own time. But being down 2 half backs would spell the end of our season so I can understand why they are keen for him to play on and why he himself is so keen to play on too.

To be honest I don't think Lomax is the issue for us now. It's what we do alongside him. It shows how we much we are lacking an obvious replacement for Dodd when you read the various opinions on who should replace him. Welsby, Davies, Bell, Hopoate, Roby, Lussick even Sironen all been mentioned. That's the biggest conundrum for Saints now, who plays alongside Lomax to get the best out of the team and give us the best shot of winning another GF.

In fairness to the Saints fan who bagged Havard, he had been very sensible until that point and I can sort of see why Havard would go under the radar a little. You need to analyse him statistically sometimes to realise how good he actually is and then factor in things like his age and when you add it all up, he really is a special talent. The most pleasing thing is that I don’t think he’s at 50% of his potential yet. I just hope we can keep for another few seasons yet.

Fair summary mate. I have nothing more than you to go on but I just have a feeling this will come back to bite you. I guess I'm being influenced by playing Harry Smith injured last season because we had no option here, but when you look at how it affected him, and by extension the team, compared to a fully fit one this year then the comparison is there to be made.

Lomax is a far more experienced player than Smith, of course, but there are elements where experience probably has no bearing. You mention an 80% Lomax still being up there with the best and I wouldn't disagree if we were discussing form alone. 80% because of injury, especially and arm injury for a halfback, is somewhat different. There are so many variables that come into play when it's an injury of this sort; wayward passes, needing to hide the player in defence, doubt and uncertainty both for the player himself and his teammates around him and, of course, the possibility that it will go during a game and the disruption that would cause, particularly if we're talking a crunch game like Saturdays semi or the playoffs.

I understand, perhaps, why the club are taking this option. I can't help thinking it's a mistake they'll come to regret.

Yeah I meant if he could play to 80% of his normal levels, not 80% fit as such. It's a difficult one to quantify really. I just know that with Dodd missing too we are struggling to find one replacement; I think two would be impossible.

The injuries to Hopoate really haven't helped either as I think it would be a no brainer to play him at 1 and Welsby in the halves.

I know we have joked many times on here, with NK too, about our injuries (or lack of) but I have never known us chop and change our 1-7 so much so early in a season. If I could be bothered I would have a look at how many different combinations we've had and I would be shocked if it we had used the same 1-7 more than twice.

I posted on redvee yesterday that I sort of feel like we just need to get through these next two games best we can. Two tough games, 4 points would be huge for us. Then use the week off to dust ourselves off and start again for the business end. We have 17 days I think between Warrington next Thursday and Toulouse on 4th June so it feels like a good opportunity for us, albeit a break we obviously didn't want! If we can get a good run going from June onwards with just Dodd missing then we will still be favourites in my eyes. But we need Hopoate and Grace to get fit and stay fit and Lomax to be on the field as much as possible too.

There’s no doubt things are tougher on the injury front this season for Saints, then they have been for a few years now. None of us can deny that (although it’s still not been close to crisis point). Going in to the season with a lack of halfback cover looked risky for Saints. If they could go back I’m sure they’d have chosen one of Hopoate and Hurrell and used the spare spot for a back up option in the halves.

Yeah 100%. Could be something they look at going into next year I think. We are carrying lots of forwards but light in the backs. Likes of Kyle Amor hardly touched a ball. Swap him for a Richie Myler or Gareth O'Brien type player (completely off the top of my head before anyone jumps down my throat) and the squad is much better balanced.

Quite possibly, but who was available? I know the talk before we signed Cust was the likes of Richardson etc. I think they've gambled that Hopoate could give them that flexibility if needed.

That would be the question but I suppose Cust shows that you can always find an option Down Under if needed. There are lads playing NSW and Q cup games who would go very well here nowadays. Guys like Cust, Ellis, Mago, French and Field were playing as many games in those comps as they were in the NRL.

Hopoate was signed to replace Naiqama I think and be first choice right centre. Hurrell was meant to be the luxury item who nobody really knew how he fitted in. But injuries early on to Grace and then Hopoate himself and then Dodd has meant Hopoate has been in and out of the side and hardly at all centre. It's been a bit of a mess to be fair.

I’d even question the need for somebody like Lussick tbh. I think he’s been signed with a view to replacing Roby but the way Roby is playing, I think he’ll go around again. You then have Lussick hardly starting a game for 2 years and he is probably on a reasonable contract.

Easy to look at it with hindsight but the Saints recruitment strategy looks to have been a bit off for the first time in a while.

Not sure on that one. Most squads carry two hookers now and there's only so many chances Aaron Smith can have without doing anything of note.

Like you said with hindsight and injuries we look unbalanced. However if you swap the injuries to Lomax, Dodd and Hopoate for injuries to Walmsley, Lees and LMS then people would be saying we should've signed another prop instead of Hurrell for example. I suppose it's easy for us to be wise after the event and I include myself in that. I was happy with our recruitment at the start of the year so I can't criticise now. I think injuries have exposed some frailties/lack of depth in certain areas.

Having said that, if we go into the playoffs with a fit squad (less Dodd) then I still fancy us.

I don't think you can mate, at least not barring a miracle. Lomax's injury is not going to get better without surgery and is as likely to get worse as stay the same. Virtually no team goes into the back end of a season injury free so the question for you guys is where those injuries occur. The most likely candidate is Lomax, of course, but any injury in the backs could be fateful for you. Makinson is hobbling in many games this year so is that another long term problem? Welsby is an absolute must to stay fit in order for your season not to go completely off the rails, especially with your problems and potential problems in the halves.

The conversation regarding injuries we had early in the season is now proving to be an interesting one. With the same number of injuries that we're currently breezing through, your season is on the cusp of derailment. Interesting times.

Haha couple of bold calls there. To simply say I can't fancy us would be writing us off prematurely mate. And "cusp of derailment" is OTT too. Yes we are out of the cup and that hurts, but we are top of the league and favorites for the GF. So to fancy us isn't at all far fetched. I agree another key injury and we are in a mess. But if we go into the crunch games with a full pack and a 1-7 of Hopoate, Makinson, Hurrell, Percival, Grace, Lomax, Welsby then we have as good a chance as anyone. To suggest we would need a miracle to win it from here is a bit much. Bookes don't offer even money on miracles.

It possibly is a hindsight call that but for the minutes Lussick gets, it feels like he’s not much more than a man being used to give Roby a breather and then you think Aaron Smith could’ve done that but for less money and not used up a quota spot. I sense that one has been done with some real long term thinking in mind.

You’re absolutely the favourites for the Grand Final. It’ll take one hell of an effort from a team to stop you but at least there’s now hope. I didn’t think there was a few weeks ago.

Been disappointed with Lussick not shown much so far

Oh there's more than hope mate. Wigan and Catalans will both have a say. I'll stick my neck out now though and say it'll be a Saints v Wigan GF. I said on Saturday night that that defeat to you at the weekend will fuel us. Sometimes you need a defeat and a big one at that to get the fires burning again and motivate you and I'm hoping that's the case with us.

It’s difficult for him in fairness. I see him as a guy who can play 60-80 minutes and put a mark on a game. He’s getting bits and pieces and it’s tough then to really influence things. I thought you guys might have started him more and benched Roby, just to help him settle in quickly. I don’t see why Roby would retire with how he’s playing and you wonder what Lussick thinks about that.

It will for sure. Had you lost last Saturday with a fully fit Lomax and Dodd in the team, I’d be confident to put every penny I have (£31.24) on Saints retaining the superleague trophy but that halfback trouble has cracked it open. The form of Walmsley also brings Saints back to the pack a little. He is looking human recently and whilst he’s still the best, he’s not mangling teams like last season.

Sorry mate, you misunderstood me. I meant a miracle to go to the end of the season without injuries. I'm certainly not writing you off but I don't think I'm over egging it to say you're on the cusp of derailment. A worsening of Lomax's injury away in my opinion and that's not at all far fetched. I'd even say more likely than the alternative.

Yeah, but he has played #1 tho. Not unreasonable to call him going to FB and Welsby to FB is it.

You've just been unlucky to have three injuries. Like us having Tommy, Cust and Field injured. One isn't a HB, but will have been factored in for cover.