Im unsure about Wilkin, he gives his all in defence. In attack i want him to either be a strong running 2nd row or loose ball player, atm he is neither. He takes up the ball in one set, the next 3 he is throwing balls which make you wince. Also who told him he can kick, fair enough he puts in the odd good bomb, fine. But then he tries all the little grubbers or chip kicks which nearly always results in a 20m tap.

I've not been been a big fan of wilkin for sometime now, I won't knock his defensive effort but with ball in hand he's just a waste of space. He's just to small to be a running backrow and not clever enough to be a ball player.

I just wonder if he justifies his salary as a top tier player.

This is what I,m concerned about he does some work in offence that the halfs should be doing, then when it does;t work out we slate him for it. Do we expect him to make 40 tackles every match then expect him to be as good offensively as well, whilst Flannery who does less work in defence and offence gets off fairly lightly.

The question is would we be better or worse in the pack if Wilkin is not selected.

Personally i think Wilkin gets abit fustrated with play thats why he ends up throwing silly passes/ stupid kicks. if i have busted my gut and made 40/50 tackles a game the last thing you would want is playing one up rugby getting mullered by the opposition forwards set in set out.

With regards to if he was one of the top earners i would assume he is, is that disapointing, yes. He puts so much effort in, you cant question that, but what comes first effort or ability. Would Wilkin get into Warringtons packs yesterday, probaly not, will he be earning more than the likes of Hill, Cooper, McCarthy, Carvell, Harrison etc i would think so

Wilkin is being horribly diluted by having to play both 2nd row and halfback. He's a fantastic player who we are simply asking way too much of at the moment and his game is suffering as a result. He simply just isn't Scully and never will be. Letting him get back to running his channels and being a tackling machine and giving the handling and kicking to someone else next season is a top priority.

Hohaia isn't worthy of further debate - we all know it'll never work with him at #6 but that won't change until next year. We're stuck with a very round peg in a very square hole until the end of the playoffs and will have to make do. Hopefully he'll be lining up as an interchange hooker and covering #1 and, in an emergency, #6 next season where he clearly belongs.

Lomax is indeed a problem - I still think he's ultimately a #1 but we're massively oversubscribed in contenders for that position now. I start to wonder with his ever increasing bulk and our diminishing options out wide whether it might be worth giving him a spell at #4 again actually - he did alright there in his brief sojourn early last season and has all the attributes to make a really good centre if given time to settle in and our other alternatives for next season are looking a bit bleak. I think he'll still play #7 next year though as we haven't got anyone else to put in the shirt for now...

I think a lot is down to the coaching.
We are not seeing the best of many of the players, which you would think is a lot to do with man management.
Hopefully this is something Brown can sort out.
Wilkin is still a great player but I dont feel like he is getting used to his potential.
PT should be at prop.
not sure whats going on at 6 and 7 at times, but then Lance has had some good perfomances lately.

Wello gets absolutely slated when everything is going wrong, then when the team play well hes suddenly worth another contract.
Hes still a good player but you would think next year is his last year, and wouldnt be surprised to see a lot more of Makinson at full back next year.

All in all Saints have been very predictable and boring this year with no plan B and the sooner the season is over and Saints get back to playing the way saints should (entertaining) I will be happy.

And Ive read about putting Roby at 13

I couldnt agree more.
He could be devestating at 13. Hes almost wasted at Hooker.

11 soliola
12 manu
13 roby

NICE

I wouldn't say we need a Stand off, we need a Scrum Half. Jonny Lomax is an excellent stand off and operates very well there, his strengths are in taking on the line - the traditional role of a stand off. He is not on organiser / distributor / kicker - the role of a Scrum Half.

Not much difference in the positions these days but as a traditionalist I like to see primarily a runner at #6. We've got a few decent options at #6 still actually with Lomax, Gaskell, Wheeler (if you're being super optimistic he'll ever fulfil his potential - I've just about given up on him now) and Lance and Wilkin in an emergency. You can make a very good team out of that selection of #6s. Our big problem is most definitely #7 and has been ever since Eastmond sodded off to waste a couple of years of his career away in RU land. We simply have noone who can play the position effectively. We'll just have to hope that Brown has something up his sleeve that's all.

Indeed, I look at Catalans as a good example of how halfbacks should operate. They have Dureau at 7 pulling all the strings and Leon Pryce attacking the line wide out at 6. This, for me, is the main reason for Catalans success.

But when he has played this position (Salford and Hull are the ones I have seen and can remember) he was too easily dominated in contact...he's more effective running at retreating defences and in broken play, so I'd keep him at hooker.