Both our halfs are fullbacks. Neither has a decent kicking game so we turn to wilkin. Close to the line if we cannot barge over we have no idea and no one organising. Robes should be given responsibility to captain the side next year.

Said it at the time and will say it again Matty smith was the best 7 we produced and we sold him. His kicking game far outclasses anything we have or are likely to get.

Not true.

Nonsense. Dig out your videos of the semi and final from 2010 and then tell me that Smith was the answer. He clearly wasn't. Only an idiot would have sold Pryce, Eastmond or Wheeler at the time to keep him and we made absolutely the right decision to offload him.

Well seemingly only one of those is currently at the club and let's be honest wheeler is not fit to lace smiths boots.

Nonsense again. Smith is the dictionary definition of average. You may be happy building a team around average (and I bet you're one of the kneejerkers who come on here screaming about our lack of "ambition" in recruitment every 2 minutes) but I'm not. Wheeler runs rings 'round him in terms of talent all day long. I'd sooner take a chance on a potentially great player who may or not make it over a thoroughly uninspiring and totally middle of the road player who will never be anything but.

Quote Northampton_Saint="Northampton_Saint"Nonsense again. Smith is the dictionary definition of average. You may be happy building a team around average (and I bet you're one of the kneejerkers who come on here screaming about our lack of "ambition" in recruitment every 2 minutes) but I'm not. Wheeler runs rings 'round him in terms of talent all day long. I'd sooner take a chance on a potentially great player who may or not make it over a thoroughly uninspiring and totally middle of the road player who will never be anything but.'" Wheeler is lucky if he can run take your specs off. Ditching smith was a big mistake. I bet those that made the decision are kicking themselves so get off your high horse. Clearly someone at the club thought so too if this is to be believed. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18282851

Quote Northampton_Saint="Northampton_Saint"Nonsense again. Smith is the dictionary definition of average. You may be happy building a team around average (and I bet you're one of the kneejerkers who come on here screaming about our lack of "ambition" in recruitment every 2 minutes) but I'm not. Wheeler runs rings 'round him in terms of talent all day long. I'd sooner take a chance on a potentially great player who may or not make it over a thoroughly uninspiring and totally middle of the road player who will never be anything but.'" Wheeler is lucky if he can run take your specs off. Ditching smith was a big mistake. I bet those that made the decision are kicking themselves so get off your high horse. Clearly someone at the club thought so too if this is to be believed. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/18282851

I tend to agree. We should have kept him, but not instead of the halfbacks mentioned, we should have kept him instead of Moore .

Eastmond for me was a 6
Wheeler I just don't rate and his attitude stinks.
Lomax could be a great fb or maybe even 6 but he does not have the brain or kicking game for 7

Smith was a 7. You say average I say you do him a dis-service.

World class no but better than average.

Letting smith go was not the error.


Letting Smith go, telling Long he could only have one year ( effectively telling him to go), booting out ellis. This left Eastmond as the last man standing, with no competitors before we had even agreed his contract was the mistake.

We put all our eggs into one basket, who had bigger fish to fry and an agent whose aim was to get him to RU, not long term at Saints. I find it hard to believe that Eastmond would have gone to RU, after only a few 'guest' appearances at Saints. Telling everyone else to go, left it wide open for Eastmond to plan his exit from RL to perfection. Had we held off getting rid of Long and Smith until the contract had been agreed with Eastmond, maybe we could have pushed Eastmond into a longer contract than 2 years. Or if not we could have looked ahead and seen that he was going in 2 years and would need an experienced half and not get rid of them all.

We've shifted more quality halfbacks out of St. helens in the last 2 years than most clubs can develop in 10 years.

Put Lomax or Gaskell or Wheeler along side any of these.
Eastmond, Long, Pryce, Smith.

The half back situation would be dramatically improved and there would never have been a need to panic buy Lance. The younger players would have an experienced, quality player to learn from and to take the big calls. Unlike now were the younger players are having to tutor Lance.

I agree with that.

I liked eastmond at 1st reciever, his power from a stadning start was a real assest, he had composure and a better kicking game than we gave him credit for.

So much of what was good last year came from the Lomaskell combination. If we'd still had Smith, that wouldn't have happened, BUT, a smith 7 lomax 6 combo would be very capable - certainly better than current.