to be honest with you i would agree

last season we finished top pretty comfortably, but imo only played well for a spell around June when we beat Leeds, Hudds, Cats and yourselves twice

the rest of the season we seemed to coast through

when it mattered we werent good enough beacuse week in week out, we werent challenged, and Leeds did for us in the CC Semi and GF playoff

IMO this is down to the format of SL playoffs, and not needing to compete fully throughout the season

yes we get some good games, but we also get a lot of poor / average games through the season as well

this season our recruitment in theory means we are a weaker team than last year on paper, and with the bulk of our 1st choice props and HH missing, we have still been very competitive. I may be disrespecting some of the good young players that are coming through, but i would expect us to have lost more than we have so far

also we need to consider the overseas recruitment, most clubs now appear to be going with home grown / home recruited players as we cant compete with the Ozzie dollar and salary cap over there, so to bring a marquee signing to these shores is now going to require something special

Loyalty is keeping him in the side. I'm unsure why Brown still thinks he is one of the first on the team sheet as I think Lomax is first choice FB, Hohaia first choice 6 and Flanagan is first choice 13. That leaves him pretty much stuck as he wouldn't get in over the players listed or the players who could rotate with them (even FB, I think Brown recognised that we need pace from that position, so I think Makinson is the next best option after Lomax). He obviously adds much needed experience to a youthful Saints team, but he looked lost at 6 and couldn't handle the tackling.

In reality, he's gone one year too many. Last season Rush played him whenever possible and that may have persuaded him to go another season. I cannot see him playing for Saints next season and he'll probably get on the coaching staff alongside KC.

St Helens need to rebuild around Lomax at FB. Great player in his time Wellens but all good things come to an end.

Have to say my opinion is that without our two star players, J-Lo and Robes, that we didn't do too bad, the props apart from Walmesley were poor, but them apart not too bad

After nine games we have had a look at most of the squad so has Nathan Brown, we are going in the right direction. If and it is a big IF we can get all the squad fit for Sept / Oct we could shock one or two. This would be my best 17 based on a third of the season;

Lomax
Makinson
Percival
Turner
Meli
Lance
Wilkin
Puletua
Roby
Walmsley
Boof
Manu
Flanagan

Subs
LMS
Clough
Soliola
Howarth

No Wellens, no Perry!

The back 5 is fairly pacy and dangerous especially with Jonny looping round the back ala Tomkins. Obviously the weak link is at 6 and 7 but that is the best of what is left and they are two experienced pros who can steer the team around the field. Lance is growing on me a bit, he doesn't do much but he does seem to have a good calming inluence on the team and is dangerous close to the line.

The forwards are big and powerful with an off load on them and with Howarth on the bench we have the option of moving Roby to loose forward without losing Lance from the halves.

Prescott and Lauaki offer nothing. Crosby especially is much better already.