Saints have announced their 19 man squad to take on Leeds in the first of Super League Monday's. There is only one alteration to the squad which played Wigan in the challenge cup last week as Tony Puletua returns from injury to replace Andrew Dixon. This means the current injuries is now down to just Ade Gardner. 1. Paul Wellens, 3. Michael Shenton, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 6. Lance Hohaia, 7. Jonny Lomax, 8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Chris Flannery, 14. Anthony Laffranchi, 15. Mark Flanagan, 16. Paul Clough, 17. Gary Wheeler, 18. Shaun Magennis, 21. Tommy Makinson, 26. Josh Jones. saintsrlfc.com/news/page/1995 1. Paul Wellens 21. Tommy Makinson 3. Michael Shenton 17. Gary Wheeler 5. Francis Meli 6. Lance Hohaia 7. Jonny Lomax 8. Josh Perry 9. James Roby 14. Anthony Laffranchi 4. Sia Soliola 12. Jon Wilkin 15. Mark Flangan 10. LMS 11. Tony Puletua 13. Chris Flannery 16. Paul Clough 18. Shaun Magennis and 26. Josh Jones to miss out.

Saints have announced their 19 man squad to take on Leeds in the first of Super League Monday's. There is only one alteration to the squad which played Wigan in the challenge cup last week as Tony Puletua returns from injury to replace Andrew Dixon. This means the current injuries is now down to just Ade Gardner. 1. Paul Wellens, 3. Michael Shenton, 4. Sia Soliola, 5. Francis Meli, 6. Lance Hohaia, 7. Jonny Lomax, 8. Josh Perry, 9. James Roby, 10. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, 11. Tony Puletua, 12. Jon Wilkin, 13. Chris Flannery, 14. Anthony Laffranchi, 15. Mark Flanagan, 16. Paul Clough, 17. Gary Wheeler, 18. Shaun Magennis, 21. Tommy Makinson, 26. Josh Jones. saintsrlfc.com/news/page/1995 1. Paul Wellens 21. Tommy Makinson 3. Michael Shenton 17. Gary Wheeler 5. Francis Meli 6. Lance Hohaia 7. Jonny Lomax 8. Josh Perry 9. James Roby 14. Anthony Laffranchi 4. Sia Soliola 12. Jon Wilkin 15. Mark Flangan 10. LMS 11. Tony Puletua 13. Chris Flannery 16. Paul Clough 18. Shaun Magennis and 26. Josh Jones to miss out.

1. Brent Webb 3. Kallum Watkins 4. Zak Hardaker 5. Ryan Hall 6. Danny McGuire 7. Rob Burrow 8. Kylie Leuluai 9. Paul McShane 10. Jamie Peacock 11. Jamie Jones-Buchanan 12. Carl Ablett 13. Kevin Sinfield (c) 14. Lee Smith 16. Ryan Bailey 18. Chris Clarkson 19. Weller Hauraki 20. Darrell Griffin 21. Richard Moore 31. Shaun Lunt

Hardaker on the wing then with Watkins and Ablett at centre?

What does Gaskell have to do to get a game now?

I'd drop Wheeler and give Jones more gametime to be honest.

I'd drop Shenton to be honest, seems to be the weaker of the three at the minute.

Good point.

Saints are trying to move shenton on, this isn't a good time to drop him if we want another club to take him off our payroll.

Why not? I doubt it would make a difference to a team looking to pick him up tbh. We should be picking the team on form

According to Rush in one of his recent press interviews, we are picking the team on stability.

Maybe the coaching staff see Gaskell the way I do ( not good enough ) and not the way the rest of you do ( The second coming of Bradley clyde ).

Compared to a stand off who is of the required standard for this club. I have been watching Saints for 30 years and Gaskell does not meet the required standard. You may settle for second best, but I will not.

Wello
Makinson
Shenton
Wheeler
Meli
Hohaia
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Laffranchi
Flannery
Sia
Wilkin

TP
Clough
Flanaghan
TP

Same team as last week but Magennis drops off the bench and TP makes his comeback from injury.

I don't see Saints being able to parachute any other halfback in from any other club this week or next week.

You seam to be talking long term, however as per the thread, I'm talking about this week and next week.

This is a thread about the '19 Man Squad announced for Leeds', not a game in an idealised future maybe 1 year or 3 or 4 years hence. So for this week Gaskell would not be second best, that was the point.

There are plenty of other threads talking about the long term future.
More long term Nathan Brown may not be able to buy a halfback ready made of the 'required standard', unless Lance steps aside and makes space. So Nathan can hardly stand there and fold his arms and say we'll I'm not going to play any of them, as they are not the 'required standard'. In fact if you look at Huddersfield in his first years he took the likes of Brown and turned him into a play maker, before he could get the man he wanted in Brough. So he may well take Gaskell and inject him into the Saints side. Possibly not at halfback, but in a pivot role to give us that kicking game and more option than the current pairing do.

1. Paul Wellens
21. Tommy Makinson
3. Michael Shenton
17. Gary Wheeler
5. Francis Meli

6. Lance Hohaia
7. Jonny Lomax

8. Josh Perry
9. James Roby
14. Anthony Laffranchi
4. Sia Soliola
11. Tony Puletua
12. Jon Wilkin

10. LMS
15. Mark Flangan
13. Chris Flannery
16. Paul Clough

If TP is fit then I'd be inclined to play him from the start. Our penetration from the backs has been limited for sometime now, so we need as much strike on the field from the start as possible. TP gives us something in the pack that we have lacked in recent weeks, he attracts players to him, he can offload in traffic, and bust through tackles.

If we can turn in a defensive performance similar to the wigan game, but get more points on the board early on then I think we'll get the win. If we struggle to score like against Wigan, then it's going to be tight. With the halves struggling, especially in the kicking department, I'd be inclinded to give Wilkin more of a role for this at LF, similar to Sinfield. This would make it more difficult for the opposition to close them down with 3 pivots on the field.