We are heading into the business end of the season now and a good run of form is whats needed going into the play offs. Last week was a disaster in preparation of heading into the play offs, if we would have won and then beat cas and London and gone to wigan and competeted then we'd be bang on for a good play off run but how much has last weeks loss hit our confidence?

If jamie foster played last week, we'd have won the game, his kicking I'd worldclass and he's basically a points machine, we can't afford to miss kicks in the play offs and Jamie foster doesn't miss kicks.

I know it's a little harsh on Tommy but thats rugby league, tommy isn't on the best of form and st the moment the wouldnt be much difference in terms of play apart from Tommys defence. Jamie is a better finisher and try scorer.

I like Tommy but IMO bringing Jamie back would be best thing for the team at the moment, sure enough Jamie will drop kicks but so is Tommy.

Thoughts?

I agree that Foster's kicking could potentially make all the difference in a tight playoff game.

However I think you are wrong to say that Foster is a better finisher than Makinson. Look at some of the tries Makinson has scored this season, Leeds away, Catalans away, Huddersfield at home all good examples. He knows how to get his body in the right position to squeeze in, sometimes putting the ball down with one hand when in mid-air. Apart from Leeds away when Foster moved the ball around his back, I don't recall him scoring too many tries that made me think "wow that took some finishing."

So Foster is the better goalkicker, but Makinson is better in every single other area of the game in my opinion.

I think you're likely to see Swift get a run on the wing before Foster. he may knock a couple more kick over, but if he lets in an extra try, that negates it.

Jamie's got a chance of a run at a good club to help settle him down and rediscover his good form. He didn't always make mistakes.

Jamie foster is a try scorer, hes one of them players just scores tries, he's basically a points machine.

I think someone put the head to head stats on here and Jamie won in nearly every department.

Put it another way, if Jamie played last week, we would more or less had 3rd spot in the bag.

If Foster had made some of the mistakes that Makinson has made over recent weeks, the lynch mob would have been in full swing by now.

Agreed.

Jamie look to have gained his confidence back from his stint at hull.

I agree. On current form, I'd have Jamie Foster in ahead of Makinson anyway.

It's a ridiculous bit of ego from Rush that is preventing both Foster and Gaskell playing in the first team at Saints. It's Mr Teflon at fullback who really needs to be axed, but they'll never have the balls to do that.

Foster was awful for Hull at Wigan. Charnley scored three tries against him and Foster missed two very god try scoring opportunities.

I agree his goal kicking could be very useful in a tight game though.

Tommy been pretty poor also.

interesting thought to be had around squad depth and competition for places. A while ago we had Foster, Gardner, Meli, Makinson, Wheeler, Jones, Shenton, Swift competing for the wing and centre spots.

No we pretty much have Makinson, Meli, Jones, Shenton and Swift i.e. hardly any competition for spots and the starting 4 are pretty much guaranteed to play. Any coincidence that Makinson has under performed more significantly since Foster went to Hull?

Jamie went to Hull for a reason. Let him have some time there to work on his game in a first team squad.
If you want to put some pressure on Mak's performances, give Swift a run out this weekend.

I'd have Foster on the wing before Swift going into the play offs, he has big game experience. IIRC, Swift has 2 appearances?

Though Fosters issue is confidence for me, and I'm not sure the Saints fans would back him enough at the game for him to regain that.

Valid point, but Jamie was in a bad place when he was dropped. I'd like to see him get a bit of time at Hull to try and regain his form and confidence.

Swift would be our only real newby if we were to take him now. Maybe a couple of weeks rest for Makinson would be good for him.

I agree with both points really, I do think Makinson needs a time out, he looks shot mentally to me.

Swift is a better player than Foster. Good step, quicker & a good finisher. Foster wont play for Saints under Rush & KC. His comments last week confirmed it when he said weve gone for size or pace on the flanks this yr. Foster has neither.