I have just been on redvee and reading a thread about next season's best 1-17.

I've seen people say that they are really excited about the squad next season and that they are 'drooling' over some of the 1-17s that have been posted.

I'm not one to be too negative (we did dominate SL last season...) but I think there are still some outstanding issues that need to be addressed by KC. The points below aren't in any particular order, but I'm going from 1-17 in my thinking:

1) Wellens' role - he was superb in the run in last season. A real pro and the first time I've really thought of him standing up as our captain. But what will his role be? I don't want KC to put him anywhere again...but is he now too vital to leave out if available?

2) Percival/Turner/Jones - where will each end up? Percival is a certain starter IMO but which side? Do we pair him up with swift or Makinson? Splitting Percy and swift was a good plan but where does that leave turner? And what about jones: where does he fit in with all this?

3) Walsh - will he keep fit? When will he be fit to play and who will fill in until he does come back? Thankfully we have options and I suppose GF winning Flash can always be used!! Also question marks over Lomax's fitness too.

3) starting props - who do we go with? Amor certainly, but Walmsley and Masoe shouldn't start imo. Can Richards be relied upon as a full time starting prop? He was superb in the GF, but he is still young.

4) back row - this is an area that does worry me. We look weak I think. I know Vea is coming in but tbh I don't know much about him. Losing Soliola and Manu is massive. I was such a Manu fan and we will miss him. I like Thompson at 13. Will LMS carry his form into next season too? He does tend to start slow.

5) youngsters - Brown did well bringing them through and taking them out at the right times. How much will Savelio play? Will Greenwood come back in? I wonder who will break through in 2015 like Percival and Thompson.

I am really looking forward to next season but I think there is some work before I can think of this team being really strong. Definitely have the players but it's fitting them in and creating the right combinations that could take a bit of time.

Possibly why we really needed brown to stay another season to finish off the squad. It's certainly heading in the right direction but to truly kick start our dominance again there is still some work left

Just for arguments sake, here is my 1-17:

1. Lomax
2. Makinson
3. Percival
4. Turner
5. Swift
6. Burns
7. Walsh
8. Richards
9. Roby
10. Amor
11. Vea
12. Wilkin
13. Thompson

14. Hohaia
15. Masoe
16. Walmsley
17. LMS

Lomax
Makinson
Turner
Percival
Swift
Burns
Walsh
Amor
Roby
Walmsley
Jones
Thompson
Wilkin

Hohaia
Masoe
LMS
Vea

Wellens, Richards, Dawson, Savelio, Flanagan, Greenwood.
Still hopefully another prop to come in there somewhere too.

Don't really see any problems in losing Soliola. I think his time to move on had come. With the acquisition of Amor and Masoe Soliola's impact was less noticeable.

We look good for 2015. The true sign of this is when we talk about another signing no one is quite sure what position we need to strengthen.
We have specialists in the key areas and a number of multi-taskers to cover the rest if the squad.

I think it is just down to the coach and what he can bring to the table.

If it were me, then -

1)Wellens's biggest contribution to Saints is as "The Big Stick" that KC should use to whack the players with when they don't perform. For me, he needs to transfer this quality from that of an onfield player, to an club captain who only plays when needed, to a member of the coaching staff. This season should be playing in emergencies imo.

2)Turner's the problem here. Percival is a gem, so he gets one spot. When Turner fires, he's wonderful, but he has too many off days which would make me favour Jones over the course of a season. If Turner fires correctly, then he's a real asset. Hopefully, with the improved ball he'll get from our proper halves, he'll be forced to shape up or ship out. I expect a full season from Percy, the time for wrapping him in cotton wool is now past.

3)I would say that Hohaia - Burns will be the half until he arrives back, which should be good enough. Lomax does worry me fitness wise, I'd like to see swift used as cover for #1 and Gardner or Dawson to fill in on the wing, but I suspect one of Lance or Wello would get the nod.

3)One of Masoe and Walmsley to start along side Amor, with the other on the bench, but we need another grafting prop to bring on for Amor. I'm hopeful for Richards, but at his age we should not be relying on him. New signing please (Bryce Gibbs has been suggested).

4)A massive bag of maybes. If LMS plays there and performs and Thompson continues to kick on, then we're all of a sudden looking strong, with Vea adding power and Wilkin, Jones and Flash adding graft, with Greenwood as further backup. If things don't go our way and/or Louis goes back to propping, then we're short. Got to have faith on this one, though, but it also relies on us bolstering the front row to free LMS.

5) Brown used them with abundance early on and then reigned It in at the business end, very shrewd. Hopefully KC will have learnt the value of this. All eyes on Savelio, though. Will we see Charnock at all?

I don't care what anyone says, we are desperate for a prop. We can't rely on 19yr old kids to perform like an experienced prop week in and week out.

Agreed.

It allows us to drop LMS into the back row. I still have questions over his edge defence and lateral movement but I think he could be very good going forward and will no doubt improve in his defence over the pre season.

A big grafter is a must for me if we have the space available.

Lomax
Makinson
Percival
Turner
Swift
Burns
Walsh
Amor
Robes
Walmsley
Vea
Lms
Wilkin

Mose
Thompson
Lance
Richards/jones/greenwood etc

Another prop is a must IMO if we are to retain our crown

Definitely, definitely need another prop. At one point this year Amor and Walmesley were both out at the same time. Effectively losing LMS and Lafranc out of available props really puts us down on numbers there. If our two starter were out at the same time together we'd be seriously struggling

I think we'd struggle without injuries. We would have two 19yr old forwards in that line up possibly which isn't healthy at that age. You need to be able to drip feed them games at that age and do it wisely, that's something Nathan Brown was excellent with.

I completely agree mate.

I do agree that we look to need another senior prop as not only have we lost the likes of Boof, LMS (possibly to 2nd row) with Sia & Manu also going, we've lost a whole lot of experience and knowledge from this pack, how many years between Boof/Sia/Manu went with them?

However, I disagree that you can't play a 19 y.o. for a full season if they're up for it. Lets not forget, not too long ago at this club we had a certain Mr Graham playing full seasons from the age of 19 and did it very well for 7 years and look where he is now, being voted as the best prop in the world!! I think Thompson could enjoy the same kind of success if they moved him to prop.