After a poor start to the campaign the saints played some pretty good stuff to round off the season and with half decent half backs could even have made the grand final. I am looking forward to next year as the saints back line looks as though it could be a force to be reckoned with, and still a young back line to boot. The majority of young players have now got the experience they lacked last term and at the start of this years campaign. With fingers crossed Wheeler will stay fit and will be the player we all expected him to be. I am also hoping to see Percival get some game time as he looks to be a very good prospect Adam Swift looks to be a player who could adequately cover other positions when required and with the signing of the three forwards it is looking bright for next season and I for one cannot wait for it to begin.

What do you other saints fans see as positives for next year.

Cue Saddened kicking off a parallel thread called "Negatives to take into 2014"

I think our pack will be the best we have had in many a year.

If you look at our existing players in the pack and the new additions, we should be able to vary our forward tactics depending on the opposition. Eg we can go for size and power to blast opposition away or opt for a more mobile pack to get on the outside of teams.

I also think that Wilkin playing in the halves this season will benefit his and the teams game next season.
From being a second rower with a bit of a kicking game, he has been able to improve his kicking game greatly to the extent he will be probably the second option kicker after Walsh. He has taken steps to being able to organise a team around the park which again for a forward is a significant skill to possess.

Im excited by the pace of our threequarters. Its looking more like a traditional Saints backline.
Big battering ram wingers can be left to the dour Yarkshire sides.

I think Walsh will take time to settle and get to know the plays and players, so im not expecting miracles early doors. I do think by the playoff time next year though that he could be a key weapon in our armoury.

The cladding will be completed and this will for me mean the ground will appear to have bedded in with the fans and team.

I anticipate more youngsters making inroads into the first team.

To quote Obi wan, "Saddened! is the chosen one, the one who brings balance to the force".

Without me you lot would disappear into a cloud of giddy, nauseating happiness and end up devastated this time next year when we're watching someone else winning all the trophies again.

Anyone questioning my role on this forum should check the above post mentioning Gary Wheeler staying fit I mean, come on, lets keep the dreaming within reason.

Gaz just needs a good winter break, time to sit in and eat Galaxy chocolate and get over the exertion of running for 59 metres with the ball this year. It takes it out of you. Wouldn't surprise me if he was built like George Mann when he 'comes back'.

I'll throw a positive in there though. If we wake up and sign a stand off with a bit of pace, we may be competitive next season. We won't win anything but we might be able to smell the burger stand. It really is incredibly important that we finish the recruitment off with a stand off. If we don't Walsh with be targeted, we'll be incredibly one dimensional and it's got the potential to turn sour very quickly. We need someone to take the pressure off Walshy. Kyle Eastmond would be good, Danny Brough was be acceptable. Someone with potential from the Championship would be better than nothing. Queue up to moan here and sycophantically claim 'there is no one available wah wah wah'.

You're not Hull FC, massive positive.

No, but I'm sure if you look hard enough you'll find a post from Sad one this season stating how ambitious Hull are streaking away from Saints.

It's strange, despite a much worse season this year, I feel a lot more optimistic for next year than I have for a long time. Really enjoy the style of play we've had over the last couple of months and if we manage to maintain that I think we'll be right up there!

Of course being able to blood so many youngsters (was it 13 who debuted this year?) is only going to make us stronger for next year and we've managed to recruit in areas where we've needed (a first for a while!)

A lot to look forward to for me!

(Ps saddened in spite of your complaints of people saying there's no one available you still haven't been able to come up with a single standoff whose available and would improve the team )

Lol

I'm hoping they are looking for a stand off in the world cup? might be a surprise playing for one of the lesser countries? [size(like England)[/size

Good call.

I did post it else where but the positives for next year are build on the ground work from this year.

We are a more expansive team.
We are a more balanced team.
We are a team playing proper rugby and making proper rugby decisions. eg Roby. (It's fun to call him the machine, but coaches bought this myth and playing him 80 minutes each week dulled his effectiveness and the teams)
Apart from a 6 we have a complete side. (for me Lance is a replacement 9, Wheeler is a stand in 6 for when injuries hit)
We have if you like a dual pack which if split would be able to do a job against most teams, below 6.


eg
Pack 1

LMS
Roby
Walmsley
Sia
Jones
Wilkin

bench
Lance
Thompson
Beaumont
Laffranchi

Pack 2

Masoe
Lance
Clough
Manu
Walker
Flanaghan

bench
Roby
Greenwood
LMS
Walmsley

If you look at the 2 packs when you include the bench you have to double up in places. But either pack like I say would do a decent job. Obviously you would not play like this changing each week, but it shows the depth we now have in the pack and that even if injuries hit and took out Sia/Jones/Wilkin/Laffranchi, we'd have enough depth to cope. It should also mean al a Warrington we do not need to put out the top 17 each week. We can let players have rests for lesser bumps.

You've not included Amor.

Positives -
Brown seemed to come out of his experimental phase and got the team to a 5th place finish. If we carry on our late season form we'll be top 2-3 material.
We have a scrum half coming. This, combined with some good talent in the back should see some fine running rugby next year.
We have a good, well balanced pack.
Thompson, Greenwood, Percival and especially Swift and Jones have shown some real potential.

Negatives -
Things haven't been good for long enough for me not to worry about it going tits up again.
No sign of a stand off and hints that Wilkin will be in the pack again all sit badly with me. Continuing with Hohaia in the halves is a terrible idea and Wilkin is not as good as our other back rows.
I still wonder whether we will match the big game intensity of your Leeds and Wire when it comes to the business end of the season.
There is still the spectre of Gardner, Boof and Wellens threatening to resign for next year.

Dissapointments from 2013-
Lomax has looked unfit for the last couple of months.
LMS clearly has the potential to be a massive influence for us - why was he so poor early on?
Whilst I can kind of forgive a lack of league form for the sake of squad experimentation by a new coach, allowing ourselves to be knocked out the cup by, with all respect, a team that ranks well below us (whom we spanked when we got serious) really sticks in my throat.
Hohaia stinks. He's a terrible ball handler and will hold us back as long as we give him a halfback spot. I thought Brown had decided against this, but it seems Lance has convinced him somehow.
Gaskell. I don't know what went on and I'm happy to support the club's move on it, but its a shame when a promising half back goes wayward.

the cladding will be finished.

Damn I knew there was some one missing, I had done it in my head and thought I did not repeat the players as much.