Will be captain next seasonhttp://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/sport/9144141.Simmons_heaps_praise_on_Roby/?ref

Great news.

Well, he is Mr St Helens. And cute as well.

If we're keeping Wello, and playing Wello then it pretty much confirms to me that Pryce won't be here next season, as this leaves Lomax, Gaskell and Hohaia to compete for the halfback roles.

This is another bad recruitment decision from the club.

I think you might have forgotten what Simmons said in the press when Hohaia was first recruited, which was just after Eastmond made his decision to leave. He said that Hohaia was recruited to be our first choice no.7 and that every club needs four halfbacks, to cover injuries. Also, at that time, it had been decided that Wheeler would play at centre. That was the context in which Hohaia was appointed. At that time nobody knew how well or otherwise Lomaskell would do and, let's face it, while they have both done extremely well, they have had a lot of support from the senior players. When Wello was fit, and people on here were saying he was having a good season, Wello himself said that he had been asked by his coach to act as third halfback, to help out the young halfbacks but also in recognition of the role now played by fullbacks.

All that people are whinging about on here is something that we have always known about Wello, and I'm sure he knows about himself: he doesn't have Billy Slater's pace. But he has enough pace to be on the shoulder of our players in all the attacking moves, as proven by his try assists and his tries. His kick returns are slow, made slower by the lack of strong wingers such as Gardner (who also isn't fast, but we have missed his go forward on kick returns). However, Wello has 'beaten a man' on his kick returns when he has used his halfback sidestep. If he can develop that, then that may negate his well known and longstanding (like lifelong) lack of pace.

Paul Wellens should be rewarded for his club loyalty. That is the right thing to do IMO. Personally, I continue to be unsure of his on-field suitability as captain because he gets all irate when he (or others) makes a mistake. But he has done all that is asked of him over the years, has been a superb performer for us, continues to be (when fit) the best defensive fullback in the league with the ability to support attacking play to good effect. Most of all, though, he can read a game superbly and has bucketloads of experience in a squad which I think everyone can agree is relatively young and inexperienced.

I can fully understand why the club continues with Wello and I don't see why having four halfbacks (assuming Wheeler is to play at centre) is a problem. The person who will be difficult to fit in will be Meli. Even though he is a bonus in attack at centre, he is still indifferent in defence - some of his missed tackles have been atrocious. He is the player we shouldn't have re-signed but this season I am glad we did because Wheeler has missed so much of the season with injury.

In sport, if you want to go forward, there's no time for sentimentality. Saints avoided this with Long, Scully and KC. Sadly, they appear to have forgotten this with regards to Wello.

Assuming you were responding to my post - and that's just an assumption, granted - then I think you have ignored everything I have said. I don't think sentimentality plays a part in it at all, unless you think rewarding someone (the captaincy) is sentimental. In which case, nobody should ever earn a bonus in their life again, or a promotion come to think of it!

Love him to bits so it's great news. However it also means he'll be playing in the starting line up. Which isn't so great news.

Of those, only long was a managed departure. Kc decided himself that it was time to retire, I think had he chosen to play on, he would still be our number 9. Scully had to retire due to injury, it wasn't at a time to suit the club. I think 2012should be wellens final season unless he can reinvent himself.

We was never going to get shut of the local hero when we are moving into a new stadium.

Gaskell IMO next year will only be a squad player filling in when with have injuries. That leaves lomax, lance and pryce(if he stays). It's vitally important we keep pryce as he's the player that makes us tick, he's the go to man, he's the x factor.

If pryce stays then I'd go with pryce and lance in the halves and lomax can cover the back on the bench. I'd liked to have seen lomax at fullback but that won't happen. Lomax might get the hump a little by being on the bench but he's still only young and learning his trade. His time will come.

It does however look as if Leon is going which leaves lance and lomax as our halves which I must admit don't fill me with much hope.

Wello can be captain but he can't start at full back next year. Big mistake if he does.

This

and like Carlos says theres no room for sentimentality in sport. I'll be very disappointed but not surprised if he's our No1 next year

He could Captain the team from second row or even the bench. Being club captain does not mean you have to start every match.

He may have said that, but that was before Lomax showed his ability in the halfs.
Just because he's a big name signing doesn't mean he gets everything his own way, he still has to deserve the shirt everyweek.
However, from what's been said about his fielding of kicks, it sounds like we'd be better having lomax at #1 and lance in the halfs with Leon/Gaskell.
If Leon stays, then given his current form I'd find it hard to justify Wello's inclusion in the 1st choice 17.