The doctor would have him back, wasn't he a Salford junior?

I may be in the minority, but I just don't see Jones as a centre. He doesn't have the ball handling skills to play there. In the academy, he was used there as a battering ram and scored tries for fun, but this was down to his size/strength and not his ability to play centre. I want my centres at saints to be able to create an opportunity out of nothing, not just provide a bit of biff and barge close to the line. He is playing against seasoned professional RL players not 18/19 year olds and needs to have more to his game for that position IMO. Also, being able to nullify an opposition centre because you have better defence than the turnstyle doesn't automatically qualify you for the position.

I probably agree but we've not had a top quality centre that make something out of nothing since gidleys first season and that was a long long time a go now.

I quite like Jones at centre. He's not a slick ball handler, as The Chief rightly notes, but he does offer solid defence, and some good, direct running. He makes plenty of line breaks when playing there. He reminds me a bit of Talau in that respect.

Big willie was a fave of mine. Top player for us.

But I don't he's as a bad a ball handler as we make out, either. He's very effective at centre, as the cas game showed. He's also very capable of making breaks, which is a very valuable quality.

He's not your typical wingers centre but still a big threat with the ball.

His flick to swift in the build up to the wellens try vs cas was as good as any centre has done at this club in a long time.

I think he does have the ball handling skills, but they aren't natural like Percival's say, which means building a relationship with a winger is more important to coax it out over time. No 20year old is ever going to have a perfect game, but he won't develop further whilst were constantly switching him between the pack and centre.

Last year I would have agreed he seemed more a second rower battering ram and tackler. The ball can die with him a bit as he does not seem to have that head up approach of some centre's where he see's what's infront of him.

Maybe that is down to being bigger than his peers so it's not something he ever needed to worry about. But he can bust a tackle or several and once he does get his head up, he can find a man.

I don't recall Scott Gibbs having an illusive running style either. But he provided a bit of an alternate style of play.

Jones has been a good defensive centre too and lets face it over the years we have played second rowers in the centres just to cover for less defensive minded centres. Gilmore and Flannery spring to mind. To me Jones is more of a centre than those two attacking wise. Probably less of a second rower than those two.

But he works for the shirt which ever it is and with Turner out for 2 months, basically not only is he a decent choice, he is our only choice. Percival needs a good run too, or he could end up going down the sick note line of Wheeler. Quality but lacking proof of that quality if they can't stay injury free.

Jones could do either to a good degree. We could bulk him up and he'd be one of the best back rowers we've got. Or keep him leaner and play him in the centres. His ball handling skills aren't the issue, it's his choice of pass. He genuinely doesn't know when to pass the ball. There are times when he'll be put through a gap or make one himself and he'll hold onto it too long or pass it way too early. If he sorts that out we're onto a winner.

I certainly think we should have him at centre for all the big games to give us that extra bit of defensive solidity. Drop Turner for those so he's not doing his usual and waving the planes in to land.

A genuine first here....


+1.

Can't disagree with a word of that. I'm going for a lye down.

I'm slowly winning over the population!

And, +2 saddened agree very much with what you say - I think him having a long term winger (swift!) to develop an understanding with will really help with his pass selection and they could go a long way!

Also, when was the last time a 20 year old had played 70 games?

Probably James Graham?

First Meli, then Eastmond and now Turner.

Hmmm

What is the common factor?

All had no interest or heart.