Strangely I think that makinson is talked about more because of the mistakes he doesn't make rather than any positive contribution. He certainly seems to try.

As for Foster he undoubtedly has some talent some of the tries he scored were very good. IF he can improve his mistakes I don't see why not.

To some degree he has been the vicitm of poor team performances coupled that with at times a lack of support from his centre leading to defencive errors. Then this has had a bad effect on his confidence.

I don't think we have seen the last of him but when he next gets his chance there can be no howlers as Swift is looking a good alternative.
Jamie is lacking in confidence and maybe a loan spell away could sort that out? playing in the U20 is no good or testing enough?

Loan spell would be best for Jamie, Under 20's is not going to develop him anymore, a club without mirrors in the changing room!! LOL

The emergence of Lomax as a reasonably reliable goal kicker has diminished his chances. I can't see him getting a start on merit, and must rely on injuries to get another chance. He will probably go down in the anals with Danny Arnold and that other goal kicking winger who played outside Mal, whose name completely escapes me.

There will always be a need for a goal kicker and we have one of the best in Rugby. He does need to put on weight and muscle but as long as he has that right foot and is under contract we are sitting on a potential little gem. Brown might not like him so much right not but i bet over the pre season he gets the "special treatment" and picks up size.

The way i look at it is, if Paul Sykes can get a game because he kicks goals so can Foster.

I'm sure Makinson scored the best try of the Grand Final last year and has never put a foot wrong since wearing a Saints shirt and I for one would see him in the side over foster any day of the week

Very, very unfair comparison. Foster has been leagues ahead of the likes of Tyrer at all stages of his career.

Foster is a more than decent player with a very bright future in SL if he can get his head back in the game, whether that be at Saints or elsewhere. He was a far, far better player in his first season in the team than Makinson has been (at the equivalent point in his career) over the last 12 months.

Oh, but I'm forgetting that Foster is the new designated knee-jerk scapegoat and Makinson is untaintable flavour of the month, so clearly that point is irrelevant isn't it?

Foster scored lots of tries (many more than Makinson) and also never put a foot wrong in his first year too... Makinson has the makings of a decent player but isn't there yet - same goes for Foster.

Send him to Leigh. Rate this lad and would love to see him playing on the wing or centre at ours.

I do think when you compare wingers (ade, foster and makinson) Foster gets far mor critisim than he is due. His try scoring record per game is better. Yes he makes howlers, but that does not stop us picking Meli who is also defensively questionable.

I am by no means saying he is a world beater, and yes Makinson scored a great try in the GF, but I don't like picking one try to justify a players career, just as that round the back catch was good but not enough alone and that catch at wigan was good but not enough to justify man of the match.

What do you think foster offers us?

You could see the massive difference that Meli and Ade brought to the team when rush put them in.

They made used in our own hand as extra forwards as they offer good go forward and both can finish better than foster.

I do think we will see foster again but he's got to improve every single aspect of his game if he wants to be a regular again.

Like I said I think he gets unfair critism.

If you compare his stats to Ade and Makinson last year.

Foster 0.8 tries per match
Makinson 0.35 tries per match
Ade 0.53 tries per match

Foster 8m per carry
Makinson 6.6m per carry
Ade 7m per carry

Foster 23 clean breaks
Makinson 3 clean breaks
Ade 8 clean breaks

Foster 1 error per match
Makinson 0.88 errors per match
Ade 0.8 errors per match.

That does not bear out the theory that he is miles behind the other 2.

far better clean breaks means he should have much better m/carry than he does

Sean Day AKA Doris.

Except that isn't taking into consideration the overwhelming likelihood that the ball will go left rather than right. Neither Gardner nor Makinson can score tries if the ball never comes their way. And it still isn't coming their way. During our game against Widnes, even with no defence to stop us, 40% of the ball went left, 10% went right. (Thanks, Clarkey! ) To compare Foster/Meli/Jones on the left to anyone playing centre/wing on the right is not going to provide an accurate representation of the comparative try scoring abilities of our outside backs until we start passing to the right more often.