You didn't sign them though did you.

Smith will replace Tommy Leuluai at 7.
Finch is quoted as saying he hasn't made a decision yet.

Oh, how far has the English game fallen when us and the pies have to fight it out to sign Smith and Gaskell as the best possible available halves.... Maybe I'd feel better if I started inhabiting the same twilight world that so many other Saints fan are full time residents of and start complaining over how **** our recruiting is because we haven't signed a worldclass replacement for Long yet...



If only - no way it's going to happen though as far too many £s involved in a transfer fee. It says everything that the pies are (apparently) having to lump it and sign Smith instead.

Maybe. But he tends to go missing in pressure matches.

What is it with people and their gross underestimation of Gaskell's potential? I'm telling you, when this kid adds a stone and half a yard he'll be carving his way through defences.

I think it's just fickleness. Gaskell is out of everyone's sightline now, having been dropped (undeservedly IMO). So people just go with whatever option is spouted at any one time.

Gaskell could have been building on his experience of last season and I think it is sad that he has been denied that opportunity.

He might add weight, but he won't add pace, he's as fast now as he ever will be. Not that that is a bad thing, when he is in space he is fast.

Danny Brough epitomises the word Journeyman halfback

He is so good that he consistently fails to deliver the goods when playing against decent opposition, and has been passed around from club to club throughout his career after a succession of coaches have given up on him.

You hear fans talk about his superb kicking game and great pace, but the reality is that he rarely uses these skills.

When he does, he can look good, but the overall package is very average. Its why the key creative players at Huddersfield are Kevin Brown, Scott Grix and Luke Robinson.

He should be able to add a yard of pace, otherwise olympic sprint champions would all be teenage lads.
The reality is that they are usually in their mid to late twentys when they start bringing home the gold gongs.

They are sprinters. Ergo, thats what they train, sprint technique and target the muscles required for explosive speed. Gaskell is a rugby player. 2 different things.

Saints used to do sprint training on a regular basis. I don't know whether they still do it.

Rugby players can be pushed on in their pace too, you know, and some will be natural sprinters.

Could be they have SC / image rights payments problems?

After all they maxed out with Sam and had to turn to sky for assistance to boost his salary.

How can he be at his fastest when he hasn't even developed fully? It'll be somewhere around 22/23 when his speed hits its peak (provided he doesn't add weight or pick up some injury).

As for the idea that sprint coaches cannot improve a player's basic speed - utter rubbish. Ask Doug Laughton how much speed Andy Currier gained after three months of sprint training. That bloke went from a reasonably quick centre/winger to someone who could go the entire length of the field without anyone gaining so much as a yard on him.

Graeme West once gave an interview in which he talked about the benefits of bringing in that 400m runner from Wigan whose name escapes me. IIRC, his entire back line clocked significantly faster times after one pre-season.

You are joking.

Sorry if this as been said.If we are after Smith? Is it to play S/H or S/O? If it's S/H? Where will Lomax play.