Saintsfan, do you think that it's getting to familiar with pryce going missing in big games?

Does he miss longy?

When longy was his 7, he'd take a back seat and drift in and out of the game when it suited him and IMO was more effective that way. It's like Sam Tomkins at Wigan, he drifts in and out of the game when it suits him and it makes it harder to pin him down.

Pryce was knackered; he was huffing and puffing most of the second half - obviously not match fit yet.
In addition as has already been said, he couldn't/wouldn't prise himself away from the left channel meaing all our play was on that side and the goons were just waiting for us.
I've watched the recording yesterday and not ONE attack in the first half went down our right hand side.

Saturday might have come a little early for pryce who effectively has been out for a year but what about the grand finals he's gone missing in?

I'm only going on what I remember of him before his injury last season and I'd say from that quite the opposite. I think he came out of his shell after Longy left. He was superb and always involved in every game. Ironic that the last time we beat Wigan was also the last time he played in a match against Wigan, and he was very dominant in that match. His solo try from the scrum was a masterstroke of halfback play which we don't get most of the time because we have very few thinkers in our team.

He is undoubtedly unfit but it was more than that on Saturday. He wasn't doing much in the way of anything really except poor passing and rubbish kicking (bar one hoof, which found the turf). He didn't send any ball to the right as he did in the last two games, mixing and matching, so I think he was ignoring the game plan.

Had Royce not been aware of Gaskell's inexperience and the thumping we got at the hands of Wigan at the Stobart and the chances of a backline player breaking down (none of us know who exactly were the 'walking wounded' after all), I'm sure he would have pulled Pryce off in the first half and thrown Gaskell on because we would have got more out of Gaskell on Saturday than we got from Pryce, and I never thought I would be writing that opinion down after a match against Wigan!

I was pretty annoyed with Pryce actually although I haven't said anything until now. It must be because you're called St Pete that I feel I have to confess.

The only answer I have for that which isn't very good is that in the last one against leeds I think he was carrying an injury (quelle surprise!) and also he only seems to struggle/ go missing when our pack struggles (which obviously wasn't the case on saturday).

I know exactly what players was not fit and who shouldn't have played and before the game I thought we was in for a cricket score.

The sad thing tho, we put ourselves in a position to win the game.

Or play him at FB. That way you also don't have to worry about a certain snail having to play as well.

The snail will be fullback next year, I'm certain of that.

I know

Look, stop being rude about Mr Wellens. He's cute, would die for Saints and he made the best fullback's tackle on a man twice as fast as him on Saturday. THAT is why we still need him because there is as yet absolutely NO ONE else in our team that can do that as well as he can. But he was pretty naff in other respects and maybe he was one of the walking wounded. Who knows. It's all become a blur this season has. I can't even remember who was playing in which match and who replaced them anymore.

The stat I'm worried about is: Played Wigan/Wire/Huddersfield 6(?) times, won zilch. Potter would have been lynched in the town hall square for that.

I'm starting to develop some serious doubts about Royce. Repeatedly poor (and sometimes borderline idiotic) use of the bench/interchange being the main one.

If anybody saw the pre-match build up for the wigan game, the difference between the coaches was marked. Maguire was very positive and confident in everything he said, Royce said he was nervous (which he was as he spent the next 80 minutes on TV biting his nails).

Jury very much out for me - I think he has "assistant coach" stamped all over him. Hope I'm proved wrong.

Let's be honest a hell of a lot of eye brows were raised when you found Royce. His career to date hadn't been impressive. How he got the job still mystifies me. Surely there most have been better applicants apply than him. I always remember my father telling me never to trust anyone with hooded eyes like Simmons has, OT and random I know.

As for Pryce, there a couple of times when the Wigan defensive line opened up in front of him. Yet when he tried to step through and pick up speed, he looked to have nothing. Obviously you'll have seen him a lot more than I have, has his groin injury taken away his speed and quick feet? Or is it just a case of being underdone and not truly match fit as some have suggested?

As for Wellens, your going down the exact same route we did, and Leeds are at present, being sentimental when it comes to ageing players. He's finished IMO, yet Saints don't have the ball's to say no, and it's clearly hurting the team. You'd think clubs would learn by looking at the mistakes that other clubs have made. Yet amazingly they don't, and the same mistakes are made over and over again.

I'll be honest, I rated Potter at Saints. I think the only reason you've been able to cope with the amount of injuries you've had this year (again) was because of the work Potter put in with your kids.

Royce has had Perry (fair enough, injured), Shenton + LMS to last years squad. Only really lost Cunningham (who's influence was waning imo) but that allowed you to have your best player on the field for longer in Roby.