Similar to my thoughts.............If we could move the clock forward 3 years then we could have 1 Ashe 2 Swift 3 Jones 4 Turner 5 Makinson 6 Gaskell 7 Lomax

He's under contract till 2015 I think so no rush with Wheeler. Gaskell has a contract to 2014. Alot can happen in 2 years with a new coach due to come in. I think in this day and age the average joe is far too quick to rush into making definative statements. Knee jerk Journalism has alot to answer for.

Saints need a squad with depth. If we booted out those 3 then we would be replacing with untested and untried from within.

We still have to have 8 players homegrown etc....

Why bin 3 players mid contract who have SL and GF experience to replace with journey men from other clubs or younger untested players from within. In a 25 man squad you can't have all 25 playing every week.

I still think Gaskell has promise. Foster will make it either with us or elsewhere. Wheeler, well he has talent and I'd rather have talent for 5 games out of 8. Than no talent 8 games out of 8.

If you can name replacements who would demand similar cash for equal talent I'd like to see it.

I thought Wheeler was OOC at the end of this season? My mistake, and would also account for why we won't be letting him go!

and then swiftly got injured, again.

I really think (hope) he will get over these niggles and prove to be a top pro and possible international. Skill wise, imo he's well ahead of Gaskell

What do you base that on? All Wheeler has shown in his three or four years in the first team is that he's got a decent step. He's got no kicking game and doesn't seem to have any of the other attributes to make a half back.

His lack of ability to get onto the field on a consistent basis is a major problem for him.

He should never have been offered a new deal, unless it's pay as you play.

Skill wise in regard to what? Stepping? Yes. Kicking and controlling a game? Nowhere near. People appear to be basing their belief on him being a stand off from his youth career (which is no guarantee of anything these days) and 1 half against Wigan last year, the rest of his half back appearances have been average to good, never outstanding.

Gaskell consistently played half back well and didn't let us down for a season and a bit, and this was way ahead of schedule. Let's not forget if all had gone to plan Eastmond and Pryce would have been at half back last year, with Lomax in reserve, not Gaskell. This is another reason why I can't understand people wanting rid of him.

And send the conditioner with him. Since Apollo left the injury count has been unbelievable.

Fully agree.

I think, as in any business you want to get to the top of, you have to gamble occasionally.
I see wheeler's squad place as this gamble. We can afford to assign 1 place in the squad to a [imaybe[/i.
Wheeler has talent, real talent. When he runs at 2nd receiver or centre its obvious. I'm happy to gamble that place in the squad on the premise that a) IF he gets past his injury problems he'll be a star player and b) if we let him go and a decent club get him and starighten him out, he'l really bite us on the .
I don't want 1/2 a dozen of these guys, but just one I can live with.

Very true. In the end the reason why he is a big miss is not because of his injury, but the lack of a proper Centre for the last few years. Ideally we would have had Shenton and another Centre. With Wheeler and Jones busting a gut to fill in for them. As it turns out we have Shenton and an open spot which gets filled by which ever player happens to get a good run there.

Having Sia with the number 4 shows that even the coaches are not sure who is our first pick at Centre. I'm yet to see Jones play as he has been playing during my month away. So would be interested to hear how people feel he measures up to Wheeler, who would seam to be his competition.

Fully agree with this, I also can't see him being on a king's ransom.

He's looked solid without looking outstanding for me. I've no complaints with him being in the team.

Given that he was thrown in at the deep end, Jones has done well. However, for me Wheeler is the much superior player (at this stage in Jones' career anyway) and so when fit he would be a shoo-in for that spot.