I am confused too about exactly why Gaskell has been dropped for so long. Whilst foster made some real howlers and was quite rightly binned, Gaskell was still making a big contribution to the team and was no more a liability than lomax.

Didn't you guys make this claim in your last run out against Leeds ? THIS time I do hope you're right. Leeds need the win.

Same here. Presumably he isn't in the present coaching staff's good books.

I don't think it's anything Gaskell has done wrong. It's just to build his confidence which will in turn improve his decision making

He'll be back in the team soon I reckon

Dropping someone when they've done nothing wrong is a strange way of building their confidence

It's more likely to dent his confidence.

Just as the comment made in the press by Mike Rush a couple of weeks ago about Wheeler earning his way in the u20s (due to Josh Jones playing well) probably won't have done [ihis[/i confidence much good either and may well go some way to explaining what was his worst performance of the season so far against Wigan.

I see no problem with dropping players for any reason, even if it's you think we are under using a key signing like Lance.

However my problem is that when you have tried that out and seen what we have, there comes a point where you have to recognise that the change has not improved matters and infact in games like Wigan puts us in positions that Roby alone can't get us out of.

In a way Roby has become a problem in being Roby. Against poorer teams his world class abilities are enough in themselves to create tries for the Saints. They just cannot contain him. However this has lead to us directing pretty much the majority of our attack through him leaving the rest of the team underused. So we only see the rest of the team exposed when we hit a competitive team.

I don't think we where dramatically different when we played Wakey, to when we played Wigan. The difference was that Roby could run riot against Wakey. Against Wigan he got 1 or 2 oppertunities off his own efforts.

Lance was as poor against Wakey, did nothing till the last 10 minutes when he tried a kick through, same at wigan nothing bar a chip in the last 10 mins.

Lomax against Wakey, lots of inside passing, lots of running along the wakey line, but no creation. Same for Wigan.

We are a very consistent team that will hold most teams out, even Wigan struggled against our defense 2nd half, but going forwards unless Roby or Wellens pulls something out the halves offer no options. Hope TP recovers as he offers another strike option.