Nobody is questioning his effort or commitment.

I wouldn't take any stance, but Turner coming in will push him down the pecking order [iIF [/i his poor form continues.

Question is would Shenton be a better player under a better coach than the ones he's played under at Saints when in all fairness as a team in general you have looked poles apart from the standards as an opposing fan I expect to see in a Saints team?

IMHO as an outsider looking in and watching your games on TV and seeing you when we played you earlier in the season you look a team bereft of ideas and look like we did under Agars tenure as Coach. Gentle has had pretty much the same players with a few additions that were already signed before he arrived and he has already made huge changes to us as a team and to the players individually. You also seem to have the same problem we had in that some of your old reliable players that have served you well in the past should now be let go.

Think also Hohaia & Perry are looking pretty poor and you do not seem to have replaced the quality you have lost over the last few seasons apart from the odd exception. I would say many players are out of form individually for you but also on the whole as a team.

Our edge defence is awful especially at centre.
Something I belive is one of Shenton's strenghts.

Mixed feelings if he moves - he's been a big disappointment so far overall but I can't help but feel he might become the player we signed in the first place if fit and under a decent coach and gameplan. This also means we're committing to having either Wheeler or Jones or another U20 player or someone playing out of position as the other centre which might backfire on us massively given Wheeler's fitness record and Jones still being a few years away from the finished article. I'm a bit more nervous for next season now...

Experienced SL centre, played at international level, not a bad start. The lad is still young and one reason or another has not come on as much as you fans would like since his move from Cas.

I'm quite the opposite, I'm excited about next season.

Surely replacing Shenton with Turner is a positive move. And I've seen alot of encouraging sings from Jones in his handful of appearances. Add those two to a new attacking philosophy and there is alot to be positive about.

Shenton's defence has been a disappointment to me. It's not awful, but given his reputation it's not great either. I'd be willing to let that go if he did anything in attack, but he doesn't. He may turn things around at another club, and I hope he does, but it just doesn't seem to have worked out for him at Saints.

Trust me it can't be 'a disappointment' in comparison to our current fit established centre.
That plus I can't see Jake 'Mr chocolate' Webster getting a new deal next year.

You're joking, right? He goes off in the Grand Final and we fall apart. His defence is excellent. It's the one element of his game that has been consistent throughout his time here. He was growing in attack as last season progressed too but unfortunately his injury appears to have undermined him. That and we have reverted to not passing to the right, so he and his winger have been deprived of a lot of opportunities.

If Jones continues to develop at the current rate then we're sorted - if he discovers the distractions that so many (most) promising kids of his age and in his position do then we're knackered. It's a very, very risky call to make...

And Shenton was a better player 2 years ago than Turner is now...

Me agreeing completely with SaintsFan shock! Maybe I'm wrong about Shenton after all then....

Perhaps. But Turner now is better than Shenton is now, in my opinion. And Turner should improve in the coming years, whereas I can only see Shenton going one way. Its a no-brainer for me.

I've defended Shenton over his time here from some unfair criticism but it's pretty clear he's a decent, largely ordinary player - albeit very committed - and doesn't justify the massive salary we signed him on. He hasn't got that bit of magic dust a great centre needs and he never will have.

Agreed, but how many GB centres are there in the league at the moment not already on big contracts that do? I still say that Shenton, if we can get him fit and back to his Cas form in a well-structured team is about the best option out there for the next few years.

indeed, if the boot was on the other foot and Shenton was desperate to leave, we would be expecting some compensation for the remaining 12 months of his contract.

A lot is made about individual players' commitment to their contracts and clubs, but its a 2 way street and the club should honour its agreement with Shenton, or at the least compensate him for the lost earnings he will suffer. Its not his fault that the club are over paying him, it doesnt look like there is a lack of commitment or effort in his performances - it just isn't really working out for him here.