And here's the bit I remembered[iST HELENS RFC has announced that Lee Gaskell has signed a new three-year contract with the Club.[/i'"

It's like talking to an Ayatollah or worse, Stevo.

No. He's got the potential to be an excellent half back. I think he was suffering (along with Lomax) with the burden of leading the team around as an inexperienced player paired with another one, and that this break out of the team will do him good. He needs to be introduced into these responsibilities slowly and with experience around him.

I think gaskell as shown enough to suggest he is a super league player and I think he will have good career in super league with saints or somewhere else

I think it may be in the back row / Loose forward role though.

You have spoken to one then?

If he bulked up a bit, he could be a potential LF, definately.

I don't see anything wrong with sending him on loan to someone like Widnes. Can we not recall him? Or is dual reg only for sides outside of the Super League?

Personally, I can't see what being drubbed every week is going to do for a young half back. No disrespect to Widnes intended, but that's the situation for them at the moment

The thing to weigh up is can he get more out of playing week in week out for a SL/Championship team or will he get more from continuing playing for the U21's whilst training with the first team squad, and maybe coming back in towards the back end of the season/if injury hits?

Tough call!

very tough! i can't honestly see how playing behind a beaten pack nearly every game at widnes will help him, or how the U20's or National league will challenge him!

All experience is good, take Paul Newlove or Paul Sculthorpe.
They did not play in title challenging sides before coming to Saints, but their class still showed.

I think Gaskell is our reserve halfback right now and its only been 2 games since he played. I think people are quick to jump the gun and read more than there is in this. How many SL teams have a half back under 23????

We had 2 for 5 games this year and whilst not moving the team to the best that it could be they where not disasters every week. If we go back to the Catalan game they pulled Catalan apart.

I think Warrington's O'Brien is going well at Widnes.

Dropping down a league challenges you in different ways, I think. For a start, the older first team players are more physically challenging, which is especially good for the development of forwards (take Emmit for example), but Gaskell would have to pit his wits against some old heads who've a lot more experience of controlling a game.

It would probably do him good, but it could only be short term, since he's bound to feature for us again when someone gets injured, so you don't want him away from our team habit for too long.

That is exactly what I was meaning in my earlier post...

IMO Gaskell is a great talent and I think he will develop into a quality player and make the 6 shirt at Saints his own, it could just be a good move to put him up against more experienced players rather than leaving him in U20's as playing against better opposition will help develop his game.

It will also give him more experience of leading a team around the field which I think a lack of that with Gaskell and Lomax was evident until Lance moved into the halves 2 weeks ago

Is gaskell finished finished at saints no wellens wheeler this week and can't make the squad makinson and Jones getting pick a head of him can't we see saints getting shut