Indeed true, but at the risk of sounding like a broken record, there [iare[/i no Lyons, Gidleys, Newloves, Iros, Judases, Loughlins, Gibbses, Gleesons, Huntes etc. etc. etc. out there right now - that 3/4 talent simply does not exist in the British game at the moment. Shenton on his best form of a few years ago is one of the 2 or 3 best centres in the country [iright now[/i. Average at best by the standards of 10/15 years ago, but [ione of the best[/i by the standards of now. There is no point moaning about how average he is compared to Saints legends past - we have to live in the cold hard world of reality and not in a fantasy sun-drenched land where we can pick Newloves and Connollys off trees. As things stand right now for next season we're relying on a #6 who is injured 80% of the time, an 18 year old kid and (probably) a guy who's had no more than a few good games at centre over his entire career so far fighting out the #3 and #4 shirts. That's a worrying place to be if you ask me...

Maybe he'll never recover that form. Maybe the injury has just taken too much out of him. Maybe he just doesn't fit in at Saints and can't settle here. Maybe he's sick of picking daisies up on the touchline waiting for Lomax and Hohaia to remember he exists. Maybe he hates the other players or the coaching staff. Maybe he simply just doesn't want to be here anymore. Maybe Wheeler will finally stay fit and develop into the top player he has the potential to be. Maybe Jones will do the same. Maybe the name "Shenton" will join the ranks of "Carrington", "Trindell", "Kebbie" and "Hohaia" in the great annals of signings we all want to forget about and are glad to see shut of. But if we [ido[/i let Shenton go we may very well live to regret it.

I'm not calling him a bad player as he's shown he can good player and at the back end of last year looked a top class centre.

I just don't think he fits in. Maybe it was the love of playing for his home town club that gave him motivation, maybe he feels like a lesser player in a team of more stars than cas, maybe he don't like the travel every day or maybe we just don't fit together in terms of style.

I honestly think its best for both parties that he leaves at the end of the year. I don't think he wants to be 100% here and I don't think Nathan Brown wants him a 100% either.

I spoke to shenton last year in the week leading up to the grand final and he was giddy as hell about the game. He kept saying this is why I signed for saints and he couldn't wait for the final.

IMHO I just think he's a down to earth home town lad.

Top post

So was Newlove, and he didn't do too badly in red vee

Why is everyone making Gidley out to be some form of god? He was no better than Shenton for most of his stay with us and his final year was absolutely appalling, he was anonymous throughout.

Newlove. Christ I really don't see why everyone is so up his backside.

He was OK when he was about 18 and at Featherstone. Played for GB and lived off that for the rest of his career. In later life he was tubby, not particularly quick, couldn't tackle and was lazy. The most annoying thing by far was as soon as a GB series was announced, he couldn't get his "I'm not available" note into the RFL quickly enough, which not only shows contempt for his country, but also shows his arrogance in assuming he'd be picked in the first place.

This just proves you watch Coronation Street or something when matches are being played.

Ade Gardner fell over the line many times as a direct result of Gidley putting him there.

"Not as good as Lyon" doesn't make a player 'bad'

That kind of makes it sound like you're the one watching Corry when the matches are played.
Unless that's a fishing expedition....

Nope not at all. I think my analysis of newlove is spot on.

Why? Don't you?

He was no George Carmont that's for sure.

Correct.

S.