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

He's been out the first team for 3 weeks and he's finished, jes!!!!!!!

In that case, surely Foster is finished too?

Along with

Andrew Dixon
Scott Hale
Nathan Ashe
Carl Forster
Danny Jones
Joe Greenwood
Anthony Walker
Jordan Hand


If Wellens had not been banned Makinson would also be added to that list and Magennis must have been on it for a fair few weeks at the start of the year. Basically your either playing or sacked.

All I was saying is gaskell as been regular for last two season played every weekwhen fit on the verge of the England squad to not getting anywhere near the first team at saints now

I just think it's a bit of a step to not playing to being thrown out. We will have a reshuffle during the year, at the moment our form is good and the halfbacks are playing well. If it was Royce then yes you could expect a move around for no good reason. But the new team are only changing for players who are unavailable. Gaskell plays neither FB or Centre, so he ain't going to get a shot until Lomax or Lance are injured or need a rest. He may make the Castleford game with such a quick turn around.

Wellens will be back for that one and Makinson will be out.

Gaskell should only be worried if we where still having poor form and he was not picked, or if Lance or Lomax where injured and someone else was brought in.

Gaskells issue is that unlike Lomax, Lance, Wheeler he is more of a one position player at present, with a bit more bulk he could slot into loose forward, but until that time. He is the 3rd choice halfback and there only room for 2 in each game and back on the bench has been binned. (rightfully so).

He may not be happy and in a way I'm glad, any player happy to sit out the team and take the money is not worth having, but without having other positions to his bow, he will have to bide his time. I have no idea if he has the temperament to do that, you may know better. But he was accelerated into the first team a good 2 to 3 years ahead of schedule. Had Eastmond re-signed a contract, would Gaskell even have got a first team game last year????

I think he's got good temperament and is a good lad but he's had a taste of the big time and was getting picked infront of pryce around play off time last year so I'd imagine he pretty gutted!