I just hope we get the ball to Manu. We have TP outwide at the moment and he never gets the ball.

I think his first few games were on the wing, but he's played at centre a few times and generally looked impressive there (O/T 2010 where he started at #4 but was as ineffective as the rest of the Saints side were excepted).

For me it's nearly a no-brainer - he's probably our best attacking player (by several country miles if you don't count Meli) but is being wasted playing in a position that he simply just lacks key attributes to be able to play. He could still be very effective in the halves but only with a quality, experienced organiser alongside him - we simply don't have one of those and there are minimal prospects of us getting one, so he's just never going to really be able to do the business there at the top level. We have many, many other options at #1 where he could excel at the moment, and a few decent options on the wing, but where we are lacking in severely in the backline is in the centres. As I've said before he certainly has all the attributes to be a top centre - pace, size, strength, good hands etc. and he already defends at #4 so no worries there. Plus he would very rarely need to kick, would only ever have to pass one way and wouldn't be involved in dictating and directing play thus negating some of the glaring weaknesses in his play. It just makes sense to me...

In a way it's back to the too many pegs for the same hole. We have Wellens, Lomax, Makinson and Lance, who would all fit in at FB. Makinson has the advantage of being able to play wing as well.

I'd be inclined to go with Lomax at FB.

He has pace as quick as any of the others,
he can kick a ball, but not well enough to be a regular kicker,
the freedom to chime into the line would work well for him.

I know others prefer Makinson, but I don't think he brings that 3rd pivot, so with him at FB, we would still be looking at only 2 pivots and not great ones.

Given our current squad I'd like to see this line up in pre-season to see how it goes.

FB:Lomax
Wing: Turner
Wing: Makinson
Centre: Meli
Centre: Jones/Wheeler
Halves: Gaskell/Wheeler + an outside purchase
Prop: Perry
Prop: TP
Hooker: Roby
SR:Manu
SR: Sia
LF: Lance

Bench:
Prop:LMS Clough
SR: La Franki
Other: Wellens / Wilkin / Lance

It would not be the same team each week and I still would add another prop to the team, but Lance would bring as much tackling as Wilkin at LF, a bit more speed, I just think it's worth a punt to see how well it goes.

The team just looks so much better when you remove Wellens and Gardner and take Hohaia out of the halves.

Why didn't Rush do this?

Sorry, thread-drift here, but I think Lomax would be a perfectly capable 7 as long as Gaskell or another orthodox 6 was alongside him.

Lomax and Gaskell was showing signs of developing into a quality pairing last season. It's one of the biggest failures of this season that it was broken up in the hunt for short-term honours (which we aren't going to win anyway.)

In a ideal world we will bring a ball playing experinced half back in and leave jonny at 7 but let lomax drift in and out the game.

At the moment lomax is doing to much and getting to much ball that he's become predictable, everyone knows he going to step inside.

For me, at stand is more important than any other postion we needs, yes we need wingers, centre, props but a stand off is vital!

Absolutely spot on.

Strong rumours that Alex Walmsley will be having talks with Saints over the course of the coming week. If you were to get him, you'd be signing the most explosive and destructive young prop in the game - something I say knowing full well he hasn't played in SL yet. Someone who has all the ability to go to the very top of the sport, without a shadow of doubt.

Nice to hear if true.

Sounds good if your assessment is true, but the saddenned in me worries that we'd be doing it trying to emulate the Chris Hill situation, but would get a less capable player.
I've never seen him play, mind, so I'm happy to go with your compliments of him. Sounds like just the sort of lad we need on board.

He's a very good player. Suited to the role of an impact prop, he would have been in SL earlier had it not been for his focus on University.

looks half decent and got age on his side www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDICeD8PxbM

looks half decent and got age on his side www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDICeD8PxbM

Would you like to see him a Saints then? Do you think he'd be able to make the step to Super League?

He's 6'6, about 18 stone, has the pace of centre and runs like a juggernaut (not always the case with big lads). He's also an intelligent lad, very grounded, and willing to learn from coaches. No reason why he shouldn't be able to step up, and if anything I'd wager he'd prove an even better buy than Chris Hill. Incidentall, Hill and Walmsley are very different styles of player.

Walmsley and Scott Taylor to Leeds I hear. Where do you get the link to Saints from?