Leeds have won several Grand Finals with Burrow and McGuire, who were given time to develop into the roles. I don't think either of them has as much potential as either Gaskell or Lomax. Why are you not prepared to give our halves the same opportunity as Leeds gave their's?

It's a long piece to comment on every part, but I'll pick up a few of these points.

=#FF0000That isnt a great kicking game - what people like Bobbie Goulding, Lee Briers, Kevin Sinfield, Sean Long, Andy Gregory could do when kicking the ball was a great kicking game,

I think there is an error to match Gaskell up to these players, as when you name these players people refer back to them in their pomp. Last year was Gaskells first year and as I recall when Long came to Saints he had a shocking kicking game. Long developed that kicking game over a period of time. Gaskell has been given one year and I thought he had a good long and short kicking game. His Grubbers were effective, he hit the line at speed (but lacked enough bulk), his long kicking game was effective and dug Saints out of holes when we were on the back foot and not making headway with the pack.

=#FF0000There seems to be an argument that he should be left at half back to develop his game and keep him and Lomax together to develop a partnership - he played pretty much all of last season doing that - if after that length of time he hasnt built a partnership then what are the chances he will.

I'd say he did build a partnership over last year.

=#FF0000If I was in his position and was fighting for a place against a player who is seriously under perfoming then each chance I got I would be bringing my A+ game to impress and make it impossible to drop me. Each time he has had a chance this season he has failed to impress - please tell me I am wrong with examples of where he has been impressive.

I'll agree on this, yet Lance has played without impressing for more than 3 games all year.


I don't think Gaskell is quality of Long in his prime, but I do think he matched it up last year with some very experienced halves and came out ontop. Neither would I expect a rookie to be as good as long in his prime.

If we look at the current toast of SL at halfback, Brough.

He has been a journey man here there and everywhere and has never been considered by top sides until he went with brown to Huddersfield.
Point being Gaskell had a good year last year and like all our youth a bit of a downer on the 2nd year, but has not really had a chance to recover that form. Whose to say that given a good run in a 3rd year he will not be back to his best.

This would concern me even more. We have no need for a 'general squad player'; Wello has only ever impressed at FB. If he isn't being signed to play there, then he shouldn't be signed at all.

To retain him so that he doesn't have to play for 80 minutes or get beat playing for a duff team would be to waste valuable cap space on sentimental nonsense. If that is the case, I'd be extremely worried about the decision making of this club.

Well blow me, a sensible and well reasoned post. Quick, ban him for talking sense

I would question your assertion that either Smith or Green are quality players, or that they are better than we already have. Remeber Smith in the GF when he was on loan? Totally anonymous. Fair enough, he had a good game in the semi, and if I recall won MoM, but that doesn't make him a quality player, or better than we already have. Just take a look at the Goons thread on the signing of Green, and you will see that the majority of their speccies with more than a single brain cell are totally unimpressed, not only by these signings, but the signings over the last couple of years. The quality of the Goon's squad is being severely diluted.

Do it

but we get a £50k dispensation on the cap for long serving players, so its not really a costly decision. We need players to add to the squad - we cant get by with just 17 players; and that is ignoring the contribution that Wellens is likely to make behind the scenes, his influence in training etc...

Well that's a poor example really...he played one game really well, yet played another quite badly...it proves nothing really as you can't say one match proves your point more than the other match does...

I do understand that Smith and Green are quite average really, but a few years decline will hopefully pick up when the new batch of youngsters start coming through, and they seem quite promising.

No, you only get it for one player and it's up to £50K max or 50% of his salary , so if Wellens left Wilkin or Gardiner would still qualify.

Exactly, that's no excuse. Resigning Wellens is just a sentimental folly, OR McManus displaying his rampant lack of rugby league knowledge. I'd still love to know who makes these decisions at Saints.

Blake Green was HKR's player of the year in 2011 ahead of the likes of Dobson, Webster and Galea. He's had problems this year with a blood clot. I have a feeling he may surprise a few next year.

The other thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the two players that have been signed are actually YOUNGER than the ones that are moving on, while other local clubs appear to be doing their best to keep the Post Offices open.