Still played well.

In all fairness to Josh Perry, his first season was plagued with injuries and never really got going. He then had on operation in the off season which meant he missed pretty much all of pre season for his second. He then got another couple of knocks throughout the season and when he got a run of games together he was arguably our form forward, unfortunately his form dipped off come the business end of the season.

I'm actually excited to see what he can do with a full pre season under his belt and hopefully a good run of games this year. There is no doubting that when we signed him he was a top prop forward and if he can replicate that form now, given the stability in his pre season he will be a massive asset to us.

People all to easily jump on players backs without giving them a chance and looking at any mitigating circumstances which could lead to them being very unsettled. How you feel off the field is just as important, if not more so, than how you feel on the field for professional sportsmen and women.

I've been impressed with Alex Walmsley in the two practice games.

Fantastic game of Rugby League today, enjoyed every minute of it. Defensively we were superb today, just like last week, and to conced just 12 points against two Super League sides is a decent stat. We were ruthless with ball in hand, and once again our forwards worked there socks off in attack and defence. Soliola was his usual self, and it was good to see TP back in the redvee aswell. Josh Perry deserves a mention too for his performance today, looks in top shape and made great yardige from first reciever. Joe Greenwood had another cracking game, and put it one cracking shot in the second half. Willie Manu had another cracking game, and his combination with Robes looks extremaly promsising. Lance looked confortable when he came on to play around the ruck at 9, and I hope to see him interchanging with Robes this season.

In attack we were clinical, and it seemed as though everytime we went down their end, we came away with points. We threw the ball around and were exciting to watch, and were prepare to do the hard stuff defensively and when coming out of our own half. Admittidly Wakefield were not great, but I was impreseed with our performance from start to finish.

Not the greatest of turnouts, and there we had enough room to be doing cartwheels in W3, but as I said, it was a cracking game, and a fitting tribute to a great lad. Hopefully we can carry out the same sort of performance into the Rochdal game enxt week, in what should be a great night.

Two seasons of disappointment for whatever reason is hardly 'too easily' jumping on players backs. He looked good against weak opposition last season too. I'm not convinced by Perry and would much rather see one of our home grown forwards getting game time than him.

I think it will be mainly the young guns against Rochdale won't it? I can't see us fielding our full first team against them as that would benefit nobody.

The jumping on players backs was more a general reference than a direct one towards Perry's situation. I still think that now he's had a full, settled pre season it will do him the world of good. I hope he may turn a few critics this year, he's undoubtedly got the quality to do so.

I also would like to see the young lads get some game time, Forster and Hand in particular. Forster reminds me a little of Graham the way he plays the ball at the line, I'm pretty sure it was him who delivered a nice late pass for Greenwood to score last week against Hudds.

We will probably play a few young lads alongside a few fringe first teamers. I am just looking forward to going down to Rochdale for the first time, and I know that Rochdale are excited to be having Saints playing up there. It should be a decent trip, I am looking forward to it.

I'm hoping to go myself as I haven't been to Rochdale before either (not the town, not the rugby league ground).

Yep.

[urlhttp://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/2644[/url

"The side will contain both first team squad players and the next generation of first team players who will be part of the new Under 19s competition".

I would expect to see the likes of Forster, Hand, Walker, Ashe, Percival, etc. Looking forward to see how they play again. Hope we can get quite a few fans down there to support the lads.

Back to the Wakey game, can we have more details please?
How were the new signings? Who was the star of the show? How didLomaskell fare? What role did Lance play? Did we play an expansive game? Did we defend well?

no one played bad, i think everyone played well. the passing was a bit off here and there in terms of both quality and pass choice, but we were running good lines and the kicking was good as well. the goal line defance looked very soild again, it looks like some hard work has gone into this.

* manu was strong and off loading at will linking up well with roby
* turner looked better than last week, missed a easy kick, but hit one over from the touch line
* greenwood impressed me more than anyone, he was strong defended well and looked more than the part, and would be more than happy to see him fill a spot in the season
* perry - the last couple of years he has been poor and called up by many people, myself inclueded but i think he had a good game, good yards, strong defence and had the awearness to take a kick off on the full giveing us the pen on the half way line resulting in a try
* lance had a good 40 at FB last week and a good 40 at hooker this, IMO has to be played as a second hooker looked good taking on the line and came up with 2 trys
* sia was on fire, tackleing anything in a white shirt busting holes in the line at will. i think at one point he nearly tackled ben cokehead in two!! only problem with his tackleing is that fact his flank is left short of numbers and wakey did make some good yeards down here

everyone else were solid, i know we have played a funny game against hudders and a slightly weaked wakey but im looking forward to the new season, not getting carried away saying we will win everything but WE WILL be a lot more fun to watch again