Brian McDemott was not ready when he was 20, plenty of players were not ready when they were 20+. The point is they maybe ready in a year or 2.

and in my experience if he's not good enough by 20, he never will be more than average

thats true of forwards, where physical size is essential but not so much half backs

Sean Long, Bobbie Goulding, Kevin Brown, Matty Smith, Danny Brough,

All deamed not good enough, before Huddersfield Danny Brough would have been deamed a very poor half by most Saints fans.

It's not like Brown is afraid to use the kids. He's used swift, Percy, Richards, thompson, walker etc regular as he knows they are ready.

I think he does a excellent job with bringing the kids in and how he handles them.

I think it's pretty simple. The club don't see him playing hb going forward.

In the u19s squad, Hewitt, Richardson and Fairhurst are the only real out and out stand offs/scrum halfs that we have. Charnock is best suited in the forwards. Whether that be at loose forward or hooker. That is where the club believe his future lies. The coaches see him day in day out at training and they analyse the videos endlessly.

Yes but what does the club and coaches know? He played halfback so he should automatically come in

I agree with most of them but wasn't Bobbie Goulding the youngest ever Great Britain Lions tourist at 18 when he toured in 1990?

He was but I think he was 17.

Ok I was not 100% sure. I was bound to get a few wrong

To be fair, Robes was a half back in the juniors, wasn't he?
It would be interesting if he came in next year as a rotation hooker.

the most skillful players in any position usually are, Matt Gidley was a 6 for example.
If he's morphed into a hooker then thats fine, we need someone to support Robes.

Both Longy and Goulding were always good enough but had other issues

Lomax and Gaskell wernt ready or was they ? One moved on ones first choice full back they got the chance , he has played in the halves and fullback , and yes I do think saints are trying to mold him in a other position , maybe Wilkins , maybe not , maybe he will be interchange hooker , but at this min in time we need some one who can play in the halves ,

I have played in the halves, still doesn't mean I'm good enough. Same goes for Charnock, albeit on a different level, but the principle is the same.