It must be the Easter weekend , but one again I find myself in agreement with SaintsFan . We let Pryce go for good reason he was dogged by serious injury and resigning him would of been a gamble.

It was a decision I think most of us could understand at the time. Personally I was gutted as I think he's still one of the best attacking players in Super League at the moment, but his injury record was a big concern.

What you don't do though is let a player go when you've not got a player coming in to replace them. At that stage we didn't know how Gaskell and Lomax would go. It all then goes completely pear shaped with the signing of Lance Hohaia.

It just seems to me that we sign overseas players in the same way you would employ someone in a business environment. You look at their CV as proof of their ability. It explains the signings of Perry, Laffranchi and Hohaia perfectly. All of them have outstanding CVs. Perry had won 2 NRL Grand Finals, played 211 times in the NRL, most as starting prop, played 5 times for County then progressed to play 3 times for New South Wales in Origin and played 4 times for Australia.

Anthony Laffranchi had played 204 times in the NRL scoring 50 tries. He'd won a Grand Final and scored the winning try in an Origin game. He played 4 times for County and 4 times for New South Wales. He also played 5 times for Australia and regularly topped 40 tackles, including in an Origin game.

Lance Hohaia played 185 times for New Zealand Warriors, played in an NRL Grand Final and is a World Cup winner.

You cannot argue with those CVs, they are top class. Had someone with a little rugby knowledge looked at the players in depth however, they would have seen how poor and unsuitable the players were for the recruitment needs we had at the time. Josh Perry had suffered a couple of serious injuries and was on his way down, struggling a lot in his final season in the NRL. Laffranchi was a player who had played his entire career in the backrow. He was signed and asked to play as a prop forward despite not being big enough, hard working enough or strong enough mentally to do the job to a decent standard. Lance Hohaia is perhaps the most costly mistake we've made with our recruitment. He primarily played fullback for New Zealand Warriors, played a year at centre, filled in at hooker for a season or two. He played fullback for New Zealand and occasionally hooker from the bench. One position he almost never played despite his utility value was half back. Yet we sign him to play there. It's three bizarre recruitment decisions that mystify and frustrate the fans and I don't believe anyone with any rugby knowledge was involved in any of the decisions.

I get a lot of stick on here for criticising players, but those three are probably in the top 4 earners at the club and contribute very little value.

If you remember 3 to 4 years ago Mc Manus made a club statement that the policy or model for the club was to promote success through the youth within the club. This by nature mean,t Rush had more responsibilty and pressure to deliver and develop the younger players within the club. This adopted policy also gave Mc Manus the opportunity to tighten the purse strings on contracts transferring expenditure to the new stadium.

This is where problems manifested itself, we lost the culture within the club once the last of the immortals (Cunningham) hung up his boots, we also lost a possible 5 year half back partnership with Eastmond and Wheeler.
A Lomax and Gaskell partnership looked a possibiilty in 2011, but its taken 3 coaches to realise that lack of creativity was not a recipe for success.

The days of signing a top class half back from OZ/NZ are now gone, perhaps the club has hit this obstacle first and need to find the right formula, because I,m sure most of the other superleague clubs will experience the same sooner than later.

Did they ever start? I can't think of many established NRL half backs that moved to an English club, even if you go back years. The only ones that came over were troubled individuals (Who will still be coming).

The younger NRL players who aren't getting a shot in the team because of the outstanding players ahead of them are the ones we need to be looking at. The next Scott Dureau or the next Michael Dobson. They will still be there.

There is no doubt we are lacking at half back and a good scrum half we see us challenge for a trophy. I feel we have to be very careful. Matty Smith was not the answer at Saints and still wouldn't be, he would not be the maverick scrum half we need. Saints don't seem to have the same attacking structure as Wigan. At Wigan their attack is very robotic, but highly effective and Matty Smith fits into that structure well, he is not an off the cuff maverick scrum half that we need. Saints style is different, we have tried this attacking structure rubbbish, the best scrum halfs at Saints have not been robots ala Matty Smith, but off the cuff, play what is in front of them, natural scrum halfs, natural rl players like Goulding, Holding and Long. Smith fits in well with the structures at Wigan, we have no structure! Our tries will tend to be off the cuff efforts like Makinson's or barge overs due to weight of possession such as Meli's and Clough's on Friday. Once we identify that player, whoever it may be I have no idea we will be a strong side. Imagine a Bobby Goulding with Willie Manu, Puletua and Soliola running off him, they would have field day. That is the type of scrum half we need.

I believe that's what Salford have done with Liam Foran only they have him on loan for a couple of years.

Alternatively, we could take a look in the Championship ranks. We have already found a gem from there in Alex Walmsley. There could be a half back or two who fancy stepping up to fulltime.

Someone on here keeps mentioning the Fev HB? If he can organise, pass and kick then I don't see why we shouldn't take a risk on him for the rest of the season.

I don't watch Championship RL as I don't have Premier, so I have no clue what he is like or even what his name is!

That would be Liam Finn. Who is 30 this year and has only managed 2 games for Wakefield in Super League and that was 9 years ago. He would have been a better option than Howarth as a loan signing, but there is no long term solution to be found there.

As I said, I didn't know who it was or how old etc, but someone on here was definitely banging his drum a lot the other week!

Looks like a Wilkin/Hohaia partnership for the rest of 2013.

Time to give George Ndaira a call.

Hooker but gave some cracking international performances at scrum half over here a few years back.

Never quite made it at Nrl level - now player coach at a lower level.

Always thought hed be a great squad player.

Still only 28.

I'd take the majority of those forwards over Perry and Laffranchi.

There are a few potentials in the Championships (I do watch Premier Sports!) but as to their names and whether they are 7s that is another matter! Barrow has a very nifty halfback who is now injured but I think he is a 6.

Scott Kaighan? and yes he is a #6

Honestly as a Wigan fan coming in peace we currently have two halfbacks in

- Powell ( not getting game time due to Logan Tomkins
- Ryan Hampshire ( just scored three in the U19's game between Wigan and Saints)

Both would bust a gut if an opportunity to play for Saints and prove themselves to the Wigan coaching staff came about.

Surly that's better than a 30 year old from the Championship?

When faced with the influence of Leeds + other Yorkshire sides have on SL both the Lancashire power players need to work together and help each other out. I know both the Wigan and Saints chairman have a good relationship.

This SHORT TERM deal works for both.