Last week I did a comparison of stats between LMS, Ben Murdoch-Masilla at Salford, Matt Ashurst (remember him?) at Wakefield and Ukuma Ta'ai at Huddersfield. All had played in all games this year ( 8 ), and all are OOC. (I was gonna compare with Mitch Achurch as well, to complete the bottom 4 comparisons, but he had only played 3 games limiting the value of comparison.)

Despite being top for breaks, tackle busts and carries, he was bottom for metres made. For me, it means 90% of the time he is completely ineffective. He was also bottom for tackling (though Saints are now dead last for tackles made this season) and the second worst tackle completion % after BMM. Interestingly, he has conceded the second fewest penalties out of the 4.

Savelio is getting disheartened because he doesn't want to play front row. He said this at the start of the year and KC said he had come up with a solution. Since then hes played in the front row. He hasn't thrown his rattle like Hampshire, but a couple of games at lock would surely bring some energy to his game. I also think hes slimmed down too much for the front row anyway.

For me that doesn't say a lot for the rest of the team, Walmsley, Richards and Sav are not playing well this year, Greenwood and Thompson have only just started coming up with expected performances, Tasi is still under review. In my opinion its Amor, Vea and LMS who are the consistent performers so far and doing the longer workload minutes.

I think it was way back in 2012 when LMS was a waste of space, we lost James Graham to OZ and our pack couldn't take up the workload rate, LMS was expected to take that extra load but he didn't and became a "high five showboater", as St Pete says he picked up a bit when he was under contract review. Since then he was nominated to one of the "senior player" responsibility roles and in my view he has been doing OK with the exception of his discipline moments, I think LMS is the least of our worries and is one for future review at a later date.

I've been critical of LMS, but, whatever his motivations, I don't think anyone can reasonably question his effort this year. What bothers me about him these days is that he has plenty of good qualities, but he has shortcomings in whichever of the positions he tends to play in. He's not grizzly and tough enough to be a genuine out-and-out prop. Physically he's most suited to second row, where his size and pace should make him a real strike threat, but his obsession with cutting inside and running laterally back the middle (this, I suspect, is where a lot of his tackle busts come from) both limits his own effectiveness and starves the players outside him of possession. That leaves loose forward, but we have quite a few of those, and, if managed correctly, Savelio could turn out to be one of the best in the country. So I'm struggling to think of convincing reasons to hold on to LMS.

KC sees him as a centre

Just because he's a lower priority worry, doesn't mean he's not a worry - same with Vea. I think were in a position where we have a group of senior players who, as a group aren't where they need to be (whether that's because they're not good enough, or the coaching and tactics aren't good enough could be debated until the cows come home). I think a lot of fans (myself included) would prefer to see the club gutted of this group, and start again with our recruitment moving forward. Whilst the agreed intelligence says that a settled squad with minor changes every year is the key to consistent success, every now and then it is necessary to wipe the board clean (and its easy to point to Warrington's early season success this year compared to last year).

All that aside, LMS fundamentally isn't an international class backrower. With the cap space we should free up this year, there is the opportunity to chase players who are in that bracket (such as, imo the 3 I named) - if we cant get the right person on the right deal, and give LMS a 1 year extension while we keep looking, its not as bad as having to keep some others on the ooc list - but if we can its "thanks for the effort, best of luck" from me.

On a complete side note, did anyone notice Makinson's complete indifference to LMS's celebrations when he (Makinson) scored the try in the corner against Widnes? It was either a 'I'm too cool to celebrate' or a 'I can't be doing with you mate' demeanour.

They still don't all look like they're in it together IMO.

Let's say Tommy not over the moon with things at min.

I thought so, his body language showed that. It was almost a protest try.

No outside back with any meaningful regard for his career would want to play under kc. If I was any of swift/tommy/Percy I'd be looking elsewhere to showcase my ability rather than being wasted at Saints.

Walmsley and Sav don't look too happy either.

A Pack grinding forward + a mediocre scrum half ( don't tackle me) with a reasonable kicking game. Who needs outside backs. Kc's philosophy?.

Wouldn't surprise me to see Walmsley and Savelio in the NRL next season. Think the only thing holding Percival back is that he appears to be very injury prone (unique for us, I know...).

On field or off?

On field and imagine off as a result in that