Meli came in with Anderson, so it's not quite five coaches! And since Anderson coached the last Exiles team, I'd have fully expected Meli to be in it.

Simmons was the only one to shunt Meli off the wing. Everyone on here agreed last year that Meli was better at centre than on the wing. Now half of those people have reverted back to thinking he's great on the wing. Interesting that!

Meli, for me, is a better centre than a winger. He doesn't have to deal with the high kicks and proved hroughout last year hat he could score and create for his winger. He also defend s his channel much better than initially thought he would. However, given our current squad and the long term absence of Ade mean that he's more use to on the wing.
Before Royce was sacked, we were playing with two shrimps on the wing and were struggling to get away from our try line because of it.
He didn't do much wrong yesterday and to focus on the almost try in the opening minutes is harsh. Monaghan, who was able to run and jump, was always going to have an advantage over Meli jumping from a standing position.

Meli is still one of the most dangerous outside backs in the league and over the year's he's won us more games that he lost us, by a long way I reckon.

Whoever said Makinson has been shaken under the high ball all season has a short memory. He had a run of games were he was looking great under high kicks, taking them high above the opposition, but he did have a run the other way.

I didn't say they weren't important. I said every metre made was important. Given that we made it to yet another GF when we had Foster and Makinson on the wings last year, and lost fewer games last season than this, I feel fully justified in saying that they are a small part of the winger's job. If the kick return of a winger was as influential as you are claiming then only making a couple of metres (which is what both our present wingers achieve) would be having a detrimental affect on our results. However, they aren't. We did fine last year and fine this year because what counts more is the impact of our forwards and their ability/willingness to make metres, not our wingers.

Unfortunately, when you've got Wellens at #1 then you need 2 wingers who can both make yards early in the tackle count in the big games or another G/F being kicked and turned to death by Sinfield beckons. That's why for me Meli and Gardner need to be our wings when push comes to shove.

Re read what you typed and it's not hard to see why so many people , me included think he's a liability ... "cost us big in a few grand finals" . In the big games against the best teams he is just exposed. It gives me no pleasure to say this either.

My head nearly exploded when he went to throw it forward in our in-goal...

He's a good finisher but if you think all he can do is barge over you have little/no rugby knowledge. He is one of the most dangerous wingers in the league with ball in hand. I agree Makinson is probably a better finisher in some situations but I can't see why that is relevant?

Meli is a liability in pressure games? Are you sure? What exactly did he do wrong last night and last week against Wigan? If you class him as a liability cause he drops a few high balls we should list all other wingers along side him surely?

I think a big part of your problem with him is that he is not a born and bred die hard St Helens lad going off some of your other posts.

Might be the single greatest thing I've ever seen on a rugby pitch. I have no idea what the intention was, but it was hilarious all the same. It wouldn't have been if he'd passed it though.

Part of my problem with him is the parts he plays in costing us the GF year in, year out.

Makinson was born in Wigan, his family are Wigan fans and so was Makinson (probably still is). I'm supportive of Makinson. So you are being silly.

I'd like to think it was a cunning ploy but with Meli I'm just not sure ...