We have replaced them. We will be getting another big bloke. All is fine with the world.

What did you want? Some NRL million dollar player? Dream on.


We have oodles of stand offs at the club.

non are close to leon as yet

Nope, although I would like to see Gary Wheeler actually get an extended run there - ha! - as I think he could be the closest. But 'yet' does not mean 'never' and we have Hohaia coming into the halves to bring experience to the team in that position and I'm not as doom and gloom as a lot of other people appear to be.

To be fair having a lesser standard of playing roster isn't going to mean that you are not going to be capable of winning things, I just look at other clubs including us and think that the standards are going to drop across the board apart from maybe at Catalans.

Wigan... losing Madge(Massive IMO), Hoffman, Coley, Deacon?. Big losses IMO and no new signings YET!
Warrington... Morley??? questions marks over his future. Briers is another year older, louis anderson, solomona(another off season on the pies!) J Monaghan? Hodgson a year older.
Leeds... well they signed richard Moore FGS
Catalans are the only ones I can see being significantly better that this..

I am willing to be contridicted by the way.

No ive never said get million dollar NRL player, I'm just saying it would have been nice to bring in a stand off for pryce, prop for Graham and someone to replace eastmond.

Agree with this, Lomax has the makings of a Tomkins and the freedom of linking into the play from the FB role could really suit him down to the ground. As the Wigunerrr says, it takes the pressure of a kicking game and directing a team around the park off, allowing him to go on his brilliant individual runs when he sees a chance.

My only concern would be the defensive side as his tackling in the halves isn't all that great.

Nice to see we are all staying nice and calm then from this hardly shocking news.

Losing Leon is not going to alter much next year from this. He's not played all year and in the critical game against Wigan he was not the Messiah to change the fortunes of the season.

It's always nice to have a panic and flap about, but in the end saying we need this and we need that does not reflect the reality. We need a prop, yes I totally agree, but who? There is little if no one of Grahams quality out there and anyone of similar ilk is tied up for a long time or would need more money than the NRL can offer.

NRL wise there is no chance of getting another Lyon type player, you either need tainted goods like Chase or a player looking to finish but hopefully can be ignited to play. Otherwise you have to look to home.

Leon has gone, good luck to him, he had played well for us, but his days at half back for us where not the golden years, they passed when it was long and /Martyn/Sculthorpe and even Hooper.

There is no reason to think his leaving will cause mid table mediocrity. Same goes for Eastmond, neither have had a massive impact on Saints this year. The Graham situation is far more critical than this as he has carried our front row for many years now.

In the halfbacks you could argue we are stronger next year as along side Gaskell and Lomax there is now Lance. Both the young players will be a year better, and with Eastmond and Pryce missing most of the year the addition of Lance is an improvement on this year in the backs.

And Wigan are linked with players like Ephalme Lauaki and Gil Dudson.

Lance has played 8 times for NZ at stand off and over 50 times in both halfback roles within the NRL

He is more experienced at a high level playing in the halves that Scott Dureau or Rangi Chase were when they were signed to play in SL. They havent dont too badly have they.

Both were 23/24 when they arrived though, not 30.

It's a big risk as no doubt he's on a big contract. Talking of which, his deal is two years too long.

Lance is 28 this year so will be 29 next season.
Dureau is 25 this year and will be 26 next year.
Chase is 25 this year and will be 26 next year

Also Lances 4 year deal takes him upto 32 years of age.

I take it you would be giving the soon to be 30 year old Pryce a 3 year deal, which would have seen him playing to 33. One year older than what Hohoia will be under contract till, and using your logic about Lances deal being 2 years to long, then Pryces would therefore be 3 years too long, which therefore means you actually agree with what Saints have done

He can't get into his club starting 13 though and has had poor reviews.

On the subject of Lafranchi who some people are commenting on as being a backrower to replace Jammer.

I would bare in mind that Frank has actually played 30 games at prop in the NRL so isnt inexperienced in the role. Granted he plays mostly in the backrow and can be pretty devastating as a backrower for example in 2008 he scored 12 trys in 20 appearances playing in the NRL, which is phenomenal.

David Fairleigh the best Saints prop since Ward played mainly in the back row down under, he managed around 27 appearances at prop in his NRL career, which in length and quality is similar to that of Lafranchi's.

If Frank can give the same impact as Fairleigh then we will do ok.

Isn't that my point