Lets hope we offer them something decent to keep em. A nice four year deal like wigangave tomkins would be great.

I think tonight showed he hadn't come of age yet. There were more than a few points in the match where he either chose the wrong runner, or decided to try and relive his moment of glory bulldozing over Tomkins, only to be smashed and see a tackle wasted.

Hopefully he and Lomax will learn from this and enter next season much mentally tougher. Tonight, Burrow and Maguire gave them a masterclass in half-back play. Of all the areas on the field, the one where we were consistently outplayed throughout tonight's game was at halfback. I hope it stings them, and they respond by resolving not to let that happen again. For a start, they could work on a few moves in the close season which are genuinely threatening.

After just watching it again on beeb 2, there was a point where Gaskell lacked a bit of vision, but I'm sure that will come with time, it's when near the Leeds line he passed to Meli and he lost the ball, when really he should have got it out to either Wellens or Foster and it would have been a definate try.

There was a hell of a lot of pressure on Gaskell in this match. He's still very inexperienced and we were looking to him to guide the team round the park and provide the kicking game in the biggest game of the domestic season. There was always the chance that in the Grand Final environment he might struggle a bit. I just hope he learns from it rather than letting it get to him.

I think a few are being a bit harsh here about Gaskell. A couple of times he maybe could have passed to Wello but I don't think we should be too critical of that because when Wello did get it outside Leeds were across pretty quickly. When we were on the front foot his kicking helped us to control the game and what about that 40/20? He's learning fast and if he can stay injury free he should be able to hold onto a half back spot for the next ten years.

Posted the same on few threads but his decision making will come with experience.

I agree. But I think he would have had an even better game if the forwards had done in the first half what they did in the second. He would have grown in confidence. It was a big ask for him and I don't think he let us down at all. It will be a tough experience for him but he got through the shallocking by Wigan at Widnes and Warrington away so I am sure he will get through this. I'm not sure us fans will though!

You're right and we will

The thing with Gaskell is he gets so much stick for dying with the ball. But he's doing that because Wellens isn't in the right place because he's too slow and too predictable. If Gaskell passes it, it will be an easy read from the defense because Wello's not there so they can line up easily man on man and if he doesn't they just have to stop him.

If we had a proper fullback last night we would have won comfortably IMO. The fullback is such a vital player in today's game as he can chime into the line at any point in it, making it harder for the defense to number up. Players like Webb, Tomkins, Hodgson and Grix do it superbly. Wellens occasionally limps into the centre position and gets smashed as he's stumbling and falling over.

Even tho he took wrong options last night he was still our most dangerous player with ball in hand.

Someone needs to teach him how to kick during the winter.His gifting of the final try for Leeds summed his kicking game up perfectly.

I do believe that Gaskell will be a great player, him and Lomax will form a formidable partnership, I think Saints have a cracking future to look forward to, those 2 along with Makinson, Wheeler, Foster and Dixon are the future of Saints.

if the likes of Foster and Dixon are the future,things will be bleak

Prob the two worst from a very good bunch.

Yes, that's why he's scored tries recently, even with an ongoing achilles injury. I think you're fab Saddened! but sometimes you do my head in with your dumb statements.