I'm a big fan of Shenton, and thought he was a very good signing, but he's wasting a jersey at the moment. Weak defence, and offers nothing in attack. Would a spell in the reserves help him build his confidence, and also remind him that he has to perform to keep his spot ?

He wasn't very good today, iron hands.

No I don't think he should. He's not playing well at all but he's recovering from a serious injury and needs games and I can't see who we'd bring on anyway. Only time will tell if this injury has permanently effected him.

Wheeler and Jones should be our starting centres IMO

I've been critical of Shenton recently, and while he wasn't great today I thought he was actually better than he has been for a few games. Ultimately he needs to improve if he's going to keep his place in the long term, but dropping an experienced member of the backline when we're already experimenting with an 18 year old centre and 19 year old winger would be counter-productive IMO.

Wheeler should be released. He's proven his lack of fortitude far too many times and he simply can never be relied upon.

Shenton had a MAJOR injury last season in the Grand Final. We've got to give him time to get over that and dropping him isn't conducive to that. He should be given the rest of this season (As it's a write off anyway due to how weak the squad is and the fact we have no coach) to gain strength and confidence.

I think its fair to say his form is disappointing, However, I think most people are forgetting he didnt have the benefit of a pre season. He is a talent and he will come good.

I really do not know how much 5hite can eminate from one person.

He might not have had a full pre-season but this is his second season and he has yet to impress.

Injury , lack of service and team style may serve as mitigating circumstances but on his wedge
I think people have a valid expectation for something more than we are getting.

He seems content to just go through the motions and somehow a strike test centre
will magically reappear.

Jones has not had great service and has been parachuted into a struggling team.
However he makes the most of what he has got and looks hungry and eager.
Two qualities that Shenton is sadly lacking.

He needs leaving out for a spell. The U20s is not a solution in itself. It is what the player and coaching staff
do in this period that is the key.

I'm not sure his heart is really in the traveling which magnifies his other difficulties.
If a Yorkshire SL Club came in for him (now or at season's end) I would let him go.

It's very difficult to judge Shenton, he very rarely gets any quality ball, I should imagine at Castleford he got a much better service from the halves.
For the last 2 seasons our back line attack is too lateral and predictable which shows up our backs as average at best. Shenton is a quality player who has not been given enough quality ball to show the talent in him.

Did he used to bully you at school or something!!!

As for Shenton, he (hopefully) just needs games to shake the injury off - if his problems are mainly psychological then I think he's better off doing that in the first team than stuck back in the reserves which wouldn't do anyone any good. We've got very few alternatives to play instead of him, especially with other injuries, that could do the job as well as even a struggling Shenton so it's a bit of a non-issue really anyway.

He's been very disappointing in a Saints shirt so far, but he'll no doubt have taken time to settle in, has had a complete lack of service and then the injury so it's unfair to write him off just yet. We're stuck with him one way or another for the next 18 months so hopefully he'll start to show what he can do once the injury is finally sorted and he starts to see some ball from a coach who knows what to do with a backline.

I don't mind cutting Shenton some slack for what was a terrible injury. It has to be remembered that Cunningham took the best part of twelve months to get over something similar.

But I just don't buy this "lack of service" as a reason for showing, well, nothing much in his first season. Yes, centres such as Newlove, Iro, Lyon etc. did benefit a little more in terms of possession. But they could [ialso[/i chip in with impressive form when service was at a premium.

Gleeson is a very good example. When signed (as, well, an unknown - certainly not a GB/Eng fringe player) he was essentially the junior partner in the centres - a secondary attacking option. But even though the ball was almost always going the opposite direction he still managed to chisel out some pretty vital performances. To such an extent that his reputation at the end of his first season was considerably enhanced. In contrast we have Shenton who, so far, has struggled to achieve the best form he showed [iin a Castleford shirt[/i.

Yes, League is a team game. But this doesn't mean the annulment of individual responsibility. I'm sure there isn't a player at the club who wouldn't love to give Shenton as much possession as he'd like. But Shenton has to reciprocate with doing the [iabsolute best with what he's got[/i. Which so far hasn't amounted to a great deal.

Agreed, I don't buy that 'excuse' - as that's what it is in reality. Someone on redvee gave some statistics which proved that he was getting just as much ball as his opposite number.

His disappointing performances have probably been exaggerated after having Lyon and Gidley there in the recent past.

I think he's just symptomatic of the decline in standards. Ten years ago we wouldn't have looked at him.