Unfortunately that's the limitations of a salary capped sport. We have given Toby a big hike to keep him. Money has got to come from somehwere to pay for it. Possibly Minikin on less than Lineham? I'm quite happy with the signings however I am worried about the front row. You win nothing behind a bad pack, what's the point in having Widdop and Williams with no props putting us on the front foot?

If you look back to years gone by, at some of the Saints top teams they had Danny Arnold and Joey Hayes (average players) on the wings as the money was spent on the rest of the team. Whether the game has changed too much i dont know. They were both decent finishers but not top quality by any means.

Are you sam beckett by any chance?

I don't even know who that is, so i don't know if that's a compliment or derogatory. It is true though, there is no point having star studded half backs and a powder puff pack.

It was a quantum leap reference since you went all the way back to 1996 for your point.

Which im not entirely sure I understand. If you wouldn't mind clarifying/expanding

Even if the squad is ever so slightly weaker on paper next year, I’d back Powell to get more out of his squad fillers than Price. It’s true that we do need to retain some power up front. Maybe the cheaper wing options are a result of wanting to keep Hill. He and Cooper backed up by Philbin and Mulhern is good enough to provide a platform for Widdop and Williams to win us a grand final.

I’m happy that our half-backs for next year are both big game players with a full skill set. The wings may not be NRL standard but outside of two fairly decent centres with Williams and Widdop pulling the strings, it shouldn’t matter too much. Our spine is excellent and we have some very good juniors coming through in key positions. I’d be far more worried if we had Austin and Fages at half back with NRL retirees in the centres and a couple of star wingers not even gettig the ball.

Let’s relax and see how we shape up next season.

Minikin, Mata'utia, Holmes, Harrison and possibly Bullock.



I bet Saints, Wigan and Leeds are bricking it.

Wigan have signed a few guys who even their own families would struggle to pick out of a line-up. Leeds have signed our fourth best halfback.

As others have mentioned, I wasnt even sure we needed another outside back so don't imagine Minikin is going to be much more than experienced cover. The big thing is whether we can get Ashton fit again, the kid is a class act and we do need his pace.

Our sport could do with a decent share of the multi £millions thrown at our Olympic team by sport England. Not bad for a so called amateur sport.

Williams for Austin
Mata'utia for Inglis / Mamo
Holmes for J Clark
Harrison for Akauola
Minikin for Lineham

If we can retain Hill and Ashton that doesn't look like a bad set of swaps as a whole (the Harrison injury is, however, a big setback).

I like Holmes and kept an eye on Mata'utia on Saturday against Salford and thought he had a decent game.

Harrison seems like a 'project' signing so gets a chance to prove himself likewise Bullock if he's signed, it depends on the deal and who he's replacing with movement elsewhere in the pack? As long as he's not a cut price Asotasi because that would be bad business at ANY price.

I agree, Williams could potentially be the best signing we have made since Morley. The rest I don't think there is that much in it, but I do like Lineham.