Did eastmond play ? or was it just me who thought that?

Thought Eastmond had a good first quarter but after that I never noticed him. Hes a class act but does tend to go missing. For all his faults tonight Tomkins did not go missing he tried his all it just did not come off for him. With experience he will learn alot from tonights game, they both will.

I'd agree with that. As a saints fan I was always a little worried when tomkins had ball in hand.

It was lulu that should have stood up.

Why should he calm down?

For a guy who presumably remembers the Brett Kenny era, in which 16-year-old Shaun Edwards was played regularly in the first team and thus came to fulfill all of his massive potential, you made a fairly ludicrous statement.

Calling for Sam Tomkins to be replaced by Tim Smith, on the strength of one disappointing result, is the sort of kneejerk reaction that this club has been all too guilty of in the recent past.

Tommy on 2 legs isn't creative in these arm wrestles, he was carrying an injury it appeared last night, so that, would reduce what already is someone not very effective.

It is, but when McIllorum pulled out, I did ponder for a second whether if Smith was available, would he have been an option in the last twenty off the bench, he might have been able to unlock the Saints defence, but had he been fit, he clearly wouldnt have been selected in front of Sam anyway.

I thought lulu was good signing when he came from quins but I don't think he's lived up to his billing.

Tommy plays with heart and always leaves it all on the field, but he isn't creative enough to win a tight game.

It annoys me that just because he's said something that is considerably negative about Sam Tomkins you get on at him... He's right...

I agree with people earlier on, Tommy's best position is at 9. It's where he plays best for New Zealand and where I've seen him play best for us. When McIllorum was injured earlier in the season we used him at 9 when Riddell went off he was attacking the line with the scoots from dummy half and got us moving forward.

For some reason when he plays at 7 he doesn't seem to attack the line as much. He's scored some great tries for us when he's attacked the line, and makes some breaks, but just getting the ball and passing it on nullifies all that.

I don't know whether that's the way he's coached as in, "when you're first receiver pass it along the line" but if he starts attacking the line more we'll see the best in him.

The fact that you have to rely on him says more about the poor quality in the rest of the team rather than his own ability, he's only a kid FFS.

Just shows which areas we need new signings.

1-2 props and a scrum half IMO

There is to much on his young shoulders to soon

Correct.

I think he may off been trying to hard to be honest, and he was crying at the end of the game - shows he has the passion.