I was the fastest player over 100m in every team I played in, including some backs who ended up playing SL/Champ, but it counted for precisely sod all most of the time because in rugby you seldom get a long distance to just run unhindered. Good for interceptions, kick returns, chasing down opposition breaks and supporting your own breaks but that's only a small part of wing play, especially in tight games. Far more interested in his speed over 10 metres, the speed he can get up and play the ball, the force he can generate from scoots.

Mackinson wouldn't be jack poop if the corner flags had never been taken out of play, Nothing more than a showboater

I like Makinson, he’s a very good player but it’ll be interesting to see if him and a number of other Saints players can maintain that level they reached under Holbrook. He dragged every bit of talent out of them and whilst Saints fans would have you believe they have superstars from 1-17, the facts are that for the majority of their careers a number of those lads have been average and plodded along. The new coach has made a good impression with Tonga and has got them playing for each other, so they may well continue to play at those levels.

Johnstone better than Makinson? Wow.

I think Holbrook did well coaching Makinson to a match-winning hat-trick against NZ, with a supreme try saving tackle thrown in.

England didn't miss him at all in the autumn.

At the moment you’d have to say Makinson is the best British winger. I can’t see anyone else good enough to take that mantle presently. Burgess and Manfredi were up there, probably ahead of Makinson once upon a time but form and injuries respectively put Makinson ahead.

Go on, for the sake of discussion, I'll bite. Given he did those things under Holbrook's tenure I would argue that he did coach him to those levels and feats. Unless,of course, you're arguing that Holbrook had no impact on Makinson and it was all down to the coaching he got from Bennett and he wouldn't have been at the standard necessary without said coaching?

Makinson is a golden boot winner.

Burgess cant defend for toffee

Whilst factually correct, thats a very flimsy argument

That award means nothing anymore

Yep

Not yet he isn’t however if he remains injury free and continues to develop as he is he will be.

He is as good a finisher, has a better carry but needs to work on defence in particular positional play.

Nothing major and in teams at the top end of the table it probably wouldn’t be exposed as much but once he sorts that out he will be the best winger in SL.

We did miss him of course, he’s a very fine player.

Had Makinson not been coached by Holbrook though, do you think he would’ve reached the level he has? I don’t and that goes for the levels reached by guys like Lomax, Fages, Thompson, Peyroux and so on. Had Cunningham still been in charge for example, do you still think Makinson would’ve been in a position to get that England hatrick?!

It isn’t a criticism to say Holbrook was a fantastic coach and has had a huge impact on the careers of a number of Saints players. It’s an absolute fact and it will be interesting to see if they can keep that momentum going.