Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Nov 18, 2021 3:12 pm  

I just worry that if Sezer gets a season ending injury the first game of the season or Tetevano gets a four match ban, Oledzki is out for 6 weeks alongside Prior that we will really struggle like we did this year.

We saw with the absences of our half backs and/or when a few props were missing how our game was massively impacted.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Nov 18, 2021 3:30 pm  

There's only so much cover any squad can have in a salery capped sport. If saints lost Walmsley and Lomax for long periods theyd be looking a bit off. Especially with having to let Fage and Coote go.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Nov 18, 2021 4:25 pm  

Seth wrote:

There's only so much cover any squad can have in a salery capped sport. If saints lost Walmsley and Lomax for long periods theyd be looking a bit off. Especially with having to let Fage and Coote go.

True but the key positions need covering.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Nov 18, 2021 5:10 pm  

I'd assume they will point to Myler and Leeming as cover in the halves and Thompson, muizz and Donaldson front row. Whether that's the best cover that can be achieved in the circumstances is the? For me half is barring an academy prospect being further along in their development though prop less so especially with the stage Holroyd is at also being factored in to the top 4 props and Tet being used at 13.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Nov 19, 2021 10:03 am  

The problem we have and still do have but to a lesser extent this season, is a lack of quality in depth to cover a few positions well (which is very very difficult to solve in salary capped sport), Saints have mastered this imo for the last few years and to some extent Wigan did.

We're getting there but not quite there yet as we're most definitely a good prop light.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Nov 19, 2021 6:54 pm  

Corey Hall going to Wakefield, as in signing not on loan.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Sun Nov 21, 2021 9:34 am  

I think luck with injuries is more important than good planning on our sport. The top 4 or 5 have very stating teams with everyone fit,, but quality drops off a cliff edge once you get a free injuries. Saints have been really lucky last 3 years on injury front, but that will change, the only reason we lost our 3 peat run was because both Mcguire and Peacock did their ACL in same season!

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Sun Nov 21, 2021 9:53 am  

Then it would have ended up a 6 peat

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Sun Nov 21, 2021 3:18 pm  

Shabino wrote:

I think luck with injuries is more important than good planning on our sport. The top 4 or 5 have very stating teams with everyone fit,, but quality drops off a cliff edge once you get a free injuries. Saints have been really lucky last 3 years on injury front, but that will change, the only reason we lost our 3 peat run was because both Mcguire and Peacock did their ACL in same season!

Agree they have been lucky but it isn’t just luck on injuries. They have planned the squad and developed players the best. They knew they had Welsby, Dodd etc so they could look to strengthen other areas and use Welsby and Dodd as back ups. They did get injuries and suspensions but those players fitted in and quality didn’t massively drop.

Additionally having a couple of very good back ups across a few positions let’s you rest somebody for a week. We should rest Prior or Mik occasionally but we won’t. We play them into the ground and then they are spent or pick up injuries.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Tue Nov 23, 2021 5:18 pm  

Napa signing for Catalans