Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 10:32 am  

bewareshadows wrote:

Alot will depend on who comes in and how they perform. There are not many top class wingers in SL and we are full on overseas quota.

So basically someone has to step up and take it off him. If no one impresses Royce, then the 2nd half of the season, then Royce may have seen enough quality from Gardner to consider a rolling 12 month contract to see if he can return in the same form.

It's far to early to be saying it's the end, before anyone else has shown their quality as a replacement.

The are options this year with him being out for the year. We can move meli back to the wing with either wheeler, flannery Gaskell in the centre.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 10:42 am  

St pete wrote:

The are options this year with him being out for the year. We can move meli back to the wing with either wheeler, flannery Gaskell in the centre.

Oh yes there are options, but meli is no long term replacement on the wing as he is already older than gardner the Talau centre position has been an issue for years.

There is also the option of just putting Eastmond on the wing too. But again that's no long term solution.

I'm not worried about Gardner being covered this year. My point is it's a little early for the death nell.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 10:46 am  

bewareshadows wrote:

Oh yes there are options, but meli is no long term replacement on the wing as he is already older than gardner the Talau centre position has been an issue for years.

There is also the option of just putting Eastmond on the wing too. But again that's no long term solution.

I'm not worried about Gardner being covered this year. My point is it's a little early for the death nell.

As we are already looking at bringing in a outside back it may have been at his expense any way.

We are the only team I've ever known that has gone 3/4 years with only one out and out centre at the club.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 10:48 am  

St pete wrote:

As we are already looking at bringing in a outside back it may have been at his expense any way.

We are the only team I've ever known that has gone 3/4 years with only one out and out centre at the club.

TRue and yet we still managed to make the GF's and top spot in the league in those times, we maybe going through a bare patch in silverwear terms, but week in week out Saints are still a match for most teams.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 10:56 am  

St pete wrote:

As we are already looking at bringing in a outside back it may have been at his expense any way.

We are the only team I've ever known that has gone 3/4 years with only one out and out centre at the club.

True that , I was thinking it might have been ades wages used to bring in a proper centre. I think for this season Royce might shove meli on the wing and use Eastmond in the centre, another option for me and potentially a longer term one would be to put Makinson on the wing , he's fast enough.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 10:56 am  

St pete wrote:

As we are already looking at bringing in a outside back it may have been at his expense any way.

We are the only team I've ever known that has gone 3/4 years with only one out and out centre at the club.

True that , I was thinking it might have been ades wages used to bring in a proper centre. I think for this season Royce might shove meli on the wing and use Eastmond in the centre, another option for me and potentially a longer term one would be to put Makinson on the wing , he's fast enough.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 10:56 am  

bewareshadows wrote:

TRue and yet we still managed to make the GF's and top spot in the league in those times, we maybe going through a bare patch in silverwear terms, but week in week out Saints are still a match for most teams.

And that's what is so impressive over the last 3yrs under potter and Royce this year. We've remained competitive while rebuilding.

All the players and staff should be given huge pat on the back for this IMO.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 11:00 am  

No1 Saint wrote:

True that , I was thinking it might have been ades wages used to bring in a proper centre. I think for this season Royce might shove meli on the wing and use Eastmond in the centre, another option for me and potentially a longer term one would be to put Makinson on the wing , he's fast enough.

Eastmond played very well at centre the other year and offers great threat out wide with the ball in hand but his defence this year has been a worry of mine about playing him centre. Hull took Kyle to pieces out wide at the KC.

If Pryce returns I think Gaskell would do great job in the centre until wheeler returns.

I can't beleive we've never replaced talau. For last 3/4 years we've only had one centre at the club.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 11:05 am  

No1 Saint wrote:

True that , I was thinking it might have been ades wages used to bring in a proper centre. I think for this season Royce might shove meli on the wing and use Eastmond in the centre, another option for me and potentially a longer term one would be to put Makinson on the wing , he's fast enough.

My initial thought's where for Makinson, but then as I thought more about it, Eastmond just looks like a more likely option, as he offers extra dimensions.

But as I've said on another thread, with everyone returning and the kids showing they can step up it's a pleasurable chore for Royce now. Who to drop who to play. Maybe even allowing some rotation for fit players.

Re: Just when Gardner decides to pull his finger out ... : Sat May 28, 2011 11:09 am  

St pete wrote:

Eastmond played very well at centre the other year and offers great threat out wide with the ball in hand but his defence this year has been a worry of mine about playing him centre. Hull took Kyle to pieces out wide at the KC.

If Pryce returns I think Gaskell would do great job in the centre until wheeler returns.

I can't beleive we've never replaced talau. For last 3/4 years we've only had one centre at the club.

It's been the biggest recruitment mistake for us tbh, you need 2 proper centre's.

We switched to eastmond in the centres on about the 70 minute mark yesterday, I wish we'd have done it earlier, Gaskell was totally wasted on the wing. He proved that by scoring seconds aftermoving back into the middle. Eastmond was 'ok' last night and nothing more