Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Wed Oct 12, 2011 4:38 pm  

fantastic team and as a bulls fan I think you will do a lot next year

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Wed Oct 12, 2011 5:18 pm  

SomersetSaint wrote:

We have 6 props in perry, laffranchi, lms, clough, tp and magennis. Given that Royce likes to play 5 per game, including the loose forward, we really can't afford any injuries. I hope we can rotate them like we managed to do in 2006, and try to keep them fresh. I really do think we need at least one more to add to this six of we are seriously going to compete.

I think people want another prop because Laffranchi is not really a prop and Magennis is starting to become a prop from second row.

For me I'd like another prop so we have fiveproper props and Magennis and Forester could rotate into that team of five. So lafranchi playing loose and 2 props on the field 2 props subbing + a young prop on the bench.1 prop resting each week. But maybe not rotating for key cip games and the playoffs.

Same for the back rowers.

Sia and Wilkin second rowers lafranchi loose with flangahn on the bench. But rotate that quartet with dixon and flannery et al.

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Wed Oct 12, 2011 5:41 pm  

SomersetSaint wrote:

We have 6 props in perry, laffranchi, lms, clough, tp and magennis. Given that Royce likes to play 5 per game, including the loose forward, we really can't afford any injuries. I hope we can rotate them like we managed to do in 2006, and try to keep them fresh. I really do think we need at least one more to add to this six of we are seriously going to compete.

And really from the props listed above only perry and Lms are out and out props. The rest are or was backrows.

I do feel we need a good rough prop to finish of a pretty good pack. He don't have to be a world beater but acgood hard working rough prop would be ideal.

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Wed Oct 12, 2011 5:49 pm  

Saint from Prestwich wrote:

why the doubts about Shenton? Surely a dislocated elbow won't take 4 months recovery

It's one of the worst injuries an RL player could suffer. As mentioned on an earlier thread, if it is the arm he uses to fend he may not even be able to come back.

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Wed Oct 12, 2011 6:01 pm  

Carlos Alberto wrote:

It's one of the worst injuries an RL player could suffer. As mentioned on an earlier thread, if it is the arm he uses to fend he may not even be able to come back.

He'll defo be back as it will heal but how he plays is another thing.

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Wed Oct 12, 2011 7:48 pm  

1. Makinson
2. Gardner
3. Shenton
4. Wheeler
5. Foster

6. Gaskell
7. Lomax

8. Perry
9. Roby
10. Puletua
11. Soliola
12. Wilkin
13. Laffrinchi

14. Clough
15. LMS
16. Flanaghan
17. Hohaia

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:11 pm  

1. Wellens/Lomax

2. Gardner/Makinson
3. Shenton
4. Meli/Wheeler
5. Foster/Meli

6. Wheeler/Gaskell/Lomax
7. Hohaia/Lomax

8. Perry
9. Roby
10. Laffranchi
11. Soliola
12. Flanagan/Flannery
13. Wilkin

14. Clough
15. TP
16. LMS
17. Flannery/Flanagan

Looking good in the backs with loads of options, potentially great in the halves, and immensely strong but paper-thin depthwise in the pack. 3 or 4 injuries in the forwards and we're in trouble - a prop and preferrably another backrower needs to step up from somewhere.

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Thu Oct 13, 2011 9:58 am  

Not that it will happen, how about

1. Makinson
2. Gardner
3. Wheeler
4. Shenton
5. Foster
6. Gaskell
7. Lomax
8. Perry
9. Roby
10. Tony P
11. Wilkin
12. Soliola
13. Laffranchi

14. Lance Hohaia/Flash Flanaghan
15. LMS
16. Clough
17. Ned Flanders/Francis Meli

Dixon as backrow reserve
Forster for front row

I think Lomaskell will benifit a lot from a full off season and we should see an improved variety of moves to both sides of the pitch.

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Thu Oct 13, 2011 10:26 am  

I'd like to see:

Wellens
Makinson
Shenton
Meli
Foster
Hohaia
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Puletua
Wilkin
Soliola
Laffranchi

Flanagan
LMS
Clough
Gaskell/Wheeler

Wellens has been assured of captaincy for 2012 so will play.

Laffranchi starting at 13 can also be used in front row, as can Clough which will be useful for rotation.

Hohaia's versatility in the backs or at 9 is a brilliant asset and means we can rotate to give Gaskell enough game time to continually develop, but cant see us signing Lance to be a bench player

Will also leave likes of Dixon, Magennis, Gardner etc as cover players providing competition which can only be a plus, lets just hope Josh Perry manages to earn his money from playing rather than laying on the treatment table or warming the bench this year

Re: Saints starting 17 for 2012 : Thu Oct 13, 2011 10:30 am  

Carlos Alberto wrote:

It's one of the worst injuries an RL player could suffer. As mentioned on an earlier thread, if it is the arm he uses to fend he may not even be able to come back.

It happened to scott gibbs and it didn't keep him out that long iirc.
Mind you, i remeber it happening to gary chambers ina game against us and it was horrific.
Obviously many of us will remember Cunninghams injury he got playing aginst the kiwis.