Re: Saints 2006 v Saints 2012 : Thu May 31, 2012 1:02 pm
Sthelens RLFC wrote:
You're right to an extent. Standards certainly have declined. I just looked back at that team and to see us recruit no-one of at least similar standard to the players we had is disappointing. Graham, Anderson and Lyon were complete one offs and unreplaceable in the 2012 climate. But to see the likes of Shenton, Flannery and Hohaia in place of Talau, Gilmour, Pryce, especially when two of those players are still running around (and are British) shows bad player selection.
Agreed that losing Gilmour seems ever stranger with every passing year. But as I've said many a-time, Shenton was by far the best centre out there at the time - he still is if he can reclaim form/fitness. I'd love to know who people think we could have signed instead who would have been any better... And as for Hohaia, clearly Pryce wanted too many years and £s for us to be able (or want to be able with his injuries) to pay and, with Eastmond being off, we were desperate for a half and Hohaia was just simply the best candidate available without a transfer fee. Again - who else was there available that, without the benefit of hindsight, we would have signed at the time instead? Those signings haven't worked out and our team has been lessened as a result, but it's more down to luck and timing and the fates and the inexorable decline in GB player quality than it is to the oft criticised Saints recruitment policy.