Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 5:39 pm  

St pete wrote:

I think Turner is the best option from a bad bunch to play centre. He does offer attack. While he can't tackle for toffee imo he's the best option from a bad bunch.

I like lomax at fullback as he can pop up in areas that scares teams. If he gets fully fit again and back to how he was then he's our biggest threat with the ball as he was.

If you put him centre, I think it's much easier to take him out the game and based on last year we will have our best attacking player only getting one or two touches a game and poor ball.

How does Lomax recover from 2 years out though? I agree it's easier to mark him out of the game at centre, but it also takes him out of the firing line a bit while everyone, including Lomax, figures out how capable he is returning into the team. Get back match fitness, and play a run of games before starting to move him back into the spine.

At centre he will still present an attacking threat, and better lateral defence than Turner showed in the last half of last year. Turner showed he's capable of changing the dynamic of our attack in the middle, and covers basically everywhere from the bench, so having him freed up is a benefit.

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 5:42 pm  

Twentyman wrote:

Lomax is a class player, and I really hope he can recover from the longterm injuries, but when they finally do get him on the field do we really believe he's going to stay fit and go on a run of games?

Anyone know the situation with Lomax, when will he be in full training, available etc.

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 6:44 pm  

Lomax Makinson Percival Turner Swift Burns Walsh Amor Roby Walmsley Vea Greenwood Wilkin..Fages Tasi Savelio Lms. Roby must be spelled on a regular basis next season for me Theo to rotate with him. Burns needs to improve if he isn't doing the job give Lomax a run at six and bring McDonnel in. More than anything a more expansive brand of football is required we served up some absolute dross last season. I fear for the kings job unless he can snap out of last seasons boring tactics. Signing a quality centre would of helped to compliment Percy on the right but not to be Turner only viable option.

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:10 pm  

Twentyman wrote:

Lomax is a class player, and I really hope he can recover from the longterm injuries, but when they finally do get him on the field do we really believe he's going to stay fit and go on a run of games?

That's something that only time will tell. I hope he does get to 80% what he was as he'd still be a massive boost for us in attack.

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:13 pm  

Magic Superbeetle wrote:

How does Lomax recover from 2 years out though? I agree it's easier to mark him out of the game at centre, but it also takes him out of the firing line a bit while everyone, including Lomax, figures out how capable he is returning into the team. Get back match fitness, and play a run of games before starting to move him back into the spine.

At centre he will still present an attacking threat, and better lateral defence than Turner showed in the last half of last year. Turner showed he's capable of changing the dynamic of our attack in the middle, and covers basically everywhere from t
he bench, so having him freed up is a benefit.

We don't know until he's back playing how he will recover. I'm all for giving him 5/6 games at centre to ease him back in but ultimately we need him back at fullback causing defences massive problems by popping up anywhere and causing problems like he does.

SMD has a hell of job getting back to anything like he was after his injury. I've not known a player come back half the player from that type of injury.

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 7:50 pm  

St pete wrote:

We don't know until he's back playing how he will recover. I'm all for giving him 5/6 games at centre to ease him back in but ultimately we need him back at fullback causing defences massive problems by popping up anywhere and causing problems like he does.

SMD has a hell of job getting back to anything like he was after his injury. I've not known a player come back half the player from that type of injury.

Which is where Owens comes into the equation. If in 5 weeks time SMD and/ or Lomax haven't pulled through to the required standard (or sooner depending on how preseason goes), there should be some pressure from below to take the spot. Same with Peyroux (whom on an unrelated note scored a great individual try vs Tonga for Samoa this year which I saw for the first time recently), and Turner for the centre spot

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 8:53 pm  

I think it will be:

Owens
Makinson
Percival
Peyroux
Swift
Turner
Walsh
Amor
Roby
Walmsley
Vea
Greenwood
Wilkin

Fages
Tasi
Savelio
LMS

I don't think there is much else in the squad worth changing many of those above. If Peyroux is marked down for the backrow (Most of his career has been in the centres, and he's not a physical presence, so I can't see why we'd buy him to play second row) Burns could come back in and Turner back to centre, or even Fages to the halves. But all the signs seem to point to KC not rating Burns or Turner in the centres for that matter. He was rightly criticised for his poor defense, dropped and when he did come back he played a variery of positions. Lomax could potentially start the season at fullback if he has returned to what he was two years ago, but even then I was far from convinced about him having a future at Saints. If you remember back that far he looked tired all the time and had little pace to start with after his first major op despite his obvious talent. As mentioned above, what is going on with him? Is he on track, ahead of schedule? Were the rumours about long-term hip damage true, or confused with Wello? What about the rumours of the recent operation? Were they true?

I'd like to see Luke Thompson take Richards place and be the go-to youngster as backup for the pack. I don't think Richards is going to make it and if he is he needs a lot of game time to develop so I'd prefer him to go out on loan in Super League if possible.

Is it true we're starting pre-season two weeks after all the other Super League sides? Will that transpire into a poor start?

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:03 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Is it true we're starting pre-season two weeks after all the other Super League sides? Will that transpire into a poor start?

According to the Swift interview in the last article Saints put out last week, preseason starts in the next 2 weeks. Whilst I don't have every teams schedule, it doesn't seem later than anyone else ...

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:30 pm  

Magic Superbeetle wrote:

According to the Swift interview in the last article Saints put out last week, preseason starts in the next 2 weeks. Whilst I don't have every teams schedule, it doesn't seem later than anyone else ...

I'm pretty sure I read on Twitter that every other club is already back in pre-season bar Saints and Leeds, whose season only finished two weeks ago.

Re: starting 17 : Sun Nov 08, 2015 9:40 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

I'm pretty sure I read on Twitter that every other club is already back in pre-season bar Saints and Leeds, whose season only finished two weeks ago.

That's not right mate. Wakefield start back tomorrow for example.