Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 3:28 pm  

Seeing as Wellens hasn't mentioned retirement, coupled with the fact I think he would want to be a one club man, I can only see another deal coming his way at the end of the season. If it is on vastly reduced terms, with the remit that he is to be used as backup only, I would be happy with that. However, if he still going to be our starting FB, then no, I don't think we should offer him a new deal. Let Lomax, Makinson, Gaskell or Swift try to stake a claim for the shirt.

I'd be happy giving Ade a new contract, if he returns to full fitness. He may not have much in the way of pace now, but his yard making out of his own in goal/10 meter area is excellent, and we could use that whilst allowing for a flyer (or as close as we have to a flyer) taking the other wing spot.

Wheeler - at the moment I am leaning towards letting him go. Unless he can go through the remainder of the season injury free, he should probably be moved on to allow Percival/Jones time to settle into the position.

Hohaia and Perry - I would seriously be looking into mutual releases. Perry has shown nothing like the form he showed in Oz, and is an incredibly costly spectator at the moment, or a vastly ineffective Prop on the rare occasions he now takes to the field. Not needed. Lance, I feel sorry for. This season he has been shown to be the square peg we didn't need for that round hole. If the rumours of his deepening home sickness are true, then I could see him released back to the NRL and a replacement brought in, to allow Lomax to move to FB.

Manu is also a 50/50 for me. Great player on his day, and he is still producing the stats to back this up. Also seems relatively injury free. But... he is coming to the team where players go to die, and I am sure within 4 weeks he will be rendered utterly useless as a player, yet still racking in the coin of a 3 year deal. I am torn with rumours of us cancelling the contract offer. He could do really well for us, or he could bomb. If Brown has a different replacement in line, then that could be an avenue worth exploring.

Brown also needs to light a fire underneath LMS. Can be excellent on his day, and the games against Leeds and Warrington showed that he can do it against the 'top packs'. He just needs to start reproducing this form on a more consistent basis.

Is there a possibility we could lose TP at the end of the season I wonder? If he continues with these niggling injuries, he could just decide enough is enough?

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 3:32 pm  

Gardner? A new contract? Hells bells, he shouldn't have got his last one.

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 3:47 pm  

We have Ade till next year already. Extending any further people will start to think he has some hold over the club.

I could see fans removing a player, but if a club does it they do play a risk with him just saying there are no better offers I'll just sit it out and take the cash.

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 4:00 pm  

If we already have him for next season, then I amend my comments to allow him to play out his contract here.

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 4:27 pm  

Gardner is on contract until end of 2014 I think.

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 4:37 pm  

I'm also worried about TP. I just hope we don't need a TP for our (bung) hole next season.

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 5:14 pm  

SomersetSaint wrote:

No he doesn't, that is the job for Brown. McManus shouldn't be deciding the squad composition at all, he should be providing the funds, and if necessary doing the negotiations, but Brown should be solely responsible for who comes in and out.

Brown makes suggestions of who he wants but McManus negotiates and gets the players. He is in control of the wage structure within the club.

SaintsFan wrote:

Why is Lomax the most obvious? I don't get this line of reasoning at all. Lomax is so much a stand off as to be unreal but people keep wanting to put him at fullback. In Makinson we have a player who coped in his first Grand Final when dropped into the position having turned the game around in our favour, and he did a decent job there given his lack of senior experience in the position. We were winning while he was there until Shenton went off and we had to rely on Meli to defend our left edge. How can anyone then say Lomax is the most obvious fullback? It baffles me. Really.

Lomax played full back in the reserves. Lomax reminds me of Burrow a little bit - clearly a very good player but doesn't really have a set position, but he'll give it a good go anywhere. He's done a good job at 7 to be fair to him, but I don't see him as natural half back. He doesn't really have the consistency in his passing or kicking, he's not a natural organiser and some of his decision making is dreadful at times. I think he'd make a really good full back, chiming into the line and using his step and speed to take players on, that's what Lomax enjoys doing along with backing players up with his support play. I did acknowledge Makinson in my previous post, another who could potentially play there without question, but Lomax is the more experienced player of the two.

I'm kinda gutted Eastmond went off the rails and left us, he could've been absolutely electrifying for us at full back for us, like Tomkins is for Wigan. Sure he has some defensive deficiencies but his attacking prowess outweighs that massively. Nathan Brown would love coaching a player like Eastmond.

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 6:03 pm  

Blobbynator wrote:

Brown makes suggestions of who he wants but McManus negotiates and gets the players. He is in control of the wage structure within the club.

Lomax played full back in the reserves. Lomax reminds me of Burrow a little bit - clearly a very good player but doesn't really have a set position, but he'll give it a good go anywhere. He's done a good job at 7 to be fair to him, but I don't see him as natural half back. He doesn't really have the consistency in his passing or kicking, he's not a natural organiser and some of his decision making is dreadful at times. I think he'd make a really good full back, chiming into the line and using his step and speed to take players on, that's what Lomax enjoys doing along with backing players up with his support play. I did acknowledge Makinson in my previous post, another who could potentially play there without question, but Lomax is the more experienced player of the two.

I'm kinda gutted Eastmond went off the rails and left us, he could've been absolutely electrifying for us at full back for us, like Tomkins is for Wigan. Sure he has some defensive deficiencies but his attacking prowess outweighs that massively. Nathan Brown would love coaching a player like Eastmond.

You have to bear in mind when commenting on Lomax's decision making, That he is a youngster and has had little or no support from his half back partner.

When that was Gaskell, Gaskell was selfish and Lomax was unable to get any consistancy into his game.
Now with Lance, he is pretty much being left to do everything. This has shown the positive side to his game but has also highlighted some minor weaknesses. With a functioning half back partner either at stand off or scrum half we will see the best of him and all will look back at this time of his career and say "What were we thinking of doubting him".

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 6:39 pm  

Top Saint wrote:

When that was Gaskell, Gaskell was selfish and Lomax was unable to get any consistancy into his game.

Re: It's time to pull the trigger : Tue May 15, 2012 6:41 pm  

You seem to have found something funny. Care to explain what.