Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:51 am  

We all want the club to have the best players and be competing for championships and cups, but the harsh reality is we lost £1.3m in 2009 and it is probably going to be at least £2m in 2010 at Widnes.

Leon is probably our second highest earner behind Roby at the moment ( I think we really had to break the bank to keep Roby) and his contribution is great when he is fit and available. When he is injured he is nothing more than a financial millstone round our necks. I think we offered him what we felt he was worth and Catalans offered him more and a longer contract so good luck to him. It is more than likely his last pro contract so he needs to get the most money he can.

In my view I am a little dissapointed as I really rate him, but what is the chances next year Catalan fans are saying "what a waste of money Leon Pryce was, he is always injured"

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:55 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

.

I think Saints have approached this very well. .

How? I'm stuggling to think of a way we could have done this worse! We lose Eastmond , Graham and Pryce and replace them with a couple of second rowers (one we will try to convert to a prop) and a fullback who fancies himself as a halfback (but with no pedigree there at all). AWESOME planning .

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:56 am  

No1 Saint wrote:

I'm sure I read he played in the halves as a junior but not in senior. By halves I mean 6 or 7. I played fullback when I was 10 , that doesnt make me a fullback now. As far as I can tell Hohaia has played pretty much all his professional Rugby as a fullback and a succession of coaches have picked him there .. does he even have a kicking game?

Wasn't Leon Pryce a winger when you signed him? He seemed to do ok in the halves.

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 11:59 am  

Eastbourne Warrior wrote:

Wasn't Leon Pryce a winger when you signed him? He seemed to do ok in the halves.

He wasn't 30 by the time he arrived though and he had Sean Long, the greatest half back that ever played in Super League with him as well.

Hohaia has, at 30 when he arrives, just decided he fancies playing in the halves. If he turns out to be rubbish, we're stuck with him for FOUR YEARS. Utterly stupid from the club when you consider how they treated players like Long, Martyn, Gilmour and Pryce.

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:01 pm  

Allez wrote:

In my 40 years of watching, playing and coaching this game I have never seen a side win anything without recognised half backs or a pack short of front rowers.

very very true. No halfbacks = FAIL

Wigan brought in Deacon to add some knowhow , we will need something similar

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:03 pm  

Eastbourne Warrior wrote:

Wasn't Leon Pryce a winger when you signed him? He seemed to do ok in the halves.

He was a utility player, he'd played pretty much everywhere in the backline for Bradford but wanted to settle as a 6. Also we had Longy at the time so he had time to settle in the team

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:10 pm  

Season ticket burning at the Salford game in protest anyone

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:14 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Season ticket burning at the Salford game in protest anyone

I think I'll hold off buying a season ticket for next year though now. Not inspired by next years squad at all so I might just keep my cash and be selective on my games.

We simply MUST have cap space available next year and we need to be bringing in some quality and offloading some of the average players like Ashurst

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:18 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

But to be fair you are a fawning, gushing shower of positivity. You were one of the people telling us we'd win trophies this season.

I've no reason to be pessimistic.

No.1 Saint - feel free to listen to Hohaia's interview. It's on the Saints website somewhere, assuming they have retained the link.

I've seen Lance Hohaia kick. He did one of Stevo's 'chips over the top', regathered and scored. I remember thinking at the time that we have no-one who can do that at Saints. I also love his pace. He can fly from a standing start. And he is evasive. I would imagine how well he goes in the halves will depend on how vocal he is and whether he can organise us. Only time will tell that bit.

Re: Au reviour Leon - Where do we go from here? : Tue Aug 23, 2011 12:18 pm  

No1 Saint wrote:

:lol: I think I'll hold off buying a season ticket for next year though now. Not inspired by next years squad at all so I might just keep my cash and be selective on my games.

Doesn't that merely prolong the problem? The Club needs the supporters to get behind them, fill the fantastic new stadium we have, and give us the spending power we need to compete for/with the best? This is assuming that people are able to afford it of course.

Despite my reservations I have signed up for another 5 years - I have had a season ticket for over 30 and will continue to have one for as long as I am financially able to do so.

I will be at every game no matter how good/bad we are.