Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:07 pm  

Clough is a decent player and someone who won't be on a top salary. Every squad needs a player like that and he can also play in the back row too. He's no world beater, but I don't mind this at all.

Wellens - he's had a reasonable season to be fair, certainly not as bad as Saddened suggests and certainly not our worst player, but I agree that full back is such a pivotal position these days. You need someone who is quick, has good footwork and reads the game well. Hohaia or Lomax could play this position as could Swift or maybe even Makinson long term. I'm not sure I can see Wellens in any other position either. People say back row, but we're fairly strong there especially with the arrival of Manu.

Meli - he's our most dangerous back which says alot about the quality of our backline. If he plays at Centre, I don't think it's a particularly bad move. On the wing, he can be an absolute nightmare for us.

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:19 pm  

A terrible move resigning these proven quality players that are better than anything else available on the market at the moment. I think we should have shown our ambition as a club by releasing them all and signing 3 or 4 16 year old kids from the National Leagues instead. Or really put out a marker for our burning drive to compete at the very highest level by signing some unborn foetuses as well.

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:25 pm  

Could not be more pleased with this news; excellent forward planning giving Clough a three year deal. I know that in the past I have bagged Meli but to be fair to the guy he really has impressed this term and probably deserved a two year deal; but club policy etc etc. Wellens should play less next term and fill in as a utility player when needed to steer the ship as it were. If this proves successful then who knows for 2014. Macmanus and co

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:28 pm  

It's all about how Brown uses them as to whether this is good or bad. I don't think Brown has had his hands tied, if he did not want them we would not have signed them.

There has to be a hand over of the mantle from Wellens to the next FB, but I can see Brown doing this, we all say great things about those who could replace, but if we got rid of Wellens and played them and they were all a nightmare then how silly would we look. If we just play Wellens every game then it's not a great deal.

Meli is as devastating going forwards as he is at slip ups in grand finals, but again it's about where Brown will use him. Jones Turner Meli Garder gives us some grunt in the centres and some speed outwide.



Clough as our key prop this would be a bad deal, but we have no idea what money, he is getting paid and quite frankly his stats don't lie.

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:32 pm  

Who's the top try scorer this year?

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:39 pm  

Excellent news. Gives us depth in the backline, and we retain one of our top metre makers. There isn't much on the market at the moment anyway, and I hear we're still after couple of new signings to go along with these.

I'm sure that Brown will be giving a youngster a chance from time to time at full back next season regardless of this news.

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:06 pm  

mistermoo wrote:

Who's the top try scorer this year?

Stop asking awkward questions that the doom mongers really don't want to answer.

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:07 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

A terrible move resigning these proven quality players that are better than anything else available on the market at the moment. I think we should have shown our ambition as a club by releasing them all and signing 3 or 4 16 year old kids from the National Leagues instead. Or really put out a marker for our burning drive to compete at the very highest level by signing some unborn foetuses as well.

And you, stop that, you are being sensible.

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 6:37 pm  

Who is this Wello fella regarded as a bad signing, we have a Paul Wellens who has won Founder Member Player of the Year.......Runner Up For Player of the Year........Top Try Scorer this Season.......................................... can't be the same bloke.

Re: Contract Announcement - Clough, Meli and Wellens : Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:28 pm  

Northampton_Saint wrote:

A terrible move resigning these proven quality players that are better than anything else available on the market at the moment.

You're a scout then are you? Because unless you are, you have no idea what is 'on the market' at the moment and so are not in a position to say whether any of these signings are better than what is out there. I bet you had no idea that Josh Jones even existed, except perhaps as a name in the u20s section on the Saints website and yet here he is, full season in the bag and although still defensively very dodgy he is shaping up well in attack.