Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:41 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

He's been a fixture for the Kiwis for a few years and isn't past it, age wise.
We picked Meli up from the Warriors when he was languihing in the reserves after a loss of form (only a couple of seasons after winning their Player of the year) and, apart from the odd dropped ball, he's worked out a good signing. A new club can invigourate a player.

Perhaps full back isn't the best idea, but we need to get some kicking into th halves.

I reckon next year we may look better with lomax at 1 and Gaskell at 7 than Wellens at 1 and Lomax at 7.

I've no problem with any of the signings as players, hohaia is a good player and laffranchi is a very good player but it's the fact we've not replaced the out going players.

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:08 pm  

Rughead wrote:

I know we've had a few similar threads, but with Pryce's departure confirmed, how will we line up ? It'll interesting to see where all our backrowers fit in. Personally I'd go with :

Wellens
Gardner
Shenton
Meli
Foster
Hohaia
Lomax
Perry
Roby
Puletua
Laffranchi
Soliola
Wilkin

Moore/Flanagan
Flannery
LMS
Clough

Leaving us with Moore/Flanagan, Gaskell, Armstrong, Magennis, Dixon, Ashurst and Wheeler in reserve. Doesn't look all doom and gloom, but I think we still need another new face if we're going to challenge.

So that's a first team of seven overseas players, and only five who have come through the clubs academy (I'm discounting Moore as I expect him to be elsewhere)

Where are all these fantastic juniors that Saints supporters keep telling us about?

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:18 pm  

Do people think we're entering the NRL next season or something? We've finished 3rd this year without Pryce/Eastmond/Perry/Clough (NB both half backs and two props!) for most of the season, but because Pryce/Eastmond/Graham are off, we'll suddenly finish 5th despite adding Lance/Laffranchi/Flanagan to the squad and having Perry, Clough and Gardner back fit?

This team is EASILY good enough to compete for honours at a lovely new stadium in front of big crowds:

Lomax
Gardner
Shenton
Meli
Foster
Wheeler
Lance
Perry
Roby
Puletua
Soliola
Flannery
Wilkin

LMS
Laffranchi
Clough
Flanagan

Likes of Wellens, Makinson, Moore, Gaskell, Armstrong, Magennis, Dixon, Ashurst as pretty experienced back up, plus any of the kids that can step up.

Will there be a better pack and bench than that in SL? I'm not so sure. And in Lomax/Wheeler/Lance/Roby/Wilkin we have a very talented and exciting spine to the team.

I personally can't wait for 2012. What's to be down about? Not that we've finished with 2011 yet!

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:23 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

So that's a first team of seven overseas players, and only five who have come through the clubs academy (I'm discounting Moore as I expect him to be elsewhere)

Where are all these fantastic juniors that Saints supporters keep telling us about?

Carmont, Richards, Finch, Leuluai, Hoffman, Lima, Cross.

Jog on Rogues. Oh and if you're going to count Flanagan as overseas then I'll count Harrison too seen as Flanagan has only been there a couple of years.

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:26 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

Carmont, Richards, Finch, Leuluai, Hoffman, Lima, Cross.

And Roberts = 8. They even play him in the under 20s instead of one of their own "fantastic juniors". Now THAT'S what I call hampering development, signing overseas players for your youth teams.

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:30 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

I personally can't wait for 2012. What's to be down about? Not that we've finished with 2011 yet!

Me too, me too! We're going to have a freshened up team in a brand new stadium with a coach who coaches a more expansive style of rugby.

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:35 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Me too, me too! We're going to have a freshened up team in a brand new stadium with a coach who coaches a more expansive style of rugby.

But you'll be cold because the cladding won't be done and the team you'll be watching will be losing every week

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:37 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

with a coach who coaches a more expansive style of rugby.

We're getting a new coach?

I can't remember a Saints team making fewer offloads than this one, and we only play to one side.

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:27 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

We're getting a new coach?

Very funny.

I can't remember a Saints team making fewer offloads than this one, and we only play to one side.

Yes. That will be something to do with having young, inexperienced halfbacks. There is a whole off season ahead now and since Pryce will not be there or Eastmond, hopefully our coach will be able to develop our attack in the way he wanted to but has been unable to thanks in part to our youthful halves and in part to our continually changing game day team.

Re: Team for Next Season : Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:36 pm  

SaintsFan wrote:

Yes. That will be something to do with having young, inexperienced halfbacks. There is a whole off season ahead now and since Pryce will not be there or Eastmond, hopefully our coach will be able to develop our attack in the way he wanted to but has been unable to thanks in part to our youthful halves and in part to our continually changing game day team.

You don't need experienced half backs to offload the ball in the tackle.