bewareshadows wrote:
Potter gave Lomax. Wheeler. Foster. Smith. Eastmond. Dixon. Ashurst. Emmitt exposure to the top flight even frodsham got a game. For me he was good for youth development and consistent.
I think this is a myth. He gave them all their debuts because they were promoted from the Academy the year he joined the Saints. He also gave Jamie Ellis his debut. He also gave Gaskell his debut. But he only stuck with Foster, Dixon, Ashurst and Emmitt with Lomax playing bit parts whenever he was fit. He had a full third of a season to integrate at least one of our young halfbacks into the role, playing with Jon Wilkin if he had to play a second rower in the halves. But he didn't do that. He played Ellis for two matches and Gaskell for one and a half. Simmons has played all the above regularly, showing faith in Gaskell and Lomax when he could have replaced at least one of them with either Eastmond (post suspension) or Wilkin (or both). But he hasn't. He has also given debuts to Makinson (who is now impressing us on the wing), Ashe, Hale and a forward whose name I can't remember.
And both coaches had to go with the youth due to injuries, with the exception of the left wing/centre combo because we didn't replace Talau.