We need some home truths here...
We came into the season under equipped again.
Since James Graham left our props simply haven't been competitive in the big games. Against big packs, our pack cannot compete - just go back to games last season against big packs when they've turned up. Warrington at home twice are perfect indicators, James Roby was kicking on the 4th tackle regularly from the 30m and 40m line to get us out of our own half because the pack wasn't taking us forward. Hull KR 's pack completely outmuscled and outgunned our pack, and Walmsley and Soliola apart (again) we have no answer. Without James Graham we wouldn''t have made the 2011 Grand Final. He led us, he drove us forward and on his own he dominated packs. We replaced him with an average 2nd rower who just isn't upto the job. Look at our current pack, we have just two props in the whole squad - Perry and Walmsley. In three years Perry has played about 20 games, which is a pathetic return. When he plays he's half decent and he does give us some go forward, but he has been a huge disappointment and should go at the end of the year. We cannot afford to be wasting a quota spot and big chunks of our cap on players who don't play a 2/3's of the season. The rest of our props bar Walmsley constantly disappoint. Laffranchi is really average. The decision to sign him to replace Graham was a head scratcher. I genuinely can't think of a highlight in Laffranchi's Saints career, he just isn't of the standard required for us and he should go at the end of the year. LMS is another that consistently disappoints. I think as a 4th choice prop coming off the bench he would do a decent job but as a 1st choice prop he just doesn't do it and goes missing when the going gets tough. Clough is another blown up 2nd rower and should be 5th choice prop at best. Puletua is very hit and miss. When he's good he's fantastic but in too many big games like Laffranchi and LMS doesn't give us the go forward required. It is a must that we bring in at least TWO big men for next season otherwise we'll be playing on the back foot in the big games against big packs.
We came into the season with just one half back - Gary Wheeler. I'm fed up of reading about Lee Gaskell. He had one half decent season in his debut year in 2011. Last season when he played he was poor, when given a chance early on this season he was poor. He's moved to Salford and he hasn't been playing at 6 or 7 for them. If he isn't playing there for Salford, what makes anyone think he's good enough to play there for Saints? He isn't the answer, end of story. I feel for Jon Wilkin, because he isn't a number u and is being asked to do a job there. To be fair to him, he's done OK but it's like asking a bus to race in formula one. As for Wheeler, his injury record is terrible. We can't rely on him to be our 1st choice 6 because we don't get more than 4 games out of him at a time. We basically came into the season with no halves, the only team in the league without any. There is no control to our play, no direction and no kicking game. We need a new 6 and 7.
This leads to the problems we're currently seeing on the pitch. There is no lack of effort from the team, we simply haven't got the players anymore to compete in the biggest games. No coach can turn this around without recruiting good players at prop and in the halves.
