Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 12:56 pm  

Losing Jammer and Eastmond at the same time was a real killer for us. We were never going to be able to replace those two with British players, so we had to fill up our quota to plug those massive gaps when we really needed to be using it to freshen up our backline.

That said, both of the signings we made were panic ones, particularly Hohaia. Also, as Offside Monkey has implied, you'd have thought someone could have seen the Eastmond situation coming and taken some steps to prepare for the worst.

It's looking like another season much like the last one at the moment, although I'm enjoying it much more what with all the youngsters getting a go. Next season should show us what Brown can do with the side, as we will finally have some room to maneuver with the quota. If we can sort out a deal for someone like Dobson mid-season that would be great, but I'll not be holding my breath as quite a few things would have to fall into place for it to happen.

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 1:14 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

Front row signings. After Perry's less than convincing first season, the propsect of losing Jammer was a grim one. We chose Anthony Laffranchi, a former aussie test player (so presumebly not cheap) who had playerd 95% of his games in the back row. Whilst he's honest enough, he's not of the standard to be starting at prop for a team with title ambitions. So we've now got Perry, whom we can't get on the field and only performs 1 game in 3 that he does play and Boof, who's basically an expensive, less effective Paul Clough. Andy Lynch went to Hull, he'd have been a great signing and probably wouldn't have cost much more than we're paying Laffranchi.

There's plenty of cheaper options than Lynch that spring to mind. The likes of Amor and Sidlow, although not superstars, would've been better signings than Perry and Laffranchi, on a lot less money and not taking up quota spots.

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 1:40 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

I'm pretty sure we won't see Wellens at 6 next week.

If we do, you'd have to start to question Brown.

This. I'm certain it'll be Hohaia and Wilkin at 6 & 7. Lance is far better at 6 than Wello and IMO when he has a good game can cause teams problems. He'll at least take some of the responsibility from Wilkin. It's obvious we need a new half back but Browns just trying to do the best with what he has. If Wello is starting there against Catalan questions will be asked and rightly so.

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 1:50 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

There have been items of recruitment that have been very good. We forget that, though, as unfortunately the most important ones have all gone tits up.
Picking up the likes of Puletua, Soliola and now Manu have all been handy bits of business. Walmsley looks like a great find and Turner's been good for us. However, when its really counted, we've always ended up scratching our heads.

Letting Smith go when we hadn't secured Eastmond - Poor planning. Even if we'd have held onto Kyle, Smith could have slipped into the role Scott moore had to rotate at hooker and cover the halves. Then we were desperate for a 7 - we would have been a lot better off, both as a team and finacially, to find a half of modest ability but a proper skill set, then to splash out on a full back and jam him in. Around the same time Crusaders went bump and both Hanbury and Sammutt were available (quota free).

Front row signings. After Perry's less than convincing first season, the propsect of losing Jammer was a grim one. We chose Anthony Laffranchi, a former aussie test player (so presumebly not cheap) who had playerd 95% of his games in the back row. Whilst he's honest enough, he's not of the standard to be starting at prop for a team with title ambitions. So we've now got Perry, whom we can't get on the field and only performs 1 game in 3 that he does play and Boof, who's basically an expensive, less effective Paul Clough. Andy Lynch went to Hull, he'd have been a great signing and probably wouldn't have cost much more than we're paying Laffranchi.

We've got telent coming through, we've got some great players, but we've only got 75% of a team and the 25% that we are missing includes some to the most influential roles in our team -ie organising half and pack leader.

We were all hopeful that brown could turn us back into genuine contenders, but I'm afraid without the above, all he can do is polish up this turd as best he can. We'll probably sneak into 4th or 5th anyways, but without some genuinely superhuman performances in the playoffs or some fantastic improvement by Wilkin (credit to him for doing his best at 7), then we'll not need to be stocking up on silver polish.

Sums it up pretty well I think.

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:18 pm  

I'm glad someone else thinks that the Eastmond senario was not unforseeable.

At the time when we told Long to go, I was very surprised we dealt with Eastmond last. 2 years later it was out of Saints hands, but we had put it in his hands in the first place. Even after that though there were places to no go wrong, even this last part of the halfback saga Gaskell to Salford, it all seams crazy.

Whether Gaskell was the future for Saints or not, whether he was going to walk at the end of the year or not, whether he sat on his bum whilst training or not, he was a halfback of some measure and we shipped him out as he was the last half standing (literally).

I'm not as negative as some, because the situation as it was this weekend will improve.

You put Roby back in, you put Lomax at FB and Lance at half and suddenly we are not a bottom 8 side, we are a top 4 side. The big question is how to take that step to the top side.

Lance will still be here next year and the year after. (at least his contract is)
Wilkin is he a better 2nd rower than Sia, Manu etc.
I think Wello has filled a role and nothing more, there can be no plan for him actually being a half.

But Lance is the stumbling block, if we get a halfback it will only be one as Lance will be the other (but he ain't a half) , he's not the 1st choice FB anymore and hooker we will go to Salford for their 3rd string before Lance.

I was content that Wilkin was a sticking plaster for 12 months with Lance and Gaskell chipping in, but we do look wild in our halfback planning.

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:21 pm  

I don't think I'd have much of a problem with Lance at 6 alongside a proper 7.

In an ideal world we'd ship him out and get a 6 AND a 7, but it's not an ideal world. Alongside an organising 7 with some pace from full back, Lance he could be a reasonably damaging 6.

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:23 pm  

When can SL clubs start negotiating with players off contract? May springs to mind?

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:28 pm  

St. Rughead wrote:

When can SL clubs start negotiating with players off contract? May springs to mind?

First of May according to Shaun McRae on Superleague show last night.

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:29 pm  

Not too long before the transfer merry-go-round gets going again then! I'm hoping we get some business done early, it'll hopefully me something to look forward to next season!

Re: We need some halfbacks! : Mon Apr 08, 2013 2:34 pm  

FearTheVee wrote:

I don't think I'd have much of a problem with Lance at 6 alongside a proper 7.

In an ideal world we'd ship him out and get a 6 AND a 7, but it's not an ideal world. Alongside an organising 7 with some pace from full back, Lance he could be a reasonably damaging 6.

I'm more the other way around, I'd have no problem with a proper half, regardless of quality or experience alongside Wilkin for 1 year, until we can get a 7. As Wheeler showed, you can produce from that and with Lomax linking in from deep, it looks relatively sound.

But if we get an organiser next year at 7 or by some miracle this year. We will still only have on half of a working partnership, with Lomax making them look good from FB. When we had a decent side a few games ago, it was Lomax and Wilkin making things happen. Lance and Wheeler were not making any great impression as the stand out 6.