Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 11:06 am  

Saddened! wrote:

I would support the club even if it were bottom of the table every year PROVIDED I thought the club was making the best effort it could to be successful. That is the core purpose of sport, you strive to succeed and the supporters back you in that.

What we're witnessing IMO is a club that has completely neglected the on field part of the operation (perhaps fairly) and which has made some horrendous errors (Signings of Hohaia, Laffranchi and Perry and not having any halfbacks). It is pretty clear to me and probably everyone who can look at the situation over a few years with a rational head, that the club simply no longer cares about winning trophies.

So the suggestion that a supporter will not attend certain games is fine IMO. The club isn't putting it's best effort into it, so why should the supporters? If the halfback and prop situations aren't sorted, I would argue that Eamonn can no longer claim the club is competing for trophies, which makes the prospect of buying a season ticket a much harder decision than if the club was making the effort.

So McManus' efforts in securing our long term future by building a new stadium and Saints continued inprovements off the field with regards merchandise, corporate options and improved match day experience in comaparsion to Knowsley Road, cuts no mustard with you because he's not signed the right players? You do realise that the likes of Lyon, Albert, Britt, Fairleigh will not be seen over here at the moment due to the weakness of the pound? Of course Saints have missed out on a couple of players that we should have signed, Chris Hill being a prime example. We've made dodgy overseas signings in Perry and Hohaia granted but both of these have produced significantly poorer performances than they were knocking out in the NRL. McManus can hardly be blamed for that.

To claim that the club isn't putting their best effort into Saints being a side capable of winning trophies is laughable. We're spending up to the cap, we've missed on a final appearance ONCE in the last eight years but Eamonn isn't producing the goods?

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 11:44 am  

Sthelens RLFC wrote:

We've made dodgy overseas signings in Perry and Hohaia granted but both of these have produced significantly poorer performances than they were knocking out in the NRL. McManus can hardly be blamed for that.

To claim that the club isn't putting their best effort into Saints being a side capable of winning trophies is laughable. We're spending up to the cap, we've missed on a final appearance ONCE in the last eight years but Eamonn isn't producing the goods?

Hohaia definitely. Whoever signed that deal off should just leave. He has never played as a half back, so it was the most stupid signing the club has ever made.

The clubs' performance over the last eight years is a direct result of the team previously being the best in Super League by a distance. But we've declined every year consistently since then and haven't won it since 2006. The club's performance in terms of squad development and youth development in that time has been appalling.

We are now well into the new season. We have possibly the weakest forward pack in the top half of the table and no halfbacks at all. It's not a good state to be in, every other club in Super League has two proper halfbacks, so the excuse that there are none available is clearly nonsense.

I understand fully that the stadium had to be the priority. But it's done now, there has to be some ambition shown in terms of the team, otherwise all that work will have been pointless. Crowds are already on the decline and if we don't sign at least one halfback they will be seeing the revenue falling as fans vote with their feet.

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:19 pm  

It may be worth noting that just because Wellens is named at Stand off, doesn't mean he'll play there.
I didn't go to the HKR game, I only listened to it on the radio.
What happened to our formation when Flash got injured? I know Hohaia came on and, given that Wellens made 41 tackles, one would be excused for assuming he'd taken up a role in the back row. This was not made clear by the radio commentators.

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:41 pm  

The team for today:

21.) Tommy Makinson
26.) Adam Swift
3.) Jordan Turner
30.) Mark Percival
5.) Francis Meli

6.) Lance Hohaia
12.) Jon Wilkin

10.) LMS
36.) Stuart Howarth
14.) Anthony Laffranchi
4.) Sia Soliola
19.) Josh Jones
1.) Paul Wellens

16.) Paul Clough
25.) Alex Walmsley
24.) Joe Greenwood
32.) James Tilley

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:46 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

The team for today:

21.) Tommy Makinson
26.) Adam Swift
3.) Jordan Turner
30.) Mark Percival
5.) Francis Meli

6.) Lance Hohaia
12.) Jon Wilkin

10.) LMS
36.) Stuart Howarth
14.) Anthony Laffranchi
4.) Sia Soliola
19.) Josh Jones
1.) Paul Wellens

16.) Paul Clough
25.) Alex Walmsley
24.) Joe Greenwood
32.) James Tilley

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:49 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote:

The team for today:

21.) Tommy Makinson
26.) Adam Swift
3.) Jordan Turner
30.) Mark Percival
5.) Francis Meli

6.) Lance Hohaia
12.) Jon Wilkin

10.) LMS
36.) Stuart Howarth
14.) Anthony Laffranchi
4.) Sia Soliola
19.) Josh Jones
1.) Paul Wellens

16.) Paul Clough
25.) Alex Walmsley
24.) Joe Greenwood
32.) James Tilley

Lets hope that these two positions are correct and that although not an actual Half Back, Hohaia gave us a bit of direction around the park against Wire when he played at #6.

As long as they give their all tonight I'll be one proud Saints Fan... COYS. Saints Until I Die

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 2:27 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

It may be worth noting that just because Wellens is named at Stand off, doesn't mean he'll play there.
I didn't go to the HKR game, I only listened to it on the radio.
What happened to our formation when Flash got injured? I know Hohaia came on and, given that Wellens made 41 tackles, one would be excused for assuming he'd taken up a role in the back row. This was not made clear by the radio commentators.

It swapped a lot from memory. When Flanagan went off Wello went to the back row Hohaia to 6, but when Howarth went off Hohaia covered 9 for a bit and Wello went back to 6

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:13 pm  

Saddened! wrote:

Hohaia definitely. Whoever signed that deal off should just leave. He has never played as a half back, so it was the most stupid signing the club has ever made..

Except it isn't the stupidest signing the club has ever made. No one was complaining whole heartedly when we signed him. People were worried about his knees, but not many doubted his quality. It's not worked out for him as we wanted but when he's played 6 this season, I don't personally think he's been bad at all.

Saddened! wrote:

The clubs' performance over the last eight years is a direct result of the team previously being the best in Super League by a distance. But we've declined every year consistently since then and haven't won it since 2006. The club's performance in terms of squad development and youth development in that time has been appalling.

Nothing to do with losing James Graham (irreplaceable), Sean Long (irreplaceable), Jamie Lyon (irreplaceable), Keiron Cunningham (irreplaceable) and Paul Sculthorpe (irreplaceable)? In terms of squad development in that time we've brough through plenty of decent players. No world beaters granted, but how many Super LEague clubs have? We regularly compete at the highest level in Academy finals so the young lads can't be doing that badly.

Saddened! wrote:

We are now well into the new season. We have possibly the weakest forward pack in the top half of the table and no halfbacks at all. It's not a good state to be in, every other club in Super League has two proper halfbacks, so the excuse that there are none available is clearly nonsense.

WE started the season with Gaskell, Hohaia and Lomax in the halves. I'm not sure Brown can be blamed for Gaskell's poor performances and some may say attitude. I'd commend him for finally moving Jonny out of the halves and Lance has been injured for a good portion of the season so far. We've had horrendous injuries in the squad with 31 players used already. I'd back a forward pack of Perry, Laffranchi, Walmsley, TP, Sia, Manu, Flanagan and Clough over most of the other SL clubs as well. The fact that only 4 of the 8 are fit isn't the fault of Eamonn or Brown.

Saddened! wrote:

I understand fully that the stadium had to be the priority. But it's done now, there has to be some ambition shown in terms of the team, otherwise all that work will have been pointless. Crowds are already on the decline and if we don't sign at least one halfback they will be seeing the revenue falling as fans vote with their feet.

Who do you want who is readily available? You can discount any NRL halfback for starters.

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 4:20 pm  

Offside Monkey wrote:

Eastmond played a few matches and stunk and then, when the fans got on his back, got in to trouble for making a gesture. He was dropped after that and only got played at the back end when Wello was injured.

I appreciate that. But the post I was responding to when I made the point about Eastmond and Jammer was about not selecting an individual (in this case Gaskell) solely on the basis of that individual not re-signing for the club. I just used Eastmond and Jammer as examples because they were the first to spring to mind. I'm sure there are others. Either way, Saints don't refuse to play players simply because they are not re-signing with the club.

Whatever it is, its a shame; mainly because he's the only guy in the squad who can actually kick a ball.

I agree that it is a shame although I believe he has more to his game than kicking a ball!

Re: Catalan Squad Announcement : Fri Apr 12, 2013 5:44 pm  

BackrowSaint wrote: The team for today: 21.) Tommy Makinson 26.) Adam Swift 3.) Jordan Turner 30.) Mark Percival 5.) Francis Meli 6.) Lance Hohaia 12.) Jon Wilkin 10.) LMS 36.) Stuart Howarth 14.) Anthony Laffranchi 4.) Sia Soliola 19.) Josh Jones 1.) Paul Wellens 16.) Paul Clough 25.) Alex Walmsley 24.) Joe Greenwood 32.) James Tilley https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSt.Hel ... 5638785475

BackrowSaint wrote: The team for today: 21.) Tommy Makinson 26.) Adam Swift 3.) Jordan Turner 30.) Mark Percival 5.) Francis Meli 6.) Lance Hohaia 12.) Jon Wilkin 10.) LMS 36.) Stuart Howarth 14.) Anthony Laffranchi 4.) Sia Soliola 19.) Josh Jones 1.) Paul Wellens 16.) Paul Clough 25.) Alex Walmsley 24.) Joe Greenwood 32.) James Tilley https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSt.Hel ... 5638785475