It does sound like Brown wants him to stay.

Damn right I would. To lose to London was bad enough, bearing in mind our relative league positions, but to lose to Salford when we had almost a full team out with only Soliola of any consequence missing would certainly have seen my ire spew forth in the direction of the coach! As it was, I decided to watch the Cas-Hull game on TV and keep one eye on Twitter and I am glad I did that because I was concerned by halftime and had I not distracted myself by watching a very entertaining game then I might have been tempted to express my concern online!

At one time Brown told us that Jon Wilkin was going to be our number 7 for the rest of the season. And that is just one example of his various fabrications so far this year.

I now take no notice of what Brown says.

The away support was really good last night make a couple of hundred nearer a couple of thousand. I will say it again Lomax is a star. In fact when you compare and contrast what he and Tomkins have around them as support, really there is very little between the two players.

The results this week are making next weeks game even more important.

Points wise we are closing the gap, but a win next week will actually get us moving in the right direction up the table. 1 or 2 places.

It's small beer to when we were challenging in the top 2 with Leeds in years gone by. But still you have to take us as we are. For us next week is a big game.

I would suggest that Wilkin is still playing the scrum half role, but our current format of playing means we drop a forward for an extra pivot.

It's the same as when Leeds used to play both Maguire and Burrow in the halves, split them left and right and have Sinfield in the centre, playing a half back's role of directing play. Dispite it being obvious that Sinfield's game is that of half, the fact that he was named at 13 (and wears that squad number) means that people maintain he's a forward now playing out of position in the halves.

I've no idea to be honest, I just remembered that one example of Brown talking BS. There are others, like how Gaskell was going to be our number 6 (and he definitely ISN'T our number 6!). Our team changes every week which presumably is why we can't play for toffee in the first half of games.

Certainly is, we would obviously swop places with HKR and could be 1 point behind the Catalans if they lose at Huddersfield next week. 5th or 6th spot would look very targetable if we can increase our performance and play towards 80 mins.

About time you admitted it



Re Gaskell he was given the chance by brown and was as much use as a chocolate teapot. How dare Brown change things that arent working

I was at Salford and although we won, the problems are still there. No clue from our 3/4 line. We need a solid partnership at 6 & 7, bring back the days of Tommy Martin and Sean Long, they both knew what each other was thinking.

Friday we dropped far too much ball and gave away silly penalties, against any of the big 5 we would have lost.

But Jordan Turner was good, the try he scored in the corner was fantastic (At least I hope it was turner), Lomax was bossing the defence, he should be permanent at 1, wello was a great player, but now he is just a big contract taking up our salary cap.

Looking at the tries we scored on the highlights, the result says a lot more about Salford than it does about us. Some of their defending was just horrendous. I winced when Wello scored his and what was that about for Josh Jones' try?

Salford look to have gone backwards under Noble.

Three weeks is hardly a chance. But aside from that, I suppose only Brown could dispatch our one remaining specialist halfback and leave us without a single one, yes. How dare he indeed.

And we continued to lose matches, so dispatching Gaskell didn't solve anything did it?

Brown clearly adores him as he wants him to sign on for another year.

We were just about good enough first half before pulling our finger out in the 2nd. Id argue the 3/4 line had a good game, granted they were given very easy tries by Salford they still need scoring.

I dont know how much to take from it as it wasnt really much of a fight in the 2nd half but being able to let loose might have brought some confidence out before HKR this week.

I would expect us to come on from that game and win this week. Winds of change are a blowing!

Usually freezing cold ones right through the north stand

We're an enormous distance behind the best teams in Super League. We're lacking in every aspect of the game, but particularly in our attitude and approach to the game. We don't want it enough, we're not aggressive enough and we're not desperate enough.

Having watching a young Wigan team and a desperate Wire team go at it tonight, it's clear we're further away from the top than we've ever been.

Surely a ruler could have proven that.

Losing the last of the legends in KC damaged the team in losing that mentality factor to win games. Wellens and to a certain extent Wilkin depend on doggedness to keep us in a game, the only inspirational player is Roby but he,s not a natural leader. Hopefully the arrival of Walsh will give us some sort of plan/approach to the game.
Once Walmsley and Thompson develop to another level and our impact prop arrives to these shores we might look useful again in the pack. Our next problem who is going to be our no 6 for the next 3 years or so.

I think the problems are deeper than personnel though. If you look at that Wigan side last night, they had several players who wouldn't get near our side. They had Gelling who is appalling, Tomkins' kid brother who makes Nathan Ashe look like a State of Origin player, one proper halfback and a child and two or three forwards who aren't going to playing for them long term. Yet their attitude was brilliant. Up and at Warrington, aggressive and nasty and determined to win every collision and hurt the ball carrier. They fought for every ball and everything was done with intensity. When you look at our side, it's clear they are just going through the motions. Professionals doing a solid job, but they clearly don't want it enough.

We need a cultural shift at Saints.

I find some of your posts quite annoying if I am honest, but do you know what I think you have nailed this one.

Three weeks and he did practically nothing, didn't play to the game plan or anything like what he shows in training and was a bad egg. Accept it, he's gone. He's not even good enough to play 6 for the turd that is Salford right now. Get over your issue with Brown. It shows how bad Gaskell must have been for us to prefer playing with no halves don't you think?!?

Or we are losing a raft of experienced players and he wants to keep some experience around the place. Its been said many times how good wello is around training and what a good example he sets, if his role is limited I see no problem with keeping him around

I would agree with but for one issue - waste of a chunk of salary cap.

We could not pay him a lot? He can't have offers queuing up, and I don't beleive Salford want him.
Its all verywell keeping him around for off the field influence, but picking him in front of superior players is painful for us.

Probably the most balance and reasoned statement I've seen from you in years. Even worth a like!!!!