I think the role of 7 and 1 have inversed a little bit, where we used to look to the scrum half to be making breaks we now look to the 1 and we used to have a full back linking in moving the ball across the pitch the scrum half acts a first reciever.

The idea was having the little scrum half running at the big (tiring) men and beat them with speed - improved defences in the middle make this near impossible and limits the halfbacks running game, 6 is slightly different but I think the days of seeing lomax at 7 are gone - simply as the game has changed.

I agree - he should be given one more chance in the first team and if or when (hopefully not) he gets another long term injury, then sadly its bye bye Gary.

We'd have to sign another fullback to do that though.

I voted for Wilkin, for the reasons -

A) He's developed quite well and I think with the majority of the resposibilty on Walsh, Wilkin will contribute quite well.

B)Wheeler will never, ever be fit, no matter how much I/you/we long for it.

C) Lomax should not be moved from fullback imo

D) Lance is a terrible half. He'll show the odd flash when he takes the line on, but his handling is atrociously poor, which will hold the likes of Turner back.

E)I would like to see Charnock at 6, but I am currently more interested in keeping Wilkin out of the pack. I don't think he's as good as our other backrows - especially if they try and use him as an extra pivot, which I think it will be a very bad move.

Wilkin isn't good enough. He's a very poor version of Walsh himself, they would have the same attributes. I.e absolutely no running threat and all about kicking and controlling play. What we ideally need is someone like a Leon Pryce, someone who can slice and dice the opposition, who the defensive line fears when they have the ball. All the good sides have this player. Even in SL Warrington have Myler who's a threat, Catalans have Pryce, Leeds have McGuire, Wigan have Green (Really underrated player).

There simply MUST be a player in the academy who can fill that role? Someone with a bit of pace about them?

I'd like to see Swift there personally, I reckon he could do that job.

Smith comes over as an out and out winger, and a very good one at that. Having said that, I remember Ellery Hanley starting his career as a winger with Bradford, playing for Wigan as an out and out 6 before moving to Loose Forward.
So it may be worth a try with Swift at 6. His running game would certainly compliment Walsh's playmaking.

Then I'd say Charnock is your probably man. He looks (and apparently is) a tough lad considering, so should hopefully be ok with the physicality of things.
Stick him in and use Wilkin when he needs a rest?

I'm with you on this, I've seen nothing to convince me he's the world beater some on here seem to believe he is.

Didn,t Swift come to the club as a stand off.

The club don't intend to use him there and the lad doesn't consider himself as a 6 either.

Wilkin would be my choice with wheeler contributing too. If wheeler picks up an injury then Charnock should be integrated in. I think if Charnock was going to play a part next season, brown would have used him a little more.

Hohaia should be bottom of the list. I really am struggling to understand what those who have voted for him expect from a #6.

Contributing what? Sick notes?

Does anyone have any stats on the %age of games Wheeler has been fit for since he broke into the first team?

He's made 41 appearances plus 11 as sub since he made his debut in 2008.

Jesus.
If he'd have stayed fit, he'd have been in the squad every week since the 2011 season
So that's 3 seasons of, what, 27 league games + say 6 games in play off and cup rugby = 99

Before that, if you say he'd have feature in an average of 1 in 3 games, then that's another 33 games.

So out of 134 games, he's featured in 41, which is 30%.

30% over 6 years (6 years we've been trying to get him fit).

Talk about flogging a dead horse. I longed for him to finally break his curse, but I gave up a while ago.

Perhaps if we release him he'll get his in gear. Some say that he does nothing to help his condition.

**EDIT** [url=http://www.saints.org.uk/home/player.phpThe Saints Heritage Site[/url Has him at 54 official matches, scoring an impressive 19 tries.

I think the fact that the votes have sicknote ahead of Lance shows how much quality people see in Lance.

ie very little. I can name 2 games where he has had an input, apart from that he has shuffled the ball and cut out the space for his centres.

I don't buy the he needs a better 7 arguement either, as others have done better with less around them. The only thing I think a better 7 will do, is hide the fact he is not a great 6.

I was going to give the benefit of the doubt after the Hull KR game as hope springs eternal for me, but after literally watching him stop with the ball several times in the Leeds game, it was obvious 6 is beyond him.

He may be a big price tag but for Saints substitute 9 is his primary role for me.

When we go wide, we need to do it well and get the ball to our dangermen (Manu and Lomax) quickly. Lance just slows everything down.

I was never a big, nor fast player, but I could do things right (at my level). Other guys would come and go that should have been better than me, but for their inability to do core functions, such as a simple draw and pass.
not only are hohaia's hand too slow, but he exaggerates this by running sideways, which makes the defence's job even easier. Terrible player.

Well said.

I really am struggling to understand how he has picked up 27% of votes so far. It shows the lack of rugby intelligence that some have on here.

Not as bad as Wheeler getting 36%. Just who in the hell voted for him? I wouldn't trust him to pass me the salt.

Me.
Just to p1$$ on your chips as opposed to salting them.

I was going to vote for your mate Wello, but even I'm not that crazy.

Some idiot voted for wello and I've got a good idea who.

This list just shows the gaping hole we have in our squad at 6. our best options there are either the original gingerbread man, a truely terrible player in that position who offers nothing at all, a second row or a kid who's probably a year off being ready for superleague

A 6 may pop up during the World Cup...

That's my last bit of hope, that the club have specifically left room on the cap/quota on the off chance that some unknown gem pops up during the tournament.

Knowing Saints, that won't be the case, but I'm still hoping!

I think quite a few teams will pick up players from the World Cup from lesser nations who shine. I doubt we'll be one of them though.

You mean England?