Prove it

Meli arrived back, Wheeler did a better job, Dean regained fitness...

All three more likely than your conspiracy theory.

It's hardly an elaborate tale though is it? Young players will often have clauses built into contracts to protect themselves. You couldn't expect a player on youth terms to in the first team until their contract expired and was renegotiated.

The thing with Saints though is that we cannot possibly be near the cap limit as we've got so few senior players in comparison with previous seasons.

It was common, but with the constraints of the cap it would be silly to have them now, one injury crisis and your fecked

Could just be that Ainscough can't defend for toffee? Or that he can't be bothered catching the kick off after he has scored a try? Or that he caused trouble on the plane coming home from France??

Well they could be a factor

He was injured in the Bradford game ... he was rested as a precaution for the Wigan game after the scan on his arm showed the damage to be a little worse than was expected. He is fit and available for selection for Sunday.

Good!
Went to the crispy cod for your tea last night?

Nope, I had my tea at a very nice Argentinean Steakhouse in Amsterdam

Amsterdam eh?

He can defend and he did NOT cause any trouble on the plane coming back from France.

His problem has been his positioning when defending kicks, something that seems common with many wingers today.

Yes
He was due back mid June but heard he is progressing much better than expected, therefore back towards the end of May

Liedersplien no doubt.

Remember Hugh Janus eating the biggest stake ive ever seen in one of the many argie restaurants there. It was like a brick.

It was indeed, there are some dreadful restaurants using the 'Argentinean' name - but when you get to an authentic one, some great quality and flavours. My beloved insists we eat at one every time she joins me - either at Gouchos (opposite the the Crowne Plaza Hotel) or El Ranchos down at Liedersplien.

TBH, I wouldn't be surprised if Wheeler goes on to achieve more than Eastmond.

Quite possibly, its hard to say at this stage

He did very good in the centre today.

Very good near there line with his good footwork.

Can't see him getting the stand off role for good few years yet but looks to have makings of good centre.

Has he got any pace?

He certainly had when he was younger, but a few injuries appear to slow him down. However, if he stays fully fit then he may be able to get some of it back.

Only time will tell.

What's happened to Jamie Foster?

He don't look to have much pace but it's hard to tell until he breaks thru and gets in clear.

Looks to ave great footwork and looks a danger near the line.

Not seen or heard of foster for long while.

Looked to small to me foster did. Maybe saints building him up.

Wheeler looked classy today, and showed what he was capable of well before the game was won.

Agreed. He was good stuff and I hope we get to see him much more often in matches, like every match perhaps? He might not be playing his first choice position but I like the attitude in that he works hard no matter where he plays even though ultimately he wants to play number 6.

He's clearly a better centre than Gilmour IMO and should be playing there every week, or at least until there is some evidence of him not being able to hack it.

He's all class and needs game time.

I think Francis Meli deserves plaudits for how he handled the game today. He stayed true to his word and put in a great performance today, the first chunk of his repayment to the other players for missing the start of the season made today. He looked after Wheeler well today, protecting him and coming out of the line perfectly to stop a few situations which could have left Wheeler stranded out of position.

Wheeler does look class with the ball in his hands, he has a very similar step to Leon's. I can't see why Wheeler can't have the centre spot at least for the remainder of the season.

Wheeler will make, at the very least, a second tier centre like Ryan Atkins. He could even go on to be a top tier centre.

Ryan Atkins would be the top British centre if he moved to one of the big clubs. He outplayed Gleeson and Carmont (I've still to see what the fuss is all about, he simply does nothing!) the other day.