good, good. If he's as good as he's supposed to be i think ashurst and dixon may be surplus to requirements, shame but we can't play them all.

That's the rumour!

Do you think that is the problem with both Wheeler and Eastmond?

Have they bulked up too much?

I don't think theyre match hardened yet i all honesty. They need protecting somewhat. Tomkins is protected over the lump, Tommy L takes SO much work off him in the hard yard areas....Eastmond hasn't had that luxury yet IMO.

Trouble is with a lot of SL young players is they're expected to make that big leap in a season when realistically it should be 2-3 seasons. Its ok packing slabs of muscle on in the off season but tendons and ligamnets don't strengthen at the same speed.

IMO I don't think ashurst or dixon we be anything more than a stanky, bennet or jonkers type player which is a shame as we are crying out for good young forwards.

The pies have got a cracker in young mossop though. This kid is going to be a top player and will make losing hock a less of a blow for the pies.

How do you mean?
All three of those were great players for us who got through mountains of work.

exactly, they wont be able to take the big hits for a couple of years. Frodsham is a case in point, big lad at 19 but props esp. need longer to develop. Graham and burgess are freaks, but even burgess has had his fair share of injuries

add them to Lego head, bryn and wilkin and I think we got problems.

I think it's ok having them type of players as back up but I think we need to sort our pack out. It's just not good enough.

I hope ashurst and dixon turn out to be top class but I have my doubts.

Define 'great'. They were hard workers but would never break a game in a million years.

None of them are going to be 'great' by any stretch of the imagination but given the salary cap all clubs need this kind of cheap and reliable hard worker in the squad.

spot on mate. They wasn't great players but was good hard working honest players.

Disagree with you there tbh. Said in another thread,cant remeber which...but... Wilkin is a VERY good player. There's nothing average about him. Very intelligent player but NEEDS more responsibility to bring out his best.

Bennett, Jonks and Stinky were excellent for us. All good sides have a nucleus of workhorses who don't put a foot wrong and perform consistently everytime they play. For me they are great players.

I'm not saying them type of players ain't needed.

I'm saying that maybe we have to many of them and not enough top class forwards.

IMO graham is the only world class players we got. I'm not saying we should get pack of world class forwards because that's not possible but we need more class than we got at moment.

Yup!
Its finding them tho!

Personally i think Ferriol from Catalan would go well in our side.

he's had very good season at Catalan. Looked good everytime I've seen him.

I think he signed a new deal not long back.

Bailey will be top signing if it's true true he's coming to saints.

with soliola probably playing second row next year we will have 3 (and possibly 4 with a new prop) internationals in the pack in soliola, graham and puletua. If the rumours of a new prop are right we will be pretty solid in the pack.

I don't want to hijack the thread as I'm on a warning

but I like a good RL discussion regardless of whose site it's on.

We ALL have to realise that it's a team game.

The likes of Bennett and Flannery at Saints or Bailey and Hansen at Wigan are invaluable.

They are the unspectacular "grafters" that a TEAM needs.

I'm sick of arguing onthe Wigan board about the same thing. They all want 60 yard runners, but don't appreciate the workers.

Back to original thread. As you know I've always "bigged up" Eastmond. Wheeler has a poor injury recoed.

Lomax is an interesting one.
I got criticised for saying that he had a poor game on Friday, but that was my opinion

I have not been impressed by him.
However I know of many people whose opinions I respect who have played with /against him are coaches / or are scouts who have nothing but good opinions of him.

He has a fantastic attitude. We'll wait and see.

what makes you think soliola will play 2nd row?

Sir mac said he was a direct replacment for talau.

I hope we play him centre.

His mate posts on Redvee, has him down as a second row now.

He is playing 2nd row in the NRL.
Started off his career at centre but has moved into the backrow due to injuries and also possibly physical maturity.

Think of him as a Gilmour replacement.
Big hitting back row who can also play centre to a high standard.

IF we play him centre i'm worried people will be disappointed, as he is no speed/flair merchant, more a 16 stone sledge hammer.

love the 'visionary's' on here

we get great talent from the academy and blood them in the first team where they do themselves and the club proud only for some on here to write them off before they've even had a chance to get going




in particular in the case of lomax here we have a young lad that is lucky to be alive through playing r.l that in itself is a miracle! he then has the bravery,heart,skill&determination to carry on playing and suceed in playing first team r.l in one of the best teams in the country and he gets 'bagged' on here by some folk. totally ridiculous i.m.o ....

I dont think Mac (or anyone) expected wheeler to come on so well so fast, he could make the centre spot his own and inject some much needed pace into our back line. As others have said Soliola is used as a second row as he puts in massive hits and runs very strongly, but not with massive pace.

Well said.

I hope wheeler becomes 1 of our centres next year.

So do I, if his body can hold up of course.

I thinkm Wheeler and Eastmond will be important players in shaping where we go and I am confident they will be the next stars. Lomax looks a good kid, but he is the one you can tell out of the three is still making adjustments to senior level.

I am surprised some are devaluing the younger backrowers such as Dixon and Ashurst. It takes time before anyone can guess where their future will lie. As someone has said, the body not only needs to develop and there is a lot of working timing runs now for backrowers to think about.

Look at the likes of Clough, JJB, Wilkin - all looked average when they forst appeared on the scene but are good players now they have bedded in.

Dixon looks like he has potential to be a very goood player.