1. Hohaia
2. Gardner
3. Turner
4. Jones
5. Makinson
6. Gaskell
7. Lomax
8. Perry
9. Roby
10. Puletua
11. Manu
12. Soliola
13. Wilkin

bench, Clough, Laffranchi, LMS, Flanagan

I'm not convinced that Wilkin is capable of coming off the bench. Swap him for Soliola and have him coming off the bench. Seems to give us a lift when he does, which seemed to be effective.

I'd also swap Laff and TP around, other than that I agree even with the unusual combination in the backs! Think that could work

Agreed - Wilkin needs to play for most of the 80 or not at all. He'd be ineffective as a bench player.

Wilkin needs a kick up the backside if anything. His form last season was rubbish for the most of it, although being asked to play 2 positions doesn't help. I'm hoping Brown can get more out of him than Rush and Simmons did.

Makes me laugh when people put likes of Swift in their starting 17 when he's only played about 3 super league games and two was against the worst team in super league.

Why not? The players they would be replacing are pretty terrible, so I don't see what we're losing.

I'd like to see:

Lomax
Makinson
Turner
Jones/Percival
Meli
Wheeler
Hohaia
Perry
Roby
Clough
Wilkin
Flanagan
Manu

Soliola
TP
LMS
Laffranchi

Because he's not ready to be thrown into super league on a week to week basis as its not good for him.

Why would we play him fullback when we've got makinson, hohaia and wello.

Look at the young lad who got thrown into the deep end at Wigan last year in the elimination play off against Leeds.

He'd be earning his stripes on the wing for me. When he did play he was quite impressive and I think he should be given a few games, we could always rotate him with the timebomb and Gardner

I think it would be common sense to cherry pick games for swift this year so he gets a run in super league without over playing him at this level.

2014 should be the season he looks to establish himself in the first team.

Agreed.

My team would be:

1. Hohaia
2. Makinson
3. Turner
4. Jones
5. Meli
6. Gaskell
7. Lomax
8. Perry
9. Roby
10. Laffranchi
11. Sia
12. Manu
13. Wilkin

14. TP
15. Clough
16. Flanaghan
17. LMS

Depending on Walmsley performance and training if consider dropping Perry from the 17 altogether. He's a total waste of a qouta spot and waste of a salary.

Have you had any inside info on how the team is likely to shape up, particularly in the halfs, given Brown's lack of confidence in those we have available to fill the positions? or me, that will be the most intersting choice for him next season, he has identified that we have issues there, but has been unable to bring in anyone to improve things. Would hope that he will be working none stop over the winter with Gaskell, Lomax and Hohaia to see if he can solve the problems, but also wouldn't be surprised to see someone esle given a chance, either from the A team or a player like Turner who has a bit of history playing there.

At the moment its basically fitness and Brown has them doing long long days which is good



Spoke to few lads last week at Langtree park for the footy match but nobody really mentioned positions etc.

I'd guess that lance will be a utility off the bench.

From what I'm told Gaskell will have a good chance of taking a spot in the halves.

I think that is his natural position! And not meaning that in a bad way, coming off the bench to give a different option would be really useful, particularly if he gives Roby a bit of a rest. He appears to have a huge heart, but not the skills to make any one spot his own. He may well be the highest paid bench warmer in Super League, but his wages shouldn't guarantee him a starting spot. A bench of TP, LMS, Clough/Walmesly and Hiho would be pretty reasonable, with the likes of Flanghan as backup.

I'd play lance fullback. It's his natural position and made a successful career in the number 1 shirt.

My thinking too.

Spoke to a couple of players over weekend & theyre really excited by Brown's arrival. A Senior player adamant he is learning new things under Brown already.

He also thinks are attack will improve dramatically this yr, Gaskell & Lomax working really well together & he reckons Lomax is developing as a player under Brown & will be a different player this yr.

I pointed out we havent had what I consider to be a top COACH since Daniel Anderson, and lets just say he didnt disagree with me. Good vibes from the training by all accounts.

Few of the lads said they are happy with him. They say he thinks out the box and does stuff they wouldn't have done under previous coaches.

Well for the first time for a while I'm getting excited again about watching Saints

Do you realise what this really says?

They said that about Potter and Simmons, too, when they first arrived! I wouldnt take that as meaning much at all.

If what was mentioned about Gaskell and Lomax is true, and Brown intends to play them as the halfback combination in 2013, then I love Brown already.

Players always big up the new coach when asked officially, but has the above been said off the record? If it has and the poster isn't telling porkies, then its promising. Mind you, unless you're a real negetive nanny, you should be postive about a new coach i reckon.

I'm with you though, if we're going back to Lomaskell in the halves, then hoo-feckin-ray.

Same for me. No point in flogging a dead horse with Hohaia and Lomax in the halves.