He did ok, problem is we've been spoiled for years now. Dwyer, Cunningham, Higham and Roby all top class players who we've seen at 9 for the past 20 years sadly Howarth isnt in that class

Higham? He's terrible.

He did a good job for us back in the day.

That was then

Pointless signing,he adds nothing.
Very slow distribution to a makeshift scrumhalf onto a makeshift standoff gets you nowhere.
We needed a half so we get rid of one for a very average utility player.
Im not slaging him,he Is what he Is,third choice player at the then bottom placed club.

His distribution was not slow.

He did show promise considering his time with the team, and he coped well. Wigan had the first half, but Saints showed real guts and spirit in the second. Hope next time both teams can put out more representative sides. Did think LMS got away with murder in part two, but what the hell, Saints put up a real good show in the second. Well done!

He's a decent fix until Roby's fit, or as good as we'd ever get mid-season. I'd like to see Speakman get some minutes under his belt against Cas though too.

It was.

Considering he only signed for us on thursday and therefore will be unfamiliar with Saints moves and play, i thought he distributed the ball very well.

Weakness is that he isnt really a dynamic runner around the ruck.

However i have noticed this year that Nathan Brown has been trying to move us away from being a team that is reliant on getting trys through breaks on the back of dummy half scoots, in favour of a more balanced attack.

I say this as having watched Roby this year its noticeable that instead or running relentlessly from dummy half, he has been merely stepping out, making a yard or two forward then passing.

This change of style should give us more options and make us harder to shut down.
It wont be merely a case of stop Roby running and you stop Saints.

I also think that by utilising the halves and fullback more in the attack that will move our game away from the midfield area to the more traditional Saints wide play that we as fans like to see.

His distribution was fine, long passes out wide putting pressure on a sliding defence. He was different from Roby maybe people are judging him on Roby,s style of play.
It was noticable as Chairmaker mentioned, Howarth was moving the ball away from the midfield area giving a little bit more space out wide resulting in a faster offensive play.

It was slow, Its as if has to double pump every time he trys to pass. As I said I aint slagging him he Is what he Is.
Dissapointed he hasnt put Speakman In on Monday,now he has got a crisp pass.

Agreed.

He did well and passing was accurate with width.

It was noticeable on kick plays service was slow and Wilkin had two or three players in his face as soon as he got the ball.

Mind you it is upto Wilkin and others to do some thing different. Drop deeper , vary the kickers position etc.

In some senses he looked a little out of place passing into the bread basket rather than
the typical behind the runner , round the ankles / head of many of his team mates.

Howarth isn't injured though. You won't get Saints actively phasing in a young player. They will only play when there are injuries.

I honestly don't know where you have got this idea from!

Of course it was. His longer passes were accurate and crisp but his general speed off the floor was too slow

I think people are just confusing each other here.

He took a while to get the ball of the floor but when put the pass out it was very accurate and had some real pace on it.

Exactly, his speed af pass was excellent, the long distance and accuracy of pass was something we have not seen consistently this year. If he does the same tomorrow our outside backs will have more time and space on a lesser effecient sliding defence.

I don't see why? It's not a difficult concept.

If you want to see a slow distribution you should just watch Hohaia from dummy half.

I know what you mean, sometimes it reminds me of the re inactment of the "Green Cross Code"

Would his lack of training with the team not affect that though? As in he doesn't know the moves so has had to look where the players are running rather than going off instinct?

On a more general point in this discussion, haven't we only signed him as cover until the end of the season?

The deal is a straight loan swap. He will go back to Salford at the end of the season. Gaskell is OOC so will use the time to showcase his talents. I see Gaskell had a good game at , a position I and others have said he should have been tried at while at Saints.

To put Gaskell at Centre at Saints would require pushing Jones out into the 2nd row.

With Percival also showing good performances, it could give a back line of

Lomax, Makinson Gaskell Percival Turner.

Lots of speed there, but not a huge amount of power.

Hard to see Gaskell ever making it back to Saints now.

www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/2880 "I'm on a season long loan deal but for the time being I want to just improve on that performance. I would then like to push for a full time deal as Saints are one of the best rugby league clubs in the world"

www.saintsrlfc.com/news/page/2880 "I'm on a season long loan deal but for the time being I want to just improve on that performance. I would then like to push for a full time deal as Saints are one of the best rugby league clubs in the world"

Hope he has good game this afternon, I can see Brown looking at him for scrum half duties when Roby returns.
I think he started off as a half back with Tomkins, got a broken leg and went through a similar scenario as Gaskell.
In the Good friday game, i could see creativity and vision in his game, also as everyone has noted he has a great passing game, hope it works out for player and club.