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.

There has been plenty of praise about Brown off record so I think we've every reason to start getting a bit excited about next season. This is certainly the best I have felt about going into a new season for a few years.

Theres bigging up a new coach which admittedly is the norm, then theres senior players genuinally excited by Brown, his methods & developing players with fresh ideas. First 'real coach' since Anderson.

1 lance
2 makinson
3 turner
4 j jones
5 meli
6 gaskell
7 lomax
8 clough
9 roby
10 boof
11 puletua
12wilkin
13 manu

subs
lms
soliola
perry
walmsley

Maybe that's what the players said in public about Potter and Royce but as I said many times, the players didnt really like them or enjoy the training or style of play.

I posted the above many many times.

Exactly! Players in public will never bag the coach in public but will tell the truth when its off the record between friends.

Potter wasn't popular with the players, he didnt really gel with them and basically kept himself to himself.

Royce was a popular guy amongst the players and I only really heard one player ever bag him off as a person. However, the players thought he was clueless with crazy methods. The was no structure and very basic game plans.

I'm actually looking forward to the new season starting for the first time in about 3 years - I reckon we'll end up top 2 and in with a darn good shout of winning one of the trophies next year, most likely the CC.

I remember Royce coming in and I was pleased with what he had to say pre-arrival but he was an unknown quantity really and what he had to say was all that we could go off. With Nathan Brown, however, we have seen what he [ican [/ido - impressive pedigree at Hudds - and there just seems to be something extra about him that I can't really put my finger on, something that we have not had since the Anderson era.

He just seems to 'fit' with Saints: be that personality - sticks up for his players, e.g. see the incident with Luke O'Donnell and Ryan Bailey; coaching techniques with a focus on creative attacking structures (some of the moves Hudds were setting up were quite impressive) with a solid defence; or work-rate - Crabtree in an interview was talking about how he goes for a run in the morning and then gets to training for 7am and does not leave until 7pm. That is incredible really if true, and I can see that level of detail being crucial to what we can achieve in 2013.

I am excited about the new season and what it [icould [/ibring and I have a sneaky feeling that we will win something. Maybe I'm just being over-optimistic about this appointment, but lets wait and see.

Nothing wrong with over optimism. Given we are sports fans the negativity will always hold sway. But fear not, the odd ray of positivity will never counter the scales.

1 Sad End (Captain)
2 Albion
3 Northampton Saint
4 Bewareshadows
5 Judder Man
6 Saints Fan
7 Rogues
8 Billinge Lump
9 Donkey O'Tay
10 St Pete
11 St Simon
13 Top Saint
14 Thump
15 Smurf
16 Beware shadows
17 Saints till I die

Coach Saints Fan
They might not win many games, but I am sure there won't be as much Moaning. G/day to you all from sunny Brisbane.

We must be good only playing with 1 second row.

I can see a lot of talk at half back. Not much discussion, but a lot of talk.

Jes' I'm going to have a busy day centre and sub

Don't think I have the speed to be a winger!

Well SaintFan will probably do a better job at 6 than Lance