I think Wilkin has suffered at times with the way the game has changed and evolved over the years. When he first came into the side I thought of him as a 13 with a decent pair of hands, bit of a running game, and you can never really fault him for effort. As most people will know though, teams generally use their 13's as a third prop through the middle and are primarily judged on their go forward and metres made. Anything else is a bonus, so it seems.

I think he's shown some nice touches this season down that left side. He started the season in great form IMO, but on the back of the likes of Amor and Walsmley. I actually think he looks really good when we are winning the ruck because he has a decent pair of hands and can distribute, but in those tight games he does tend to struggle because he just isn't big enough to really impose himself on the game in the back-row with the ball in his hand. There really isn't a great deal he can do about that.

Had he been gifted with a bit more pace I doubt he would have stepped foot anywhere near a forward pack. Had he been born 15 years earlier he may have been given the loose forward role and have had the opportunity to express himself a little bit more. He's adapted his game a little bit this season and I believe that the club are pleased with his contribution and Brown's interview today confirms that.

There are plenty out there in a similar position to him. Lack the speed or are too big to play in the halves, not quite big enough to play in the pack but are decent footballer's. What happens to them? They become workhorses who are almost stuck between those two positions, not really through any fault of their own.

I think we're bringing the best out of him though using him as a left sided back-rower. He runs some great lines and offers some distribution down the left hand side. I thought he was very good against Huddersfield on Friday. He does his best and has done his best to make the most out of what he has.

I think Tez the Saint analysis is more accurate than St Petes opinion on Wilkin.

It may be a coincidence I don,t know but Wilkin gradually started his play making role around 2007/2008 when we lost influential half backs. Prior to that he had more size and was more of a running back row forward.

He has had to adapt to the new utility role due to our lack of signing the right players for the right job, this when Wilkin becomes inconsistent in the role attracts crtitism more so than perhaps other players.

I'd would argue that wilkin is a bad player, I wouldn't argue with those who think he's a really good player, I just think that there are a number of things missing from Saints team (if we want to win trophies) and Wilkin seems to sum a lot of these points - mainly being undersized and too nice.

How do we think Hudds will go against Wigan tonight?

Another loss, to then be followed up by another Loss against Leeds.

Can't see them pulling anything out the bag. They will get a bounce against London, but as we found out that does not help against other teams.

I can see them dropping to 8th this year.

They've beaten them once already this season and so, like us with Warrington, I think a lot will depend on the attitude they take into the game and whether they have tightened up their ruck defence, which is probably what got them against us. If they decide to bend their backs then they could beat Wigan. If they don't, they won't.

Roby?

Don't start Rogue's on that one. Roby's "just a scooter" to him.

I've never said he was JUST a scooter hooker, but he does do it more than any other. It's not my type of rugby and I've been saying that consistently for years, especially when Higham was at Wigan. It was no coincidence that we started scoring more tries when he left.

Sure, look I can see why you prefer the more creative type to just a scooter - as MM's 1 try and 0 assists this year makes an underperforming Roby's 4 tries and 11 assists look positively pedestrian.

And MM's legendary defence leaves Robes in the shade too, what with MM makng half as many tackles but missing 4 times more of them than Roby.

Oh for a change at hooker at Saints

Silly old sod!

Love it when Rogues is put firmly in his place!

You see you'd miss him if he was banned

Pow.

I was wondering who would spot that.

Obviously I am to credit for motivating them.

Well called



Does this put our performance last week in a better light? I didn't think they were light years ahead of how they played against us - though players who didn't play against us had big games (Bailey in particular, who looks a more physical, stronger form of Wilkin)

Let's be honest bewareshadows and the bookies got it totally wrong. Hudds did to Wigan what we did to Hudds and what Warrington did to us.

We both returned watch more enthusiasm coming off the 10 with very fast line speed and making the opposition have less thinking time and more prone to errors.
If we keep the desire and enthusiasm up, we will not go far wrong with our squad.

As for the goons; they don't like it up them and have won their previous games recently by putting 100% effort in but when faced with the same level of competiveness, their youthfulness is not enough.

Anybody notice Ferres and pulling back the head of Bowen when scoring his try.

If I was going to predict anything wrong, it's always nice that it's a Wigan win.

I've not seen the game but from the reports it once again shows that when one side is up for the battle and the other side is assuming that they can just coast, they are going to get turned over in this league.

I truely saw nothing in Huddersfield last week that made me think they where a threat in the slightest.

That's the way the league has gone due to the salary cap and quota. Any team can beat any team on their day. Look at Warrington, most thought we'd hammer them as they was playing really poor ok they did a good number on us.

Nobody give Wigan a chance going to Leeds with injury but team and they did them.

It gets a little harder when the play offs come around as Leeds and Wigan really up their game and that's where the good teams are sorted from the avg teams. IMO that's where we will fall apart as we can't seem to play on the big occasion these days and Leeds Wigan and Warrington have it down to a art.

Absolutely, he is like Simon off BGT, but nicer looking by far, he also supported Wigan as a lad

I disagree, we won't fall apart, we proved that in the playoffs last year by taking Leeds every step of the way, and we have the tools this year to take advantage of that - you'd be foolish to rule us out just yet...

My concern is that we will fall apart, it's in our DNA for few years. We've won nothing for long long time and the play offs showed last year this.

We've brought Mose, Amor and Walsh in which should improve us a hell of a lot if all play to their ability but this seasons big games we've failed again. Leeds sent us put the CC with ease. Wigan destroyed us on Good Friday and we was hammered at magic. Those are the 3 biggest occasions so far this year and we've come up short.

Even brown has commented that we need to get some aggression and fire into the team if we are to beat those teams.

I think we will scrape into top 4 but soon as it's a big play off game against Wigan, Leeds or wolves we will go out

But how much of that was playing staff and how much of it coaching staff? Against Leeds we had Wilkin playing alongside Walsh - a new halfback pairing; against Wire we didn't play our strongest pack first and Wello only came on when the game was gone. We have the personnel to win the GF this year IMO. Whether we have the coach is another matter.


Then he should fire them up. We saw by his attitude towards the GF derby that he doesn't do that so maybe he should nominate someone else to get them going.


I disagree. This isn't a foregone conclusion. We have a young, inexperienced team. I think out of our team Walsh, Masoe, Wilkin, Wello, Robes, Lomax and Makinson have played in finals rugby. Of those, only Lomax seems to panic under pressure. However, as can be seen by all the teams you mention, there was a time when they too were inexperienced in knock out rugby but they turned the corner and overcame their obstacles to get there. There is no reason to believe that now we have failed to overcome ours once, we won't learn from that failure and succeed next time.

Don't get me wrong, I think we can win it but I just don't think we are tough enough to beat Wigan or Leeds in a big game. I think the wolves is 50/50 as they are little unpredictable.

We'd have to really up our game to beat Wigan who seem to just bully us out the game. Only time will tell.