If you think running consistently good lines both with and without the ball is that simple and that unimportant then you're well wide of the mark.



Wilkin hits hard. He is a presence in defence. It sounds to me like you're clutching at straws here, largely because of some undisclosed personal grievance. 39 tackles per game over four games is an outstanding feat (furthermore, the number of tackles he's made indicates the extent to which the side has been under pressure - a situation in which he is being accused of hiding) and should be recognised as such.

I agree with earlier posts on the thread, he's suffering as he was compared to Scully early on and he hasn't developed into that.

It was always going to be a choice for him IMO, he had the potential to be a decent stand off or a decent pack man, Saints have turned him into a pack man and concentrated their efforts accordingly. However he suffers from a similar problem to Sinfield IMO, he's not really big enough to be a great loose forward, nor is he fast or skilful enough to be a great stand off.

He's turned into a solid pro playing for us, and with these new rules in regard to slow ptbs hopefully his skillset will come to the fore to help us break down ever increasingly better defences.

His form [ihas[/i dipped over the last year or so, but then name me a player who that's never happened to?

Mal Meninga

No no no no no...you mean Steve peters...his bar skills are still top notch too...

Jon Wilkin has never been the same since he got his nose flatted at twickers....

Pretty much agree with that. Wilkin is a talented player, but he's one of my frustrations at Saints (along with Maurie). He's living off a great year in 2006 and whilst he's done OK in patches since, he's been inconsistent.

I'd like him to kick on a bit now and offer more with the ball.

You can't question his effort and commitment to the cause though. An average of 39 tackles per game is phenomenal.

Running good angles can be trained relatively quickly into any player. For a professional rugby league player, it should be second nature and not seen as an exceptional characteristic of their play.




I'm not convinced by your assertions that Wilkin 'hits hard'. Based on what evidence? Through my own eyes I have seen him make many tackles and I dont recall seeing him make a huge hit, definitely not consistently.

I do not have a personal grievance with the guy at all. This incident happened years ago and didn't involve myself. I do however know that for the want of a better word, the bloke is an a-hole. However, that doesn't dispute the fact that he can play the game to a good level. I just think he should be performing better.

I do not dispute his tackling count so far this season, those are good stats. Lies, damned lies and statistics as they say. He needs to do more IMO to warrant playing for Saints.

At no point in my posts did I say wilkin was rubbish. I think he has everything to be a top class player but IMO he is getting worse by the year.

Since 2006 he has not kicked on. I thought he would be the ideal replacement for scully but I don't think he is anywhere good enough.

I do agree he should be played at 13 and see how it goes.

I agree with what has been said.

Personally Wilkin frustrates/annoys me alot of the time. He has the skill to be a top, top quality player and dominate a game. At present though he, to me, does the unselfish work like Gilmour often did/does. He tackles like a machine, he might not hit hard but he completes the tackles. His line and running are great also. He's very often there with a key pass and he is on the shoulder or supporting on virtually all breaks.

I'd like to see him go on and start to dominate games more. I think it is abit of too many chiefs and not enough indians at the minute. What with Cunningham, Long, Pryce and Robes when he is on i think he has to take a step back. I think in the future he will step up and start to dominate.

Wilkin is a good solid player who can cover a number of positions well. If we are at the point of slating him we must be truely lucky to be watching this side. He would walk into almost every other team.
I do however expect him to leave us when he has done 10+ yrs and captain Hull KR who he happily admits he has supported since he was a nipper

I thought about this comparason yesterday which leads me to ask the question: 'If you took away Sinfields goal kicking, which of the two would you want in your team?' One who isn't afraid to pick up the ball and run it or one who is rarely seen taking a tackle in his own 20?

I remember a game against Hudds at home. Every time Skandelis (the Giants' main forward) got the ball, Wilkin immediaty hammered him. Becuase of that, the Giants failed to get any sort of momentum from the off and we dominated the game.

I'd take the Leeds man any day of the week.

Agree with a number of things that have been said. Wilkin can become a lot better player and seems to be in a slump at the moment. I do not think anyone here is slating the guy we just think he has not yet reached his potential and we are all hoping that he is motivated enough to do so.

Maggenis, Ashurst and Dixon should provide some motivation for him.

I am amazed at the so called 'potential' many seemed to think Wikin had in him. On what basis di dpeople think he was the next Scully?

His form was average when he first broke into the side, followed by a period of maturity in '06.

He always promised to be a very good club player and has largely delivered to this extent.

I realise that there are fans out there who seem to think the game revolves around some bruiser who smashes his way down the middle, but tha game is about more than that and that is why Wilkin is so important.

All this talk of bulk, winning a collision, and other such tripe should have died flat on it's with the case of Jamie Thackaray.

Personally I'd say it was based on the fact that he had a very complete set of skills at a very young age - good hands, good defender, could kick and was athletic. He played a fair bit of stand off in the reserves and I think a few of us, myself included, thought he would develop into a matchwinner perhaps not quite in the same class as but in the same mould as Scully.

Unfortunately the more subtle elements of his game haven't developed as he seems to have concentrated on the more industrial side. I think he's a very good player, just not quite the player he could have been if he had gone down a different path earlier in his career.

Thanks for the insight.

Do people actually remember Scully was already looking the dogs do-dahs in the Warrington team at 17, though? The same with Judas at the same age when he was at Saints, and again with Cunningham who began to look a star form 18 in a struglging outfit (circa 93/94).

You could tell they were a cut above.

It was a world of difference toa youngster carving his way in reserve rugby. OK you can point to late starters like Long, but generally you can tell who the 'real deals' will be as opposed to very good club players.

Is it not harder for youngsters these days though, with the extra conditioning that the senior players have?

Also, those players were all very physically strong individuals.

Complete waffle

You can't have team full of highly noticeable impact players and never will under the system of a salry cap.

Wilkin is a great player for us. Very solid and dependable. He compared well with other 13s in SL so what more do you want?

Does not seem to impair the Aussies who have a fine record of developing excellent young players of the calibre of Inglis, Folau etc etc...

I don't think anyone thought he would be better than scully but a very good replacement.

The is certain players from the super league era that I don't think we will ever replace proper, I.e long, scully, cunningam and joynt to name but a few

Which part is complete waffle?

I have clearly stated that in my opinion Wilkin isn't performing well enough. No amount of drum beating on here is going to change my opinion.

I agree

And just to add to all that Gilly carnt stand him either.

Wilkin is a good player, but anyone who thought that he was ever fit to lace Sculthorpes boots were either delusional, or comparing him to the crocked second rower that he became post age 27. There isn't a loose forward currently in the British game that come anywhere near him in his prime.


His form will pick up in the summer, and we have other options coming through the academy to keep him on his toes.

joe westerman