I believe from a couple of sources from the Wigan camp Hock will be used as a front rower next year dont know how true it is though.

Soliola will probably be used more as a back rower than a centre, I am quietly confident that if Gary Wheeler stays fit and healthy he could be a very good centre in my opinion.

I cant share your opinion that giving the Captaincy to Jammer will make him stay. If he has had a burning desire to play in the NRL for most of his life he will go reguardless of being Saints Skipper or not imo. If he decided to stay and extended his contract then maybe he could take over from Cunningham but I feel Wellens will get it from 2011.

I think we should give Graham the captancy. Aside from it being an incentive for him to stay, he shows great leadership for the team anyway, so therefore would be the natural choice.

I agree, our back row has been poor for a while, no attack at all from our backrow.

Wilkin, flannery, clough, dixon, ashurst are all tackle machines with no attack, they are also pretty small as well.

Flannery is ok in attack when playing centre but offers nothing with the ball as a backrower.

Next year i would have perry and graham as starting props with roby as hooker. The backrow i'd have sia soliolia and flannery with wilkin at 13, i would leave wilkin at 13 all year so he knows what postion he is, he's moved about between 2nd row, loose forward and halfback to much IMO.

That would leave tony p, clough, moore as our certain 3 on the bench with LMS if he comes and the likes of dixon, ashurst, emmitt, magennis, johnson and co all fighting for a spot.

I'd love to see jamie langley at saints next year, he is what we are missing in the backrow, he's off contract as well i think.

I don't. He's too hot-headed. He gets all frustrated at himself and everyone else whereas Graham will gee everyone up rather than rant and rave over mistakes.

IMO Graham should be made captain and hope he walks us out at our new stadium.

Graham needs to control his temperament if he is going to be a captain. He may lead by example, however we also need a captain that can keep a level head.

To be fair to graham it ain't often he loses his cool, i know he did against leeds but can't recall any other times.

IMO he should be made captain, he leads from the front, he's a local lad and is our best player.

He doesn't lose his cool, except occasionally against Leeds (and, let's face it, who wouldn't?). He seems to be very motivational on the pitch. It's Wello who gets all het up on a regular basis.

Agree, Graham motivation or "don,t like to lose" attitude is probably seen as losing his cool. Don,t forget Graham was Great Britain Academy Captain and led by example in beating his Aussie counterparts.
Making him club captain and being a successful one might sway it our way to stay with the club.

I agree with that.

But, to be fair, that's one of your strengths.
I do think Soliola is going to play back row, which will strengthen it. I also think you may underestimate Paul Clough.

Absolutely

I don't underestimate Clough at all, but he is in my eyes a grater and metre maker only. He's not the type of player to play out wide in the centres as Joel will and bust tackles, score tries and create opportunity's.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with having grafters in your team everyone needs them. But looking at your backrow options I don't see anyone other than Puletua that will cause any sort of great threat running outwide.

You'll know better than me, but I'd hazard a guess that Soliola will in fact play in the centre's more often than not. Even if it's just because Wheeler is out injured most of the time.



Soliola did If I'm not mistaken play for the Roosters in the centres more than in the backrow. Like I say it's tough choice to make, where ever Soliola plays he'll strengthen but likewise where ever he doesn't play will be weakened by his absence.

Clough's been one of our best performers this season and is a year younger than JT, so I expect him to improve again next year, but you're right, he's not a runniner like someone like JT or Clint Newton. However, he's seriously tough in both attack and defense, and can help with the fron row's direct work to perhaps allow puletua to roam a little wider.

Alot hinges on Soliola's role, if we use him in the back row, our pack looks very intimidating, if not, we do look a little light in the back row. (Although to his credit, Flannery's been playing very well this year in what ever role we've asked of him). I'm under the impression that Soliola broke through at centre, but gradually found himself moved to the back row.

Interesting the amount of rumours surrounding Pryce. First going to Bradford and now [url=http://viewtopic.php?f=59&t=463588&start=90this Hull KR fan[/url seems adament that he is coming - even taking a bet on

. Anything in it?

if we do sign LMS and shenton i would go with

1. wellens
2. gardner
3. shenton
4. flannary
5. meli
6. pryce
7. eastmond
8. perry
9. roby
10. graham
11. clough
12. soliola
13. wilkin

14. moore
15. hagreaves
16. LMS
17. Puletua (when the defense is tiring bring him on to smash through it)

lomax at cover for FB and WG
wheeler as cover for CT and SO
emmitt as cover for PR
ashurst/dixon/magennis as cover for SR and LF

Hate to say it, but i agree with that. Our backrow is full of grafters, nothing wrong with having grafters as they the unsung heroes, but we have to many grafters in backrow and nobody who can make breaks, create opportunitys whick IMO we lack.

I think sloiola will have to be 2nd row, he's not played much rugby for last 18 month and wasn't that fast before that. We need someone like sia in backrow to add some power, beef and put himself about. He played 2nd row for best part of the last 2yrs at roosters.

With perry coming next year and sia in the backrow will add some much needed biff in our pack, we can be a little to nice at times and if LMS comes that will add more aggression.

He's got the best potential of all the youngsters if he can sort his knee problems out, poor kid.

He's out with a hamstring problem at present. He's also been out with a gash to the bone problem and a tummy upset problem this season.

Soliola has the knee problems.

They're pretty random problems, aren't they. Certainly not things you'd associate with being [iinjury prone[/i, which is a little consolation during his problems.

Next year will be interesting for our youngsters, I reckon. We've got Ashurst, Dixon, Armstrong, Wheeler, Lomax, Emmitt, Dean & Foster who are no longer complete newbies and will be expected to start to show whether they're actually long term Saints quality.

Would NOT have Wellens as our captain next year. His win record in the role is terrible and I do not think he is the right person.

Pick one from Graham, Pryce or Wilkin IMO. Think Pryce has really stood up this season and always seems to barking orders on the pitch, organising the team; so I'd probably go with him.

I think James Graham has to be made captain. It would be a master stroke in an effort to try and keep him. Wellens plays well when he thinks his spot in the team is under threat. Making him captain would make him an even bigger pudding.

I have heard that LMS is coming to Saints to replace Hargreaves so thats ben taken into account.

1. Paul Wellens
2. Ade Gardner
3. Michael Shenton
4. Sia Soliola
5. Jonny Lomax
6. Leon Pryce
7. Kyle Eastmond
8. Josh Perry
9. James Roby
10. James Graham (C)
11. Andrew Dixon
12. Paul Clough
13. Jon Wilkin (VC)

14. Scott Moore
15. LMS
16. Tony Puletua
17. Matty Ashurst

18. Chris Dean
19. Jacob Emmitt
20. Jamie Foster
21. Gary Wheeler
22. Lee Gaskell
23. Shaun Magennis
24. Tom Armstrong
25. Jamie Ellis
26. Gareth Frodsham
27. Jack Bradbury
28. Paul Johnson
29. Tom Makinson
30. Carl Forster
31. Ben Karalius

So you're saying both Flannery and Hargreaves are leaving at the end of this year?

I have been told about Hargreaves leaving due to being offered a better contract elsewhere while Flannery is just my opinion.

There are a lot of players out of contract but I imagine that not all the young players will get resigned. That is why I have not included Andy Yates. I imagine Jamie Ellis could be in trouble as well.

If we are going to promote players from the u21s and sign 2/3 players we have to cut some players to make space. Its all quite interesting.

Got to be Salford or Crusaders which probably means Balsa Frodsham
will be given an extended deal.