The major difference being that Wilkin had far better players around him in 2006.

It was much easier to be Jon Wilkin in 2006 with the ridiculous pack we had the, than to be Jon Wilkin since.

Can I just point out one other minor flaw in your crusade? In 2010, compared to 2006, Jon Wilkin:

- Scored more tries per game
- Had more assists per game
- Made more metres per game
- Carried the ball more per game
- Made more tackles per game
- Missed fewer tackles
- Made more offloads per game
- Bust more tackles per game
- Made more clean breaks per game

Just a minor point.

Ahh, the "(insert saints player name here) is only good because of the players around him" line, it been a while

I can see Joel Tomkins going the same way mate

Christ! I even get slated when I praise wilkin.

Think il stick to just slagging him off then.

I agree, DA only got coach of the year coz he had good players, scully (twice), roby, wello only got man of steel because they had great players around them and so on ........

I think the people who are hammering Gaskell are those who are either clueless about how rugby league is played or they don't care! Gaskell is showing a lot of courage, commitment, maturity and skill. He is raw and his mistakes are bound to be significant given the unfortunate position he has been placed in by partnering Kyle Eastmond. However, I sincerely hope he is receiving encouragement and guidance not just from the coach but also from senior players so that his confidence is not jeopardised. I also hope that Simmons continues to keep him playing in the first team as during one of these matches we could see him click and really kick on, much like Foster did during last season.


By doing this though you are asking for a wholesale change around in the team should one of the backs get injured. We had enough of that last season. The players have openly said in the local press that they want to play in one position. We have already seen how well Wilkin has responded to that. Such a shame he is injured as he was crucial to us, especially in the absence of Pryce.

Not yet.

I thought he looked good on Friday.
He put a kick out of the full and towards the end through a long pass into touch, but...
His long kicking, although mixed, included some good ones and was a better contribution than Eastmond. He kicked a massive bomb in the 2nd half that had a wicked spin on it, which the fullback fluffed and we were unlucky it bounced awy ffrom the chasers.
The first glimmer of hope on friday came when he ghosted through 15metres out, if he'd had support we'd have scored (just after Flanders had trapped their man in goal).
We were unlucky to be pulled for a forward pass when he put Moore in under the sticks.
He put Meli in for his try with a lovely long pass and had a hand in the build up to Graham's.
Also, he looks reasonably robust in defence and hasn't picked up an injury or looked like he's going to cry at any point, which we couldn't say during Eastmond's early days.

He also falls into the skinny kid catagory, with such youngsters as Roby, Stomkins & Foster, who seem alot more injury resistant than the bulky frames of Wheeler and Eastmond. Which could be a huge bonus.

Aye, but how many times did Roby kick out on the full last year? At least twice if I remember right; once at the DW. And throwing long passes into touch are not a newbie specialty! That's just timing, something which will come with more game practice. I'm not arguing with you here, just adding to what you have said. His mistakes, though significant in that individual game, are to be expected in such a raw player but I think he is doing great and I really do hope we stick with him.

All your points are well made and just highlight how important he was in that match.


Yes, there does seem to be a resilience among those with a certain kind of frame (watch him go and get injured now, lol!).

He made mistakes, but his positves by far out weighed any negetives, no matter what the sad one says. I'm looking forward to seeing him play along side Pryce.

Re: Wilkin.

I think this guy is one of the best team players. He plays what ever position the coach throws him into, will play off the bench if asked to. Players of his career length do have injury seasons which I think he has in the last 2 or 3 seasons. But because he will play anywhere he gets pushed about by the coaches. In his early career he played alot of back positions and loose forward. As the years go on he gets pushed more and more into the 2nd row or as a sub for 2nd rowers.

Yet when we get caught short these same coaches then look to Wilkin to take up the 6 position. Think about it could you fulfil a specialist role at your work, if you just train and work at a generalist role for most of your days.

IMHO his talent has been wasted by coaches down the years. He was the natural loose forward to take over from Scully, but we have had wasted years of Flannery and co taking the loose position, with no kicking, vision or ball distribution in their natural game. Flannery is a 2nd rower solid in the tackle and strong if not amazing going forwards. But put him in a gap and watch him go.

This year Wilkin has started at 13 and Flannery in the 2nd row and they have both looked the better for it.

Spot on.


Me too. If Pryce ever gets fit!


Totally right. They should stay playing in those positions unless our injury situation is so dire that there is absolutely no choice whatsoever but to move them. We so desperately need stability and for players to be playing where they are best suited.

We can thank Anderson for that poor decision.

No, that can't be right, it must have been Potter.

That's how you beat Quins.

Ahh, well then. Here's your medal.

No. Wait. It isn't October yet.

I won't see you at OT anyway
you don't seem to go the game

Now if I was a mod I would be saying "strike twooooooo" ... sadly for me and lucky for you I'm not eh.

I saw that one more as someone under the disillusion of being precognitive

Its called banter,dear me

No saints fan would get away with it on C&W so why should you here?

I go to university throughout the week and work Saturday and Sunday to support myself through my degree. At £26 I can't afford to go to the game, nor do I have time too. I listen on the radio and watch whenever its on tv. If you would kindly shove your stupid tiny little brain where the sun don't shine it would be much appreciated.

And no, its not banter. Banter is funny, you're just a moron.

Wilkin's problem is that he will forever stand in the shadow of Paul Sculthorpe. He was touted by one and all as the next Scully when he signed from Hull KR and, unfortunately, that label stuck. The comparison was unfair from the very beginning as he lacked Scully's height, physique and herculean strength. Against such hype it's a minor miracle that he's managed to achieve this much - especially when you consider that for many years he was saddled with the dreaded label of "utility player", which has killed the prospects of many a kid. His versatility can be his downfall as it must be very difficult for a coach to resist the temptation to shunt him around different positions.

Clearly his best position is loose forward as that role gives him the freedom to insert his valuable distributive and kicking skills into the attack. But not every coach has been willing to give him freedom to operate in such fashion week-to-week. On numerous occasions he's been forced to lobotomise his game and function in "head down" mode. His brief England career illustrates the point as he has never been used correctly.

I think now is the time for Wilkin to shine. With two young and inexperienced halves we need a third axis of attack. Lomax and Gaskell were outstanding against Leeds but we cannot expect them to always be so. Better sides will apply far greater defensive pressure and their thinking time will be slashed. It's here that Wilkin can shine by taking some of the load off their shoulders and acting as a safety valve. Hopefully Simmons will have the guts to give Wilkin much-earned freedom to express himself operating as the experienced pro on the field making key judgment calls as he sees fit.