[url=http://saints.rlfans.com/node/21Article up now[/url

Interesting thoughts.

I think that the issue is balance. At the moment we have 2 running half backs. When we had Long and Martyn we had a runner in Long and a passer/kicker in Martyn. When long matured into the Kicker/Passer role we had Hooper and Pryce as the runners.

Now we have two half backs that are mainly runners. Neither player is a gifted passer or kicker of the ball. What is our solution? Well our greatest rivals Leeds have a similar half back combo in McGuire and Burrow, so why do they not have similar problems? The answer is Kevin Sinfield. Think what you like about Sinfield as a player but he has a very important role at the Rhinos. He provides what McGuire and Burrow lack.

I believe we need Wilkin in the middle of the park to do the passing and the kicking rather than being a runner inside the centres. His performance against Leeds in the cup as a stand off is proof that his is best suited to being a playmaker in the middle.

Only then will our team have balance. It is not really fair to expect Leon to be a different type of player.

That would mean playing with a proper loose forward again - like we had when Scully was in his pomp. Wilkin I feel could do that but like you say he needs to be brought inside and played as a real 13 instead of using people like Dixon,Ashurst,Clough and legohead there as tackling machines.

its a good article that explains our current lack of go forward, kyle needs leon, leon needs props, we have just one, not 4. Maurie and cayless back should be just what we need.

Pryce has been too inconsistent this season, and I belive this has escaped many people.

He really needs to create a little more as opposed ot relying on his athletic ability. A player will play to his strengths, but too often Pryce relies on the same moves attacking the gap and looking for the one handed off load.

Of course, it does'nt help that our tactics are plain to say the least and the Saints run the same moves time in time out - the miss ball out to Pryce behind the dummy runner with Flannery cominbg back on the 'inside' run. It is plain for all to see and as clear as a firework on a dark November night.

Eastmond is still learning and you are right that he needs time as a number seven to develop.

The biggest worry of all is that there are more questions than answers. Is the half back partnership got enough good old fashioned Harry Pinner esque nous (ask Despondent Dave)? Can we truly be consistent with the limitations in pace in the three quarters? Will we see more variation in our attacking options?

At the moment our attacking force has the potency of a man taking a black and decker drill to Ayres Rock. We need to improve and fast.

He wont/cant because he's a loose forward/centre playing as a standoff imo. We have limited options as a team these days compared to just a few years ago when we had

Scully at 13
Tommy at 6
Long at 7
KC (in his prime) at 9

All of these players are creative and would be classes as 'pivots' in the team. Now we have a running athletic Standoff in Leon, no proper loose forward (nearest thing to one we have is playing as a wide running second row) and a young inexperienced scrumhalf. KC and Long are still around in the short term ofc but Longy is a shadow of his former self and KC cant carry the team on his own ...

Award winning, happy memories.

I don't like the way people label Eastmond as just a running player. His skill set is far superior to that of Long or Burrow at the same age.
Just because he's fast, doesn't mean he can't have the rest, which people seem to imply. He doesn't have the brain of Martyn even if he does have the skills, but to expect any 20 year old to have the guile of probably the smartest british haf back in SL is a little optimistic.

I would say that we're predictable. The "double p iss-off" when spreading the ball is getting tiresome and was read by the Giants very easily in the semi. Its ok when we've got a little momentum but that's not really happening at the mo.

Also, we're just not as patient in the opposition half as we were earlier in the season, which is hurting us in tough games.

I have no doubts that Eastmond will become a more complete player but at the moment we lack ball players in the middle. I agree with what people are saying about us being predictable. Teams just simply spot Wellens and all our moves grind to a halt.

Sinfield really a stand off for Leeds imo.

It doesn't really matter where they are on the team sheet it is where they are on the field that counts and we need more ball players in the middle.

I agree that Pryce looks more like a 13. I think that if KC stays on for another year then Scott Moore will play at 13 and will be our ball player in the middle.

So Moore will be named at 13 but will probably play more like a 6 than Pryce does.

I see your point here and I hope we do have Moore and KC for a year as it will ease a bit of pressure on Eastmond. Lets just hope KC's body holds up becuase I cant see us recruiting a creative 13 or 6 anytime soon