In an article in the BBC News R/L page Tommy Makinson says that the Saints are now so powerful in the forwards it is frightening.

These are the names mentioned.

"Sia Soliola, Anthony Laffranchi, Alex Walmsley, Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Willie Manu were regulars last season.

And Samoa international Mose Masoe, Richard Beaumont and Kyle Amor have all been added during the winter".

Adding James Roby to them, does it make it a pack to be feared by a young inexperienced Wigan pack ?.

The only player of the above named players who would improve our squad is James Roby.

Wonder how long it'll be before that Giraffe gimp turns up?

I would take Walmsley and Soliola. They have improved in the pach without question but are not as fantastic as to be made out.

I'd take Soliola particularly now that Hansen has gone, I thought that he had a very good World Cup for Samoa.

Not much between the two packs, both have great strength in depth too.

Last seasons injuries have given quite a few Saints youngsters some games they would probably not have had this early on in their careers.

I'm thinking Thompson, Richards and Tilley in particular.

Looking at some if the other forums I do find it interesting that our pack is given such a lack if respect and not considered to be a threat.

Other forums are talking about the threat of Saints, Hudds, Leeds and Bradford.

Our pack was massive last year and comfortably the best unit in the league when it counted.

I personally think Saints, Wire, Salford, Hudds and us will be the dominant packs of 2014, can't understand the comments about Bradford who will be fighting it out in the relegation spots for me.

Whilst I would like another Prop I am still confident under the preparation if Wane and planning if Bitcon our pack whilst not containing as many star names will still be the best unit in 2014.

Come on mate, that just simply isn't true and I think you know it. Soliola would be a starting 2nd row at Wigan and Walmsley as an impact prop is better than Luaki, Powell, Dudson, Crosby. We can all love our club and be passionate but being so obviously biased is pointless.

As much as I hate Wigan, I'm not so blinkered not to realise that Charnley, Green, Flower, Farrell, O'Loughlin off the top of my head would all get into our side.

They'll have a good year Saints IMO. I don't think Masoe will be any great shakes tbh and I think he may be on a bit of a jolly but Amor will really improve them and Luke Walsh is meant to be an excellent halfback.

It'll be good to have a strong Saints side to compete against again.

I agreed with Walmsley but not with Sia Soliola, don't get me wrong he is a fantastic player but i still wouldn't want him at Wigan because we have a lot of unknown talent in the 2nd row. Walmsley on the other hand is apart of the new bread of English prop forwards that are coming through, Very tall but heavy and can make meters with 2 or 3 defenders on them. But we don't seem to want impact props at Wigan any more since Madge showed them to be liabilities in the squad, i hope Walmsley develops into something a lot better than an impact player he certainly has the talent.

God honest truth i would want Walmsley and Roby from saints but that is it.

I like Walmsley a lot but I would not swap him for Crosby or Dudson.

Agreed that was a daft comment. I'm really looking forward to getting back to competitive good Fridays. The Wigan - Saints derby has taken a backseat for a few years IMO with Warrington being the bigger rival, I reckon that will change next season

Fair enough, everyone entitled to their opinion insuppose but I'm shocked that any Wigan fan wouldn't take Soliola in their side, especially now Hansen has gone. I can't see Clubb or Lloyd having the same impact that he has had. Bateman on the other hand may turn into a very good player but it might take a year or two. In Soliola you would have a ready made replacement for Hansen. All hypothetical though of course!

I hope so mate. I'm always optimistic (sometimes blindly if I'm honest) when it comes to Saints but I genuinely feel we have finally strengthened the areas we needed to. A proper no.7 and a few props will hopefully get us challenging again. I'd have loved a new 6 ideally as well but you can't have everything.

Is it 4 consecutive Good Fridays you have won now? About time we put a stop to that!

Its the same reason i wasn't upset about Hansen Leaving you know what your going to get from him and its the same with Soliola, With clubb and Bateman we have no idea because they have shown talent but never developed it at their old clubs. plus we have a couple of youngster such as Greg Burke which deserve a shot before we sign an overseas player.

Aye, if we win this time it'll be five times in a row. There's a chant there somewhere

Haha. Touché! I'm hoping Warrington make it 6 losses in a row and take the attention off us!

In fact, if we win it again this season then I won't care about the 5 defeats!

Back on point, Masoe will miss the first month of the season so our supposed new strength in depth in the pack will be tested early doors. A chance maybe for Beaumont or one of the kids from last year may get another chance. Thompson (who has been picked out as one to watch on sky) or Richards perhaps.

Reading the Red Vee they are putting an awful lot of expectation on the incoming Walsh hope he lives up to it!

He has a superb kicking game, but not the passing game of a Tim Smith or Michael Dobson. He is not a ball rummer at all. I don't think that Saints have a winger the likes of Richards or Monaghan to maximise his kicking game, although I don't know much about the Dawson who they signed from Huddersfield and I suppose they could bring in Gardner who is a decent catcher of the high kick.

Walsh is also a very good goalkicker which is always a bonus particularly in close games. It'll be interesting too see if Saints fans get on his back for not running with the ball if things are not going right for them, just as some Wigan fans did with Tim Smith.

His supposed lack of a running game mustn't hold him back too much, he was joint 7th in the Dally M voting last year. A top 10 player in the NRL will hold his own in Super League I'm sure.

Only issue I see with Walsh and how he fits it to Saints is who will be playing at 6. There is a lack of direct attacking threat at 6 and 7. Lance Hohaia seemed to change from a strike half to a controlling half when he joined Saints if you can get him back as a direct runner you could have a good partnership.

Back on topic (almost) I genuinely see Mose Mosoa as a very risky signing. He looked to have piled on a couple of stone from when he left the NRL to playing in the World Cup. I think you Conditioning staff will really have to earn their money to keep him fit and effective.

I have no doubt he will become a fans favorite due to the big drive and eye catching hits, but I have a feeling a few coaches will relish the prospect of playing against him also.

Size doesnt matter, biggest isnt necessarily the best

He was hardly a liability in the NRL so I'm fairly confident he won't be in SL. As long as we get him properly conditioned then he'll be fine. I genuinely don't think any coach will look forward to playing against him.

Not sure how much of the NRL you saw last year nut he played very short spells. As said he also looked to have put on significant bad wight in about 5 weeks from when his club commitments finished.

Impact Props are very rarely desired these days with successful teams.

His carry is without doubt immense and if you run at him you will come off second best, but I understand he already has a niggling injury requiring surgery which will keep him out of pre season.

If I were a Saints fan I would be concerned by this.

The NRL started to get rid of impact Props a good few years ago, probably the reason he was moved from the Roosters, and linked with the UK last year, if he was seen as an asset he would still be in the NRL.

I do not think the same applies to Walsh. I am sure he could have stayed in the NRL but I expect you have thrown massive money at him as you required a half back so badly.

Big men with niggling ankle injuries though is something I would be very worried about if he were at my club. I hope I am wrong because he is great to watch, and I hope he plays week in week out but I have my doubts about him, his condition deterioration in such a short space of time. From a conditioning point a view it becomes very difficult to stay on top of a players weight, without putting them through lots of aerobic long sessions, this could have a massive effect on his fatigue at the season runs on.

It will be very interesting to see how they handle him.

I watched quite a lot of the NRL. I don't think Saints will expect him to play massive minutes. We have Amor, LMS, Laffranchi, Soliola,Wilkin who will all play big minutes and the likes of Walmsley and Masoe will be impact players.

To say he has a niggling injury suggests it is something that has happened a few times and is becoming troublesome, it isn't. He has an injury and then he'll be back. That could have happened to literally anyone.