Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:06 am  

Saddened! wrote:

Eastmond seems 100% destined for Union.

That's the 2nd time you've posted that in the last couple of days. What makes you so certain?

If Leon goes now, we're fooked for a replacement. Any marquee players are signed up by know. We could try and get Barrett to change his mind about retirement, but even then, I don't think we've got a quota space.

If I were Leon, I'd want to give Bradford a year to recover under their new coach before going over, anyways.

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:23 am  

The Chair Maker wrote:

Well we coped pretty damn well this year without Pryce and Eastmond for long periods.

Not when it mattered we didnt

If Pryce left, we would have Eastmond, Ellis, Wheeler, Lomax, Moore, Gaskell, Flannery and Wilkin who can all cover in the halves.
I would just be tempted to sell Pryce for say £100k and then bring through some of the younger players. The alternative is to see Pryce leave 12 months down the line, with Saints getting nothing.

The ones highlited arent anything like the standard needed for a half. The others havent been tested there at top level.
No halfs no pots.

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 7:34 am  

Don Brennan wrote:

The ones highlited arent anything like the standard needed for a half. The others havent been tested there at top level.
No halfs no pots.

I could imagine that if Eastmond and either Lomax or Wheeler got a decent run, they could look good, but no Saints fan at the present moment is going to put their faith in having more than one of the three fit at any one time. Hopefully we'll get our conditioning sorted so that we're not having this problem next season and we'll be wondering why we didn't cash in on Leon when we had the chance

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:58 am  

It's looking bad for us with Orford putting in his release request officially. Looks like the rumours are true as months ago people were saying "If Orford goes we're signing Leon Pryce". The 'If' part has now been proved right, it'll be interesting to see what transpires from now on.

Losing Leon and not signing anyone else is suicide IMO.

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 11:07 am  

Saddened! wrote:

It's looking bad for us with Orford putting in his release request officially. Looks like the rumours are true as months ago people were saying "If Orford goes we're signing Leon Pryce". The 'If' part has now been proved right, it'll be interesting to see what transpires from now on.

Losing Leon and not signing anyone else is suicide IMO.

There also linked with about another 5 or 6 half backs, so Orford handing in a transfer request means nothing.

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 11:28 am  

Saddened! wrote:

Losing Leon and not signing anyone else is suicide IMO.

Agreed. We'd find our sleves in a not dissimilar position as we finished this year. Likely our pack would make sure we scraped through to the big games at the end of the season, only for us to be dumped out.

I don't wish to push it, old bean, but can you tell me why you're so sure about Eastmond to union? PM if necessary.

saint billy wrote:

There also linked with about another 5 or 6 half backs, so Orford handing in a transfer request means nothing.

There's a thread on the Leeds board linking them with Burrow.

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 11:33 am  

Offside Monkey wrote:

Agreed. We'd find our sleves in a not dissimilar position as we finished this year. Likely our pack would make sure we scraped through to the big games at the end of the season, only for us to be dumped out.

I don't wish to push it, old bean, but can you tell me why you're so sure about Eastmond to union? PM if necessary.

There's a thread on the Leeds board linking them with Burrow.

I've heard them linked to Leon Pryce, Rob Burrow, Thomas Bosc, Maxim Gresque, Peter Wallace, Luke Robinson and Rhys Hanbury. And thats just me.

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 11:50 am  

whats happened to the rumours of bringing Smith back from Salford?

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:39 pm  

Don Brennan wrote:

The ones highlited arent anything like the standard needed for a half. The others havent been tested there at top level.
No halfs no pots.

Short term pain for long term gain.
Im thinking 3 years down the line, not next season.
Also if you dont give the kids their chance, they stagnate and never reach their potential

I think we can afford to take a bit of a hit next season with the loss of Pryce, but be better for it in 2012 due to our young players being more mature and having more experieince.

Put it this way, Saints could compete with the best teams by playing Moore and Wilkin in the halves. This was also with a coach who many Saints fans think was inept.

Surely therefore with some young but high calibre halves, and hopefully a coach who is far better than Potter, then we will easily be challenging for honours.

Very few teams in the uk have decent half combos, i can only think of Wigan and Huddersfield, who look strong in that department for next season.
I know you will point to Leeds and Wire, but Leeds have Mcguire out for half of next season and have recruited a failed English coach. This immediately reduces their threat.
Wire are still reliant on the aging Briers, as Myler has been shown to be nothing more than a support player.

Re: Leon Pryce Coming Home (How Much?) : Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:53 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

Myler has been shown to be nothing more than a support player.

Come on give the lad a break.
He was only aged 19 at the start of the season and was not 20 until half way though.
Plus he had an injury that kept him out for 7 weeks.