Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 10:15 am  

I'd be very happy with Soward and Gaskell next year if we do lose Finch. We'd have our best kicking game for years and years if we pulled that off.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 12:43 pm  

I liked Gaskell last year. I think Saints have made a massive mistake splitting up him and Lomax in the halves to accomodate Lance. Id have him at Wigan in a heartbeat. Bags of potential, his kicking game is superb

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 1:29 pm  

Sweaty Betty's wrote:

We let him go as a junior. He's not going to shift Charnley or Richards!

Then we made a mistake IMO. There's a lot of unwarranted hype surrounding some of Saints younger players like Lomax, Foster, Wheeler etc but it's Tommy Makinson who looks the most promising to me & he rarely seems to get the credit he deserves. An excellent player already and still very young. If Wigan were in for him I would be very happy. Pat has had two serious injuries & we'll need to look for someone to replace him in years to come.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 1:37 pm  

I think Makinson is too small to fit into our team. The only position I think he would do well in is fullback but we've got Sam and Russell in that position.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 4:47 pm  

I personally think we should be looking at rotating in Pat's replacement winger early on next season. Let's face it Pat's his most valuable assets aside from kicking were always that he is top class at scoring tries in the corner from kicks and his pace even at his best was not blistering.

I get the feeling that he may go the way of Wellens in the next year or so in that he now has next to no pace compared to other wingers and because of the injuries he has had, he now cant utilise his jumping abilities.

I hope I am wrong because if Pat comes back and plays as he did a couple of years ago then our team is improved all round as we have a reliable kicker and another attacking option.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 5:47 pm  

Re: Gaskell.

Is the reason he is out of favour at Saints because he has signed for somebody else for next season ie Wigan ?

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 5:52 pm  

There's a lot of talk on here about not wanting 2 half backs with auzzie accents but I'm sorry, if we could keep Finch and get Soward I'd be a very happy chappy! I don't care what accent they have!! We keep producing quality young players and stay within the quota so what difference does it make what position the imports play?

Get finch signed and get soward on the first available plane would be my ideal option!

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 5:56 pm  

I think Lima and Hoffman are good examples of why British players are better. As soon as a good offer comes in from the NRL the overseas players are off. You can either sign them on a short deal and then they go (like Hoffman) or sign them long term and watch them leave early (like Lima).

If there are good overseas players available then it's great if you can sign them although the price will be very high indeed. Long term though Wigan need to bring through British halfbacks. We need continuity in key positions.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 6:12 pm  

Wigan's interest in Gaskell confirmed in today's Rugby Leaguer.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Mon May 28, 2012 6:32 pm  

Cherry.Pie wrote:

I think Lima and Hoffman are good examples of why British players are better. As soon as a good offer comes in from the NRL the overseas players are off. You can either sign them on a short deal and then they go (like Hoffman) or sign them long term and watch them leave early (like Lima).

If there are good overseas players available then it's great if you can sign them although the price will be very high indeed. Long term though Wigan need to bring through British halfbacks. We need continuity in key positions.

Hoffman fulfilled his contract. Barratt & Lima didn't. Not all overseas players go back early. Tommy is a great example, as is Brent Webb, Ali lautiti and shedfulls of others.

You take a chance but with the quality they bring I think it's a chance worth taking.

The other side of the discussion is that we bring great youngsters through and they sod off to Aus or union. Either way, players move on.