I think wello is very important for saints, next year he will be even more important with KC going. It would have been nice to get him on a years rolling contract but i don't think he would be happy with that but next year we defo need him so i can see why he got his two year deal.



I can also see why flannery got a 1yr deal, i doubt the is much out there at the moment and i imagine we will have our eye on getting a overseas signing for our new stadium. Teams do plan ahead and ive got a feeling we will be looking at a big name aussie for 2012. He's not great but will do ok, my only problem is he is average just like all our backrows.



Meli should never have even be spoke to about a new deal, he is just not good enough and to be given a 2yr deal is utter shocking by saints, no wonder they waited until the season was over to announce it!



I think the squad will be stronger next year if we stay clear of injuries. The three players coming in are very good signings and with bit of luck leon and kyle will stay fit and wheeler will make the centre spot his own.



Whats next? Gardner to sign a new four year deal ?

You seem to have a OCD with players being 30 or over.



Why does age matter? If your still doing it on the pitch then the shouldn't be a problem.



Carmont and gleeson are no spring chickens and they will prob both want replacing after next season, i bet you won't go for youth, i can see few more aussies coming over.



Deacon is 31 yet your coach said he was very important for wigan in the play offs and also most wigan fans put the loss to leeds in the play off down to him going off injured.



Also, didn't willow ans glass jaw just sign new deals ? im pretty sure they are over 30.



I think you need to give it a rest with bagging saints everytime we sign a player over 30.

You're being far too negative here. Shenton is a good player. You may not have seen the best of him at Castleford, but that's because he's been surrounded by lower-end players in a lower-end team. At Saints, I expect him to step up to a much higher level. In many ways, he's reminiscent of Gleeson - not really on anyone's radar at Huddersfield, then came to Saints and was soon GB's No. 1 centre. Foster is also starting to look like a proper SL-standard winger. And the fact that he can knock goals over is a major boost. Meli is suspect in defence, and he's not a flyer, but he scores a fair few, and it's arguable that he's not been as effective as we'd like, because he hasn't had a decent centre inside him - usually a second-row. Put Shenton inside him, and we might see real threat.



And remember that next year our pack is considerably stronger, with Perry and LMS joining a fit Soliola as effectively 3 new forwards with real impact.



As for no other club wanting our players, I'd wager most of SL would be quite happy to sign Wellens, Pryce, Roby, Graham, Shenton, Perry, Soliola, Meli, Wilkin, Puletua and Eastmond. All of them would walk into most of the SL sides.



In fact, the only bit of your post I think is realistic is that it's arguable we're paying young players too much. Wheeler and Lomax just haven't played enough and haven't shown enough to justify the sort of salaries being quoted on this thread. The others, Ashurst, Dixon, Clough, are squad players who shouldn't be on top dollar at all, and even Foster, after making the wing pretty much his own, is too unproven to justofy more than a starting salary.

Th only definite IMO is Graham.



They're the only ones, i think, a top 8 team may pick up.



and eastmond just on potential. He is injured too much.

Talking rubbish!



Wello, Shenton, pryce, eastmond, graham, roby, perry, soliola and LMS are players that nearly every team in the super league would want.

In respect to us paying young players too much, don't forget that at the moment this is a sellers market in that area due to the reducing cap restrictions.



If we don't pay them, someone else will, like they did with Emmitt.

Never ceases to amaze me how other teams' supporters fail to notice our best kept secret. The Mighty Atom that is former Man of Steel, James Roby.

If you took your red V specs off, you might agree with me. In fact the Graham thing was generous. He is an amazing prop but he is so niggly and ill disciplined.



As has been mentioned the star player at saints IMO is Roby. I, personally, don't know if he would be snapped up by most super league clubs but i would say he could be a challenge to Kc's legacy. He certainly has potential.



Wellens is too old and lacks pace- maybe a Salford or Cats or Cru cru cru- that ilk.

Shenton- is a good centre and worth the risk. He isn't amazing just yet but could be good really soon. Don't know how many clubs would take the risk though.

Pryce- damaged goods and getting past his best. He hasn't been amazing this season even before injury and Bradford seem nails on to get him soon. That speaks volumes IMO

Eastmond- another with potential. One of the most gifted players with ball in hand many have ever seen. But breaks like a soggy biscuit. Worth a risk but until proven won't be at any top sides.

Graham- spoken about. Potential to be best prop in super league but ATM horrible attitude and niggle player. any team would sign him up now.

Roby- Great but unproven. In Kc's shadow. Don't know how well i am to comment other than that. I thought he was great this year though. Next year i will give a sound assessment of him as hooker though.I predict big things.

Perry- Don't know much. What i do know he is an ageing aussie. Who so far is not well indorsed. Saints have a way of making good on this sort of deal and in a couple of seasons would maybe be snapped up by "nearly every" team. ATM too much of a liablity to risk.

Soliola- again don't know much. He seems like a good player. Grand final performance- would struggle to make wakey grade i feel.

LMS- star prop. Could be good but again wouldn't be alking into most super league clubs. In a couple of seasons, probably. The biggest thing about him is he is good [ifor a londoner[/i.



I hope i gave a fairish assessment of those players. Of course I know nothing compared to a saints fan but to say things like "nearly every team in the super league would want" and "most of super league... happy to sign" you have to assume they would be really beneficial for the team as is. At the moment the players you have mentioned are risks and most super league teams wouldn't make that risk.



These are players with potential but don't trick yourself into believing these are star players that every team is jealous of. I maintain my belief that Graham could walk into any club; Eastmond is a risk worth taking (conditioning will make him) and that shenton is quick and dynamic centre. They are the three that have a chance of walking into most teams in super league.



Imagine Wigan rushing to sign them, or Warrington, or Leeds or even Huddersfield and Hull kr. I just can't see it. Sorry.

Warrington depends on a former Saints player, btw, and who was it who scored a try for Wigan in the Grand Final? And Hull KR were very happy to sign Fozzard. Handed him back pretty quick, but never mind. And Huddersfield were just as keen to get their hands on Gilmour. And those are all our rejects, never mind our present top of the range players. So I think you know not what you're talking about.

There is a world of difference between Gleeson and any of the players mentioned. Briers has matured as excellent player for Warrington and i would argue he has more of a chance of walking into teams ahead of Soliola or LMS. A proven leader is always better than a big forward who then disappears when the going gets tough.

You haven't really answered the question (of sorts) how many of those players do you think would be SNAPPED UP by the top eight? I certainly can't see the current top 4 (or 3 without SAints) fighting for them. They have better players in those positions, apart from Graham.

So, my assertion that Graham is one of the only players to walk into most super league clubs is true.





Please, please don't think I am belittling the Saints academy or there record of buying in players. I have said that given a couple of seasons the perspective of the players will change. But ATM these players don't make a coach salivate.



Also I know enough to work out your riddles (I think).



If you had kept hold of Gleeson and Briers then that would have been two names from your current squad you could be proud of. But you let them go. You have taken a risk. Saints always risk. I hope the risk works out for you, like it has many times before.

Which forward would that be then?





Then you're out of synch with your fellow Wigan fans who I have seen write that they would snap up Pryce, Eastmond, Roby, Tony P and Graham, even now with their soopa doopa squad which is all conquering and the start of a new dynasty! But the same goes for Warrington, Leeds, Hudds, etc. I've seen fans from all those boards wish they had a Roby, Eastmond, etc, in their teams. You really need to read around a bit before making these assertions you know.





"I say it so it must be true" is always an interesting premise, I find.





No, of course not! When would a Wigan player belittle Saints' academy products? I would never have imagined such a thing.





So far as Gleeson is concerned, you need to read up on your RL history mate. As for Briers, in his own words written in the RL press just a few weeks ago, he 'spat his dummy out' and left Saints because he didn't think he was getting the amount of game time he needed at the time he left. We haven't regretted it though because we got Longy. And Longy was much, much better than Briers. His loss, not ours!

Firstly I'm not a Wigan fan. So... yeah.



I may follow your style of making up context to things the other person has said.



Or i'll just answer what you said honestly.



A1. Soliola. Grand Final.



I have mentioned i'm not a Wigan fan. but my picks for players that could walk into other teams were Graham and Eastmond and Shenton. So yeah you are agreeing with me. I've not seen support for Roby (the second best player at SAints IMO) or Tony P and certainly not Pryce. As i said Bradford want him. That is all i have read. Maybe i haven't read enough but both the SAints board and the Bradford board see him traveling across the M62. Don't deny that.



Don't be so ignorant. I have provided a long list of reasons why i don't think the other players you mentioned would "walk" into "most" clubs.



Don't know what you are talking about with the Wigan academy thing. But I personally know a good academy. Saints have proven this year that their youngsters will become good. Foster, Lomax, Clough and Dixon are all talents. They will BECOME good.



Yeah Longy was great. He would have walked into any club. In fact he retired to Hull FC, one of the richest clubs in terms of history. It doesn't matter whether you kicked out the player or they sought more money or they "spat their dummy out" i was saying you don't have those players (that can walk into any club in super league) now.



That isn't a dig at your history. It is more a comment on the SAints of the off season 2010. Today you have three or four palyers who are good enough to walk into "most of" super league.



And also a side note Rlfans are way different to coaches at the respective clubs. Even if the whole saints board thought a player was good. doesn't mean they will walk into a club. Just as Wigan and Warrington etc thinking certain players are good. If you had said that "Kevin Brown and Tony Smith say so and so is a great player" then so be it but saying fans like a player means nothing. We give opinions but don't assume it is gospel. I don't think more than three or four of the SAints players mentioned would walk any SL Club. SAying that other fans really like them though means nothing.