What's going on with this guy?

Arm injury still seems to be hampering him but is general play is pretty dire. No pace, missed tackles - does he offer any mpre than Flannery or Meli in the centre. Emergence of Josh Jones is also making it more obvious

You are right, there is definately something not right with him.

By last year's GF, he'd become viewed by many fans as a really important player to the side, and his defence in the final itself was immense - indeed his injury was IMO the turning point of the match.

But he's been poor this year.

I have some sympathy with him over the arm injury. However prior to that he hadnt set the world on fire. Not that i ever expected that.

He is more of a solid pro rather than anything special.

The emergence of 18 YEARS OLD Josh Jones, and the quality we have with Wheeler and Makinson may mean he struggles to get a contract renewal.

We also have Percival coming through who may get an appearance next season.

I'm actually amazed at how slow he is. I don't know if he was once quick and has lost it, but I'd expect a player so thin with no physical threat to be quicker he is.

Jones looks physically up to the task. Whether he has the foot speed and/or skill to make a good centre is still to be answered.



Which means it'll be approx five years before he's a fully mature pro. By that time Shenton will be long gone and close to retirement.

I commented on shenton after the hull game, he just don't look right and his arm/shoulder looks weird, it's of sync with his body.

His defence has been very poor and his attack poor also.

He isn't slow. He's just not playing well. Either it's his arm which is troubling him or he is just off form. That happens in sport.

I think it's his arm, he's clearly not happy with it yet and seems to be carrying it.

The big thing saints need to work out, if it's just a case of it getting up to strength and him being ok mentally with it or is this permanent.

He's off contract at the end of the year so we need to decide pretty quick.

I beg to differ. See his 'chase' for the length of the field Hull try for proof. He is nowhere near as quick as his frame suggests.

Well that's 2 centre spots up for grabs. I reckon we could only feasable fill one from within in such a short turn around. Jones is only 2 games in, unless people are advocating leaving him in long term rather than a short burst of games. Well that is also what people advocated with Foster, Lomax, Gaskell etcetc. You need to pace the young lads into the team otherwise you get the over hype of recent years of players with potential being accelerated into a team with no experience around them.

Lets face it our back line has
Wellens, Meli, (some now saying shenton), Gardner, due to retire or move on in the next year or 2 years.
We should not be throwing youth in to every spot, it would end up with our back line having Wheeler as the most experienced player. Drip feeding one or 2 in alongside more experience players would provide a better balance (IMHO).

The fact we've only ever played with one out and out centre since willie talau left many years ago was always going to be a problem if our one centre got hurt.

The young lad at London looks a very very good player, he's fast, great feet and is more than holding his own at the moment.

I've been very impressed with young josh jones. He's not looked out of place at all and is physically ready at 18 years old for super league.

I've just got a feeling that jones is going to a top player!