Hohaia is a good player, but I think he's taking time to adjust to the way we play and his position. He's already played 3 positions for us and has only just strung a few games together at 6. I think he'll turn out to be a good signing in the long run, we'll just have to be patient with him.



That doesn't hide the fact that I think we made a big blunder in releasing Leon Pryce, a naturally classy number 6 who hasn't picked up an injury this year.

To be fair, I don't think anyone has suggested he's come for a easy paycheck as he's certainly putting the effort in.

He did, hence his nickname "Howler"

He did make mistakes but usually waited till he was on his own line in a big game, Meli style.



The last few week has proved IMO that Gaskell's future at Saints is in doubt and for me he is highly over rated.

I said he didn't make [ithis number[/i of mistakes - not that he didn't make any mistakes.

It's only a blunder in hindsight. Let us not forget Pryce's form was hardly stellar when we let him go.

Well said.



Yesterday what he did well was the subtle and little-noticed plays - the unselfish stuff. Yes, he got bagged a few times trying to work a play, but I can live with that on the odd occassion.



Royce never got anything like a performance out of Hohaia, probably a combination of Hohaia being new to the club & having to get used to gameplays/players, and Royce not having an effective gameplan (and the team lacking cohesion & confidence as a result)



In the games since Rush/KC have had the reigns, Hohaia - playing at 6 - has put in a stormer against Leeds, a very good performance against Wire, been isolated against wi*an when Lomax went off early, and had one of those games against Widnes where the very visible stuff didn't come off (like many players in the second half, likely trying to do the showboating thing as Widnes had looked like conceding every time we got into their half in the 20-40 minutes period)



He's therefore played 4 games at stand off for Saints (since Royce left) and I think it's ridiculous to write him off as a stand off in that time - especially when he's put in two great performances against two of the best teams in the competition in those four games.



I'd rather wait another 10-12 games before I judge whether he's going to be a good enough No6 or not.



But, having watched Saints since 1984/5, I know how fond my fellow Saints fans are of piling into a player and creating a bogeyman out of them - something that seems to gather a momentum of its own and, over the years, has led to players losing all confidence and never reaching the heights they're capable of.

The guy never runs with the ball.Looking a very poor signing

After reading something on redvee and then hearing him say that I'm not so sure!

Pryce came back from a serious injury, it's natural he was going to need some time to find his form. I still think he could've given us 3 more good years, especially when we signed Hohaia (overseas player and the same age as Pryce).

Tbf the poster who you are replying to has a point: it's easy to say that now.

I think Hohaia is two years younger than Pryce.

Does anyone know why we actually let Pryce go? Was it down to his injuries? Or did he ask for too much money maybe? Seems like an utterly stupid decision in hindsight.

Do you think so? I don't think so. He's already had two sessions of injury at the Dragons and he did drift in and out of games, just as he is doing still. I think we need someone more consistently 'present' partnering our young player in the halves.



As to why he left, I've got no idea. Nothing was ever said. It never is!



I do remember Pryce himself saying in a press interview that he wanted to stay at Saints if 'the money was right'. So it could have been a question of money.