Everyone saying he hasn’t hit the heights this year, who has? We have been dogshit nearly every game we have played. Maybe he is fed up to the back teeth of the way we play and is not enjoying his rugby with us?
He killed them that day and hes try against Hardaker was amazing.
I sometimes rewatch that match highlights and it never fails to put a smile on my face.
I wish him all the best. Hes in his twilight years. He has to now put finances before Trophies.
Hes won the LLS, GF x 2 and fingers crossed we can add a CC medal to his collection and send him on his way a happy man.
He's the reason.......
He was very good in 2019. Very very good. Decent last year. This year he’s gone down but i suppose he is getting older.
screaming in the family corner, scaring the kiddies
Sad to see him go as he has been a brilliant player for Saints.
This season he does seem to be struggling a bit and maybe its niggling injuries or age catching up. It's a similar situation I think to Matt Gidley who was great for two years and then his legs started to go in terms of his pace in his third year.
I can understand that Hull KR might be a better move. I honestly can't see him getting a contract in the NRL next year unless it was in a back up player role. A player of Matt Duftys ability can't even get a contract at the moment as competition for places in that position is fierce. I hope we are signing Dufty as the guy is only 25, and has loads of skill, ability and pace.
Well said.
Still a very skillful player but the spine of the team needs more pace.
I have made no secret of being keen on Dufty.
The club has been very quiet and this quietness is building an expectation that something
big and good is coming ala Dufty.
If Saints then turn around and go and sign Ryan Brierley or Ashall-Bott there will be scenes.
If he goes, he goes with my best wishes, rarely let us down and has been a good, honest pro who came over with the right attitude and not for a holiday.
With regards to our overseas signings, I always apply the “Josh Perry” conversion equation (patent pending)
Whilst he didn't ideally want to leave, that only tells half the story.
Before he left for his off season stint with Canterbury Bankstown, he'd rejected Saints' new contract offer and, while in Oz, was making noises about signing permanently for Canterbury.
This was the days of big transfer fees but there was a standard £70k fee between the UK and ARL, which would have left us well out of pocket to sign a replacement of equivalent quality.
So we panicked and offered him to wi*an and that £250k fee was agreed.
By all accounts, the club lowballed him with the contract offer.
That summer, though, was gutting. We'd lost the league only in points difference, with Ward having his career ended in the GF draw at Central Park. Losing both Ward and Connolly that summer was crushing and sent us backwards.
What I don't believe for a minute is that Gary Connolly knew nothing of Wigan's interest. This is bona-fide bollocks. Everybody knew at the time that he had a three way choice between Saints, Canterbury and Wigan. It had been talked about for weeks beforehand that those three clubs had all made offers. If Connolly didn't know, then all he had to do was have a word with me. :-) I wrote to the Rugby Leaguer about it back in May 1993, imploring him to bloody make his mind up so we could go and get Paul Newlove before he went somewhere else. He didn't and Newlove moved to Bradford.
THIS YEAR LENDING SUPPORT TO:- St. Helens RLFC, Manchester City, Celtic, Alemannia Aachen, Steps 1 to 6 Non-League Football
Gerry, I think you're right- I also think Saints will make a big signing to replace Coote.
McManus is a proud man, he will know that the club PR team can call Jack Welsby the 'young king' all they want, but he's still got a lot to prove and he knows the fans like to see exciting signings. Fages being replaced with Dodd too, magnifies this even more. Welsby has come on lots this year, but in my opinion, he shouldn't be first choice full back next season. He should be a first choice centre with Percival.
Dufty? He would be the ideal replacement for Coote. I know Saint Toppy says he can't pass and can't tackle, but he seemed to do okay in both departments today https://www.nrl.com/news/2021/07/02/...ors-v-dragons/
*Not to be confused with Mike Stephenson, MBE
Unlike Barba who only got to May in his first full season before the NRL rumours started, Coote has signed and will have seen out his contract that's all I expect.
We've won 2 GFs and more could come this season and as long as he doesn't sign for Wigan or Wire I don't blame the guy.
From a Saints POV he'll be 32 early next season so I was expecting no more than 12mths if he did sign which I didn't think he would anyway, I thought he'd go back to Aus.