Looks as though we’re not signing anyone and that Bennison gets a crack at making the position his own.
Reasonably happy about this.
Looks as though we’re not signing anyone and that Bennison gets a crack at making the position his own.
Reasonably happy about this.
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
https://www.saintsrlfc.com/2022/10/2...er-5-for-2023/
This doesn't definitively mean we aren't signing anyone. It just means we are rewarding him with a number upgrade. But it's certainly a vote of confidence in him ahead of 2023.
It also doesn't mean he gets first shot at the wing position. From what I was told at the weekend, if we don't sign anyone then we will start the season with Hopoate on the left wing should everyone be fit for Round 1.
Last edited by The Yellow Giraffe; 26th October 2022 at 11:18.
NEVER WRITE OFF THE SAINTS
Awesome. At least it stops us going round in circles in the rumours thread.
I honestly think he will make the position his own next year, I know some arent convinced with him as a winger, but with a full offseason, I think he can improve himself alot. Hes already rock solid under kicks, shown some nice hands on the break, and has a knack of being in the right place at the right time, as shown with his two tries in the playoffs. If he can improve his carries and take some of the pressure off of Makinson and Percival I think hes in for a really good season.
If the money is used to improve/ retain elsewhere, even better.
He deserves the first shot at the position in my eyes, didnt do much wrong last season and will improve the longer he spends round the first team squad. As YG says, this doesnt stop us going out and signing a winger should we find a non-quota one we like the look of or a player leaving opening up a quota spot.
Even if we do sign someone I think Bennison deserves to have a starting number.
We are the 4 time champs. I dont think anyone should just walk into the club and get an automatic starting spot.
If we start next season with Bennison on the wing that is fine with me. He scored the winner in the semi and an import try in the final. I am not sure what more you can expect on a starting wingers CV.
I could agree with you but then we would both be wrong.
Great news for me.
Bennison has so much potential. So many youngsters in super league who have been thrust into the fullback position have crumbled, he excelled and was safe as houses at the end of the season.
He has a good turn of speed and fantastic footwork. Looking forward to seeing him progress.
Much prefer this to an over the hill, for the sake of it signing which would hinder his progress.
Last 6 years are you including 2022 in that ?
He's a decent, solid prospect. But he's way below the level of Grace in terms of being an attacking threat. And, as has been pointed out, he's not been a winger. Even though Grace was quite small, he was good at running the ball in 1st/2nd tackle due to how he took it in. Bennison is more 'rag-dolled' when he runs it into a defence at the start of sets.
It's accepting players that were a tier or two below those they were replacing that led to our 'prolonged transition' phase in the late 00's/early 10's. You can get away with one, maybe two, in a team but you can't let that be a pattern that repeats across the team. You need to replace quality with quality.
People talk of Ritson because he has a bit of 'x factor' about him, being lightning quick and with an eye for a gap. Could he make it in SL? We don't know and it'd be a gamble. But he - IMO at least - has a higher potential 'ceiling' than Bennison.
It's a pity that Murphy seems like the sort to get a nosebleed if he leaves Yorkshire, so is penciled in for a Leeds move. And Dom Young's worth has gone stratospheric so unless he really wants to come back to England (which he doesn't seem to) then he's out. Davies at Catalans a decent all-round winger, but there's no indication he either wants to leave or that Catalans would release him anyway.
A bit underwhelming, but if there's no quality available, then I agree with the 'why waste cap space?' theory.
He's not the Messiah, he's a naughty boy.
Yes Percy had some horrendous luck with injuries and in the 9 years he's been in the 1st team with 4 of those have been wrecked by injury but its harsh to call him unreliable, his record is nowhere near as bad as your making out. He made his debut part way through the 2013 season and in the 9 seasons since had made 188 appearances, so thats an average of 21 games a year. In fact the only season he's played in less than half the Saints games was back in 2020 when he only made 5 appearances.
We had an unprecedented number of injuries in our backs this year, finished top of the table and Grand Final champions.
Suggestion that any injuries in hte backs and we are screwed are mental. We went large parts of the season with only 2 of our starting 7 fit, and yet we finished top. I'd bet my mortgage we won't have the same disruption this season.
Id like us to sign 1/6/7 cover so we dont need to reshuffle everyone upon an injury but a lot of these comments are very disrespectful to the depth and ability we have. This is proven and evidenced this season.
I think most of the Saints fans will be pleased Bennison is getting the No5 shirt, We have been spoiled for the last 4yrs and wanted a new face in the squad to complement the squad.
Hope we still do sign a winger but overall still pleased with the squad.
Everyone knows Hopoate is not going to play many games, So another youngster is going to get game time.
Hope we are in for Lewis Murphy when he becomes OOC.
I mean we just won SL in exactly the same scenario, so how does that mean we're screwed this year if we get some injuries again? It's the same pack and Dodd will be like a new signing too.
So many drama queens on here at the moment. Still think we could do with adding to the squad this year but all this talk of being screwed is just silly.
Can only see this as a temporary situation until someone becomes avaiable, we all know Bennison looks a very promising full back in a similar progression as per Wellens. Its possible in the 2024 season we will see Bennison, Welsby and Dodd as 1, 6 and 7 for the No 9 position would like the club go out and spend money to get Edwin Ipape.
We have Makinson, Hopoate and Bennison competing for 3 wing spots you would think - and after his performances last season he has proven Bennison as proven he is a better option as a winger than other options who are realistically available for us to sign.
We then have Percival and Hurrell in the centres (with Hopoate and Davies as cover who has done a job this year) and if we are struggling Percival can operate on the wing with Matautia at centre (leaving Batchelor, Sironen, Knowles, Bell and Wingfield to rotate in the back row).
Even if you take Hopoate and Percival out as "scratched off and unreliable" as you say, it still leaves us with a potential back line of Welsby, Makinson, Hurrell, Matautia, Bennison, Lomax, Dodd which I would say is better than the majority of SL back lines...especially playing behind our forward pack
Its a salary capped sport and over the past couple of seasons we have managed to agree longer term deals for Welsby, Makinson, Percival, Lomax, Dodd, Walmsley, Lees, Batchelor, Knowles and Paasi which will have eaten up a chunk more cap and needs to be balanced.
I really dont get why people are so desperate for us to sign a winger (such as Kyle Evans, Tee Ritson and other names being chucked around) who are unproven at our level yet moan about Bennison being given a shot there after how good he's been last season. Surely if there is no better option available, stick with what we have got and look again in 12 months...or should we go back to the Jack Owens/Matty Dawson days of being stuck with a player on the cap that isnt good enough because we "panic bought"
I don't think he's got the passing game for fullback ultimately, and if he went down that road would be another Jack Walker/ Jamie Shaul style fullback which is dying out. Further he's never going to replace Welsby (or Lomax, if Welsby pushed up to 6) and opportunity is so important at this stage of his career. Adam Swift was a halfback before coming into the first team - I don't think its right to pigeon hole him as a square peg in this situation.