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.
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.
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.
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.
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"
Mixed Feelings.
Bennison deserves a senior spot , has developed and will get better.
Really like him at Fullback and if he fills out could make a really capable centre.
However he ain't a winger and the back division has issues that have been done to death.
The social media hype was a bit OTT, here's our new number five who follows in the footsteps of Albert and Sullivan. Really ?
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.
Last 6 years are you including 2022 in that ?
Winger's pace.
Welsby ain't an winger either , he always did well on the wing when asked as part of his apprenticeship but a winger he is not.
This might be a bit o"out there" as a view but have you ever thought it might be possible for players to have the ability to play in multiple positions...and I can think of plenty of cases where a player has come through the junior setup playing a position only to end up having a successful career in another in the first team.
For example, wasn't James Roby a scrum half rather than a hooker? Wasn't Paul Wellens a hooker before he played full back? How many positions did Welsby have to play (and excel in) before he got the 1 shirt because of Coote?
Bennison has proven himself to be more than capable as a winger so why should we waste money bringing in somebody just because they are seen to be a winger (when in reality they probably aren't as good there as Bennison anyway)? Seems to me like a moan just for the sake of it
I am confused. Welsby was in the top 10 for speed this year across the league as a whole, but aint a winger, so what precisely is "wingers pace". I am also fairly certain that Bennison is faster than Makinson, whose the best winger in the league.
Welsby would be one of the best wingers in the league, but his creative play and ability to create opportunities would be absolutely wasted, which conversely is where I think Bennison is weakest and why I dont think his best role long term is fullback (and why when he did play fullback for us this year he wasnt included in spine plays, and we struggled in attack as a consequence).
It’s worth remembering that Bennison turns 20 in December. He’s not the finished article, far from it. He’s played approximately twenty first team games and has some developing and learning to do. Regan Grace of twenty games into his career was not the Regan Grace of 2021 and not the player people are upset about losing.
Bennison has time on his side and he’s made an impact in such a short period to get a starting squad number and he’s in the right hands and environment to develop.
St Helens Rugby League Football Club
So missed nearly half a season then