Who needs big name signings?

Terrace View
By Ajack
June 30 2002

Should the saints be recruiting highly paid International stars? Ajack disusses the recruitment issues close to Saints fan's hearts and weighs up the relative merits of big name Southern Hemisphere signings, ageing greats, fringe players, homegrown talent and recruiting from within Europe.

I have been thinking with all the talk of new signings going around. Do we actually want any really big name signings?

Given that most, if indeed not all of the current crop of top SH players are going to want to stop with there home nations with the world cup coming up, if they believe they are in with a chance of making the WC squads and all current six nations players will be representing there countries in the coming six nations and probably be expected to attend extra training sessions and be unavailable during six nations weekends and any other touring matches, are they the best option?

The next option is ageing “greats”. These to me seem to spend most of the time injured; even when they do play do they have a huge impact? They are also putting a large dent in the wage cap. Have the likes of Tim Horan, Jason Little, David Wilson, Zin Zan Brooke, etc been value for money?

The next option is “fringe” players who have maybe played a handful of internationals for their country but are not “big names”. For example prior to him signing for the Saints my knowledge of Gary Pagel was he gave Jason Leonard a hard time in a mid-week Lions game. Andy Blowers I had seen in the S12 but not for the season prior to him signing for us. Both of these in my opinion have been fantastic signings. They perform to the highest-level week in week out, not looking to peak for International weekends or coming back looking jaded and disinterested. I would love to see two or three new players like this wearing the Saints shirt next year.

The next option is talent from within. I do feel we have done well in this department in the last year, with Dan, Archie and Robbie especially coming through to the top level and looking totally competent with hopefully the best still to come. Having heard Smudger’s comments about “not giving tuppence” for the Saints academy I do wonder how many more of this quality we have in there.

The final option is recruiting from British/ French clubs. The three signings we have made so far have been from this section, all of which I hope will be successful. I would still like to see two or three other young players from this section. Someone said on a previous posting that they are only other clubs rejects. I do not see it like that, some clubs will have strength in depth in one position but will be weak in another. The third or even forth choice for one club may be another clubs first choice, not necessarily on pure ability but maybe his strengths do not fit in with the style of rugby that is played at that club.

To conclude, I would like to see another five to six signings to strengthen the squad, but I do not believe we necessarily need “big names”.