SAINTS boss Keiron Cunningham discusses Luke Walsh, Dougie Charnock and Shannon McDonnell with the Star’s Mike Critchley.

MC: Fully fit apart from the long-termers, does that give you a selection headache?

KC: Just a bit. Luke Thompson has trained outstandingly and comes back in. He has been sensational but he had a couple of games after Easter where he looked tired and went backwards, so for his development it was not good to push him through that. I did it earlier in the year with Greg Richards where I gave him a week or two and then brought him back and he’s been outstanding.

As much as you would like to keep the same 17 every week and roll forward that is not possible – but as long as keep combinations at 6,7,1,9 fit for long periods you should be able to drop people in.

MC: Explain the decision to play Shannon McDonnell straight after coming in off a long haul plane journey?

KC: It was a calculated risk which makes me look good now. I could have ended up with egg on my face. I knew he was fit and healthy because he was playing. I knew that if he got off the plane ok and was not stiff then he could play.

He landed at 7.30am on Thursday and trained the same morning. I swapped him in and out with Tommy and he looked super. He has played here before and so he knows our plays. I spoke to him after Thursday’s session and he said he was good to go. I spoke to him on Friday and said he had slept like a baby and was ready to go.

He is a great guy and he fits in.

It was a no brainer who we went for as soon as we knew Lance as retiring – it was a case of getting over there and getting it done.

MC: It gives you pretty useful cover for next year too?

KC: That’s why I wanted it for two years because Jonny is coming off the back of major surgery again and won’t play every week because we have got to do the right thing by Jonny. Shannon can play a bit of wing as well. It gives us cover across the board really – if you lose the players you are losing at the end of the year then you have to recruit wisely and well for next year.

MC: Dougie Charnock did a good job on Friday, but James Roby comes straight back in if fit?

KC: Dougie did a super job, the game was just a cherry on top. We have done a lot of work to turn him into a nine. He was good in 19s last year, and before that he had a crack in the halves and did not quite hit his straps. He has come of age and proved that we have got something there to back Robes up.

Lance has retired and left the club in a bit of a spot. But we have now got Shannon at one and Dougie at nine if needed. We can do stuff on the fly as well - like playing Wilko there.

Dougie is a good little nine, the more he plays the better he will get. He has had deficiencies like every player, but we are working on them and putting the right things into him. It is good to see that clouds do have a silver lining. If Lancehad stuck around we don’t get Shannon McDonnell and Dougie does not get his chance Out of every bad position the club goes you get that little diamond. Fleming, Greenwood and now Dougie. The kids have taken their chance and that is something I want to pride myself on.

I follow the kids closely from 16 and see how the future of our club is developing. As a club we have always developed some excellent athletes –some of the greatest that have ever played the game. And we will continue to do that. It is my job.

MC: It is great to have Luke Walsh back, but has it been awkward for Travis Burns to settle back into stand off after doing a bit of both at start of year?

KC: I like to play my sevens ‘on ball’ but when Jon Wilkin was in there Travis was a bit more dominant.

Now Walshy is the main voice it is a case of adjusting. They have had a few tiffs along the way but they are best mates and are learning how to play with each other again.

They have not done this since they played at Penrith. If you watch some of the highlights from those days they were outstanding together.

Travis is just learning to build those combinations that he has lost. Playing with Wilko is different to playing with Walshy – they are looking good and we are working hard in training to polish a few things.

MC: We have had coaches here in the past who have split their halves. It sounds like your approach is similar to Daniel Anderson whose first change was to make Sean Long run the team?

KC: I always like a scrum half who plays ‘on ball’ and like to fill people around them who can play those right positions. Burnsy does a good job and swings really well and now McDonnell who reads play really well, reminiscent of Paul Wellens.

He is super quick as well. The longer those three play with each other the better they will get. You will see them keep improving – the more time they spend on a playing field.

MC: In the space of a couple of weeks the team has pace again, with men supporting on the inside.

KC: You saw that Friday where we have made the half break and Shannon was up in support.

Tommy did a great job filling in, but it would have hurt his development if we had played him there too much.

As Tommy matures over time he could probably turn into a super full back, but in Shannon we are buying in a ready made product who, once he understands our structures and how we attack, will look even better.