AFTER the stability provided by club legend Sean Long in the noughties, scrum half developed into something of a problem position for Saints in the last decade.

Kyle Eastmond had been groomed as Long’s successor having been at the club since he was 13.

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With blistering pace and a touch of audacity, Eastmond sent a crackle of excitement through the terraces - his tries against Wigan and Warrington (in 2010) probably stick out.

Alas, a niggling injury disrupted him and then he became unsettled at the start of the 2011 season and he departed for Bath with his rich promise in league unfulfilled.

After Jonny Lomax was moved from number seven Saints tried Gareth O’Brien and Jon Wilkin at scrum half.

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They needed a specialist scrum half and in 2014 recruited Luke Walsh from the NRL and he immediately made an impression on debut against Warrington with a try and seven goals.

He pulled the strings and had the kicking game to boot, but alas suffered an hideous broken leg against Widnes in July and missed the run to the Grand Final. He played on for a further two seasons, but never had the same impact.

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Matty Smith returned from Wigan in 2107, where he had won everything, but suffered a broken leg in the pre-season friendly, meaning he had a stuttering start in what proved to be a tough season.

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He eventually lost his place to Danny Richardson, the former Academy Grand Final winner, who had an enormous 2018 and was selected for the Dream Team after a year in which he kicked 147 goals, seven drop goals and six tries.

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But in 2019 there was another change, with Frenchman Theo Fages taking being a key starting point for Saints attack, with his willingness to take the ball to the teeth of the line and deliver quick ball being key to the spaces eventually created out wide.

NB. Jonny Lomax has been listed in the votes for the stand off position (which he currently leads.)

Read: Stand off vote>

Vote online below or by emailing your scrum half to: mike.critchley@nqnw.co.uk by 13 December.