TIME appears to have caught up with a team of ageing Saints, who finished the Super League season empty-handed.

These are worrying times for the Saints faithful who have been used to a regular helping of silverware spoils from their heroes.

A decade of domination by the men with the distinctive red `V' on their jerseys appears to be over.

Alex Murphy, the greatest ever Saint, is fully aware of rumblings of discontent on the Knowsley Road terraces.

Murphy also feels that the club's Aussie coach Mick Potter could do with Harry Potter's brand of wizardry in 2010 to revive the fortunes of a club lacking its one-time invincibility tag.

Murphy, a man never afraid to tell it as he sees it, believes Saints have let too many players pass their sell-by date.

This is a common view within Super League circles. The same happened at the end of the 1970s when yet another champion team grew old together and was never properly replaced.

Murphy told MEN Sport: "The Saints fans are certainly not as confident as they used to be.

"This is understandable, Leeds again beat Saints at Old Trafford and Wigan could be in for a really good season. The Saints fans are not happy. The side appear to have changed their style of play from being the Harlem Globetrotters to the Bash Street Kids. Daniel Anderson has certainly proved to be an extremely tough act to follow as coach.

"The hooking situation concerns me. Saints still have Keiron Cunningham, who has been a magnificent servant, but also have James Roby and now they have brought in Scott Moore from Huddersfield as well. I'm baffled by it. Young Roby seems a bit hindered knowing he's only getting 20 minutes here and there.

"I also keep being told the big prop James Graham is not totally happy. All certainly doesn't appear to be right and you can understand why the fans are worried.

"Saints do, however, have some very good young players coming through. This is always the case and their Academy team recently toured Australia and won three of four games against the best young Australian talent. This is very encouraging but the next season is a big one."

Saints will start the new campaign lacking the influential Sean Long, who has joined Hull.

England star Kyle Eastmond is set to replace Long. Murphy says: "If Eastmond is going to make it then it will have to be as a scrum-half in my book.

"Eastmond still has a lot to prove and too many people right now are trying to give too many players too much money.

"This lad has achieved nothing just yet and still has everything to prove.

"He is a talent and I'm sure we will hear a lot about him but Saints have to start well and show what they are all about."