Eastmond's been going for ages so it's no big deal to me any more, I'm interested to see whether he leaves now or later though - surely we have to keep him until the end of the season?

We don't have a good kicking game with or without Eastmond, especially out of our oen half. We have to go to Australia for our next 7 IMO, unless there's another gem in the academy.

If I were Saints I would drop him into the reserves for the season and blood another youngster. He is contracted to the club for the season, so they have every right to do this. If the reason he is going is only money, as I understand Saints offered him the same. Then I would feel peeved off after having brought him through from being 13 and spent time and money on him.
I would certainly hang on to him for the rest of his contract at reserve team level, and he would be going to Bath undercooked, and they would have to spend time bringing him back up to level. ( If his legs and ankles hold up.!!!!!

Why be that childish with him? If the club doesn't want to play him in the first team (And he's promised 100% effort) then they should have the grace to release him and pay him in full.

Leaving for Union is a big call and no doubt he has been poorly advised. But watching Union internationals on the TV must play a huge part in it. Their sport is bigger and it is a better spectacle at international level.

But there is also the Lee Smith situation. There is a chance Kyle won't be able to make the switch in terms of moving away for the first time, or the technical nature of the sport and he could be wanting to come back after 12 months. We'd be daft to have burnt those bridges as he is clearly a very, very talented player. We will not replace him with someone as talented as he is, that is for sure.

There's nothing childish about it. We have other young players who are contracted to us next season and who could be our replacement halfback if given the chance to prove themselves on the pitch. Why should we push those lads out by buying in? Surely they should be given the opportunity to show everyone what they can do before we bring someone from down under or wherever? This is an ideal chance for that to happen. Kyle could be the backline cover on the bench that Simmons wants to retain in case of injury.

And I don't believe for one minute that there isn't someone as talented or in fact more talented as Kyle Eastmond out there.

We won't drop him because he's still a Saints player until the end of the year. Pryce and Graham are off contract and likely to move at the end of the season and we won't drop those two either.

All this talk of putting him in the reserves is stupid and petty.

No, he was MoM in the first play off game.

He was then anonymous in the Qualifying Play Off and the Grand Final. And whilst we could do worse than a player who cannot hold down the 7 shirt at Salford, we can do far, far, better.