From the official websiteSt. Helens announce that Lance Hohaia has informed us of his retirement from rugby league and will therefore not play for the Club again.

Lance has been a valued and integral member of the squad for the last three-and-a-half years and we thank him for his service.

We wish him and his family well in their life after rugby league with St Helens.

St Helens will make no further comment on this matter.'"

Just seen it on Twitter quite short and too the point.

Strange how vague the announcement is on details. I wonder if he's decided after more weeks of being moved from pillar to post or not being picked at all that he's just had enough.

I any case, fair play to him - I don't think it ever really worked out for him at the club, but I always got the impression that it wasn't for want of effort. Best of luck to him.

That press release doesn't have an air of amicability to it.

Wow, strange announcement. Seems to me from that wording that the club hasn't been involved with the diagnosis of retirement required and that it has come from Lance himself.

He's been on the periphery of things and IMO McManus was to blame for a panic signing that was a classic square peg round hole scenario.

This will definitely free up the cap space to do something in terms of a replacement. I'd be happy with McDonnell as rumoured, but if he's currently without a club, I'd expect him to be on very little money. So with Jones rumoured to be leaving shortly, does that leave room for another signing? IMO it should.

McDonnell is at Wests not unattached. Jones is not going to be on a lot of money at all.

Shame lance came to his end in this manner, I do agree I find the statement quite strange and abrupt. All the best lance, enjoy the GF ring!

Billy Slater has just pulled out of the Aussie squad ... #justsaying

Seriously though, it must be something drastic to forego wages for the rest of the season rather than just sit out a few months in the stands.

But wasn't he only in the reserve grades on a trial basis? We can't be paying that much for him?

There is the possibility that Saints have something BIG in the pipeline and need to free up the cap/quota space?
1 brown paper bag to Hohaia and job's a goodun.

If there is it'll be Kurt Gidley. He was slaughtered for his performance at the weekend and the Knights are under pressure to drop him.

Possibly untrue, why would we need McDonnell AND Gidley?

Kurt Gidley turns 33 in June and is another 'utility' not someone we should be considering IMO.

Strange announcement to say the least from the club.

Shame it had to end like this because I've always liked Lance. We can argue about whether he should have been signed but once he arrived he gave everything - under extremely trying circumstances.

If every foreign import was as naturally competitive SL wouldn't have any problems.

Of course - this leaves us incredibly short on backs. And Lance was a utility player which makes him doubly important.

Agree with that, it's a big blow.

i doubt he has actually retired. i bet he pops up in the NRL. maybe a loophole that allows the club can make a mid season signing?

Jones leaving, Dawson & Lomax injured, Swift is a bit random? Mcdonnel might be so cheap it makes no odds to have him around.