What page is this on?

I can't find it anywhere in that paper.

I never saw it either, was it in League weekly?

Eammon is simply playing the same game that Offiah is. It's not going to do the club's bargaining position any good if he comes out and says 'we're going to give Kyle a new contract at any price'.

There have been plenty of talented kids who've come through the academy - but other than Cunningham (who was a REAL money whore when he was younger) and Bracek I can't think of too many who've felt they are worth more than Saints' estimation.

Whilst I'm pretty much in agreement with McManus' decision, we should be mindful of the fact that Saints DID stump up for Cunningham (when he was not much older than Eastmond and playing us off against Wigan left, right and centre) and in retrospect it was clearly the right thing to do.

But there's a bigger issue here. How have we got to a position where we're letting our ONLY SH and playmaker go (Long) and replacing him with a kid who: a) has been given minimal game time at 7, b) is holding the club to ransom and c) may leave within eighteen months? It's a shambles and McManus clearly must shoulder some responsibility.

Has Scott Moore been given an extension? If not there's a very real risk he may walk in 12 months (I'd be annoyed if I'd been farmed out on loan to Huddersfield from Saints), which would - combined with Eastmond leaving - be an utter disaster.

I've looked thru that paper 3 times and it's defo not in there.

Officially they can't announce it until September, but as in the case of Long and Gilmour it can be agreed to let a player sign at any time of the season.

Saints would be entitled to some money for Eastmond but it would only be a small fee, based on the number of years he has been at the club. (I think Wigan had to pay Bradford £25,000 for Mark Flanagan) who was of a similar age.

Eastmond has already proven himself to have huge natural talent, the most exciting player that Saints have produced for many years. Can he control the team from SH? He hasn't shown that yet, but that wouldn't necessarily stop him being a top class winger, centre or fb. Should he get paid more as a SH than as a centre? Would you pay Danny Brough more than Lyon? If he can prove himself as a SH next season, then he will be a top replacement for Long. If he doesn't he will still be the most exciting player in the RedV and worthy of a top contract as a goal kicking centre/winger. Eastmond can be the future of Saints, for the next 10 or 12 years, but even if he leaves after next season, he will have had an impact and played a part in the clubs success.

In both of those cases the player in question had the club's permission to talk to other clubs. If a player doesn't have that permission then any discussion with other clubs prior to September is tapping up.


I would suggest he would command a good deal more than that, given that he is likely to be a full international by the time of any potential move.

I'm not sure what transfer fee we'd get from Union. Probably nothing. And what if he commits to Sale early? We could be in the same situation as Wigan were with Ashton, who they had to drop because he couldn't be bothered. THAT would be a clamity.



They'd HAVE TO have a signing lined up, because we would be buggered otherwise. Which highlights the lunacy of this situation because whomever we have lined up will KNOW it's a seller's market and whatever we save on Eastmond will only be gobbled up by him and his agent. I've not seen anything in Wheeler that suggests to me he is a natural SH. Regardless of who gets the job, it'll mean months - perhaps a year - of getting used to each other before we see the real fruits. Hardly the Sugarcandy "Golden Generation" mountain McManus promised tho. The keystone player of his plan is threatening to collapse.



Then we'd better hope he doesn't harbour any grudges. Because if he does we'll be in street for sure.

Sorry. It's in the league weekly.

Please don't tell me that you are comparing Jamie Lyon with Danny Brough? Flipping eck.

A better way of looking at it would be - would you pay Jonathon Thurston more than Jamie Lyon? Probably yes. A scrum half if the heartbeat of the team.

Goodness. You're not a [iglass half full[/i kinda guy, are you.

The Richie Myler move has completely skewed the market for young players in terms of contracts.

Every stand-out teenager in SL will want the same sort of money on their next deal that Myler got, and every agent will be telling them that they can get it for them.

How much did Myler get?