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?

Saints will be concerned about Eastmonds natural tendancy to drift in and out of a game when he is playing at 7. Pryce is exactly the same kind of player and to have both at half back could be a worry for the team as a whole. To be fair, Leon has done more drifting out this season so you are even more reliant on your 7 if he plays like that again next year.

If Saints have offered Eastmond a contract based on his potential and he has turned it down, personally, I would start looking elsewhere. Saints will not be able to match Sale RU for contract terms so its pointless pricing themselves out for a player whose ability to consistently perform week in week out in a pivotal position is untried and untested. He may turn out to be the next Andrew Johns, but then again, maybe not.

Probably earns 20 k a year but was paid a 2 million signing on fee! Moran is loaded!

90K a year he's getting at Wire.

Balls. Salford stated he turned down a 6 figure sum for them.

Warrington aren't yet of the stature of club where you take a pay cut.

Half-full, half-empty - makes no difference. The issue is that the second best side in SL has allowed itself - for whatever reason, including the perfectly reasonable "we need to divert revenue from the players in order to fund the new stadium" excuse - to fall into a hole which will be pretty difficult to get out of.

I'm not sure what McManus is smoking, TBH. On the one hand he's letting our only playmaker go whilst spouting lines such as "pinning our hopes on Eastmond", "building for the future" etc. Fair enough. I can buy that. But now it turns out that Saints AREN'T anywhere near as confident in Eastmond's playmaking abilities as McManus has been claiming, because if they were he'd be signed on an extension by now. So one of the most acclaimed sides in RL is now in a position where it's prepared to jeopardise an ENTIRE SEASON on a player who if he does work out may choose not to stay with us anyway and if he doesn't it'll mean we're screwed.

Clearly McManus likes to take risks. Let's hope for Saints' sake the next chamber isn't packing a bullet.