Just for once, why dont you turn off your firefox alarm that rings when anyone mentions salary cap?

Yes, there's lots of rumours on forums but fact that some make regional and national media isn't solely down to the odd Wigan supporter posting on RLFANS.

That's ridiculous, Mike.

It is ridiculous which is why I didn't say that. I mentioned in this thread which was related to Eastmond and IIRC the Eastmond rumour was nothing until someone heard from someone at some function about it i.e. where nothing could be verified or evidenced. Due to said poster having reasonable credibility it somehow transformed into fact. Completely barmy and some Saints fans should hang their heads in shame for believing everything that anyone posts on a messageboard.

It is not uncommon in British RL for rumours to be banded about on RL messageboards that suddenly appear in newspapers both real truths and half-d wind-ups. Throw into that agents working overtime to try and generate extra column inches and wages for their players and you have gossip running amok.

I keep referring to the Cunningham one because it is a classic. First it appears as a throwaway post on a messageboard or overheard in a pub conversation. Next it's gossip amongst the season ticket holder types and then a couple of weeks later my dad has heard it at his pub and before you know it, it's in the press and formal statements are being made about it. Ridiculous.

I can cope with all that, however some people can't and in their quest to satisfy themselves with the latest gossip they increase their gullability susceptibility tenfold.

I can't say if there's any truth in the Eastmond rumours, however it's funny that it starts from a Wigoon poster with no evidence other than "I heard from someone" during the middle of the season when the guy still has another year to run on his contract. Now unless Sale are looking to buy him off us there's no reason why they'd be sniffing around Eastmond at this stage. I suggest that the original post about this might even have been influenced by the fact that Eastmond is small, nippy and black which means he's like Jason Robinson so Sale would be interested in him. Complete madness and he's reeled hundreds in off it whether intentional or not. It's existential trolling of the highest order and I have to salute that. Only Ellery Hanley could have done better.

I was looking for this on a few RU forums, I found it on one Sale site and guess were it was claimed it started?

A Wigan RL supporter.

I found out about it from a guy who coached at Lymm RUFC and who hates RL and everything about it. I'll ask him if he spoke to a Wigan fan 12 months ago

NO WAAAY!!

Tis true, I was that bored in work I decided to see if Sale fans were talking about it.

IF it's a done deal we should be getting that cretin of an agent of his to get rid of him now and maybe get a fee for him. No point wasting money and time on a player who is far from the finished article. We need to bed in a new Scrum half for next year and beyond and if Matty Smith or Kyle arnt the answer we might as well get shut of them.

P.S I dont blame the salary cap - even without it there is no way we could match the money some of the union clubs have , instead we would probably see Kyle off to Goon land or Dire where money is no object it seems

Why would a coach of Lymm RUFC know about Sale Sharks recruitment policy 12 months in advance?

It does have someone from the sale club making comment which means they must have been watching Kyle.

They even say that he's under contract until end of 2010 so they may have even spoke to him or saints.

The end of 2010 is long way off yet, so lets wait and see.

Reporter: "Have you watched Kyle?"

Sale Employee: "Yes, I watched the play-off game the other night..."

Reporter: "Cheers, that'll do..."

People know people in their industry. It happens all the time in my line of work. You find out who is tendering for which jobs and who is likely to win them. The guy didn't say he had signed he obviously hasn't yet but it shows the length of time they have been sniffing around him.

Union scouts will frequently attend Super league academy fixtures looking for talent. Sale will also have people still friends with previous contacts such as Jason Robinson and Apollo who they will be able to get info from. It would amaze me if the likes of Sam Tomkins at other clubs aren't also being courted.

They would be stupid not to, ditto us watching youth RU games.



Indeed.

4 union clubs have offered him massive money apparently.

He wants to stay in league, but said he'd be silly not to take the money.

Would be a huge blow, but i would think the saints board could increase his salary. Losing Long must take a shed load off the cap?

That second line sounds suspiciously like a "offer me more cash or I'll go to unspecified locations" line. Nothing we haven't heard before.

Ultimately, while I like Eastmond's potential, that's all it remains at present. I've not seen him look as if he could boss a game from scrum half at all. Maybe he will develop, and maybe he won't, but if someone's going to risk a lot of cash on that gamble, then I'd rather it was not us. We just don't have the cash to waste signing someone who may yet turn out to be a dud, on to a big long-term contract.

At the end of the day, there's only so many RU clubs and only so many gaps in their squads which would suit a RL player, and only so many RL players who would suit those gaps. As the RFL realised with Lewis's arrival a while back, the key is - like in Australia - to get the conveyor belt moving. As long as there's another one along shortly, then no player can inflate his wages unreasonably, as young Kyle is trying to do, as clubs know there's always another option. If Kyle goes now, that's one less RU spot for Ellis, or Smith, or whoever is next off the production line, so it's more likely that the next one will stay for less cash.

When Cunningham almost went to Welsh RU, the league had to panic, because the fact was that there was very little else of his class in the game. Could I really say that Eastmond is head and shoulders above all other young British half-backs ? No.

If he wants to go, let him. The belt will keep rolling.

Good shout on the final line, will be a shame though. With regards to bossing a game, i see him as a full back in the future, reminds me of Matt Bowen, but obviously thats not my choice even though he has played a few games there this season??

Don't think he is trying to inflate his wages, but obviously can't say where i got the information from.

Hope he resigns with you lot.

You're too generous, I think. Let's face it, he's being paid a fairly large wedge to do something that most of us pay to do - play a sport we enjoy. He has a full-time athlete lifestyle which we'd all prefer to our tedious office jobs, and for all I know, is the main attraction for every lass with a penchant for dwarves in the St Helens area. So he doesn't need to leave for extra cash.

So what he's saying is that despite all those things he claims he loves and doesn't want to leave, he's unable to commit to them unless someone bungs him more cash, which currently outweighs that love.

This doesn't make him anything other than the same as 90% of people. But it does mean that he's effectively trying to hold the club to ransom with "give me more cash, even though I remain unproven and slightly injury-prone, or I'll take my bat somewhere else." He's trying to inflate his salary.

As with all such attempts, the club should call his bluff. If they don't, then not only will they soon be bankrupt, but they'll not be able to hold the line on the next young lad who thinks he's worth a bit more than he is - which, let's face it, is a fairly common feature of young lads. Good luck to him, and I hope he lines his Union shorts pockets with something warm, because his hands will be freezing when they stick him out on the wing in winter.

the only positions he could play in union are wing and a long shot at fullback, not worth a massive salary there, imo

Hey! How dare you start a rumour. You're not a Wigan supporter!

The way I see this after thinking about it IF Kyle is to leave why flog Smith off out on loan again? Surely Kyle is number 1 half-back for the future and if he's to be leaving IMO whats the point in him running the side and everyone getting used to him next season for him to then leave, surely the most logical idea would be to get Smith in now and give him some game-time running the team, instead of changing the half-back yet again at the end of next season?

Kyle is a good player but doesn't appear to be able to take the knocks, think he will end up on the wing ala Jason Robinson

in my very humble opinion, of what i've seen so far, kyle is not going to be a great 7, it would've shown by now. An absolute fabulous winger he may be though, which we desperately need. I'm starting to think the future of 7 at saints is between matty smith and jamie ellis

Kyle will make a top class scrumhalf and I'm pretty sure on that. He's a massive threat with ball in hand.

He's played pretty well at 7 to be honest. The game at home to Wigan, wolves away he showed even at 20 he's doing more than enough at 7.

IMO he's a direct running 7 like longy was when he 1st played for saints. He needs a ball playing 6 playing alongside him.

I don't think pryce and Kyle will work because none of them are proprer ball players which will be a problem.

I tell you what, he looks sharp in the centre with ball in hand. Don't think he's big enough to stay there or be put on the wing though. A good coach could exploit his size out wide with big second rowers and some bombs.

You can have small wingers. I never did Jason Robinson any harm.