My ,My - touchy aren't we? I dont deny that Long has some talent but I believe that he has played behind a decent pack for most of his career and when the pack is out performed and he is more vulnerable he does not function. He is obviously now in the twilight of his career and whilst he will no doubt continue to cause problems the fact remains that he needs some protection to really perform well. Saints obviously thought it was time to move on otherwise they would have retained him as they have Cunningham.

we wanted to retain him

Scrum halves tend to do that, didn't ya know? If the pack is bollox, chances are the scrum half won't be able to do their job very well.


Saints offered him a one year contract, just as they have done to Cunningham for the last three years (and we did to Gilmour too) but he didn't want one. He wanted a two year contract and Saints don't offer two year contracts to their over 30s. They offer one year contracts. So it was his decision for him to go, not ours.

I personally can't stand Long, and like many other Wigan fan's are dislike for him clouds are view of him. We therefore naturally have to say he sucks balls and he's a crap player. But deep down in side as much as it pains me to say it, he was a fantastic player who brought great success to St Helens.

But like Saints at present, Long is steadily going down hill.

I don't agree with that at all!! No way! Long goes missing when game gets tough must be a joke. Long has had teams week in, week out over the last ten years targeting him and trying to put him off his game, it's clear it don't work as he's been best scrumhalf to play super league.

Fair enough he may be marked out of games through good defence but longy can handle the rough stuff, without a doubt.

He's as tough as they come.

He is a very lucky player. Always seems to score against us the bugger!

Was quiet tonight though. We did a good job on him. Close the space around him and shut him out the game. Shame we didn't do the same to Richard Horne who looked very good tonight. I've never rated him until tonight. Good performance from him.

While your correct that long has talent, the rest is utter crap. The best halfbacks in the world struggle behind a beaten pack. That's why it's so important the pack gets on top to provide the halfbacks with the platform to work.

Longy is at the end of his time as a top player now and IMO saints was correct to only offer one year deal but on his day he is still best scrumhalf in super league.

The biggest match winner i've seen and a born winner.

So....just as many trophies as us this century then?

I know you're generally a good poster so I'll let the underlined go! But better than Barrett or Farrell....please!

As for the "going missing" claims against Long, I agree that's rubbish. He has been (and remains to a lesser extent) a great player and only his poor personal discipline and dodgy, shall we call them 'life choices', prevent him from being universally recognised as a great of the British game.

Lets get something straight here -Sean Long was an exceptional player who on many occasions single handedly won matches for Saints. the reason why he gets stick from Wigan fans (of which I am one, but have never given him stick) is because he is that good. On Friday, like a lot of Hull FC players they had a bad day at the office and were outplayed by Wigan. However Deacon will do a far better job for Wigan than Long, simply because if Long was in the camp, he would want to run the whole show and MM and SW do that and thats the end of it, not the players, the coaches. That's why Long is at Hull simple as. Oh and by the way, good luck to him.

Leaving field positions aside,Long better than Barrett? Yes I would have to agree with that. But Long better than Farrell, that is ridiculous