Nice, meaty chunk of editorial work right there.

I agree.

Massive potential, but sadly might not have the body for RL.

I really want him to stay in RL, but i would be a little miffed if he signed a massive contract, only to sit out half the season.

That article is from a week ago and Warrington have come out and denied any interest since

We might as well get ready for a lot more of this.

The story is that Eastmond has been offered a shed-load to turn to RU. If true, his agent will now be testing the water with various clubs in RL, to see if anyone can better it.

Wire are an obvious club for him to start at, because they will have several veteran players, including Briers, off contract by the end of 2011. But we should be prepared for him also to be linked with Leeds, Hull, Wigan and maybe Bradford.

Personally, I think the lad has a lot more to prove at his current club before he should be asking for mega-bucks. To start with, he needs to show that he can last a season without breaking down. In the real world, there wouldn't be too many takers at these kind of prices, but the cashed-up brainless wonders in RU are completely skewing reality at present. Anyone daft enough to make an offer like that to Ian Thornley, who hadn't even played in the Wigan first team, would have no hesitation in offering the world for Kyle Eastmond.

Would love to see him stay in the game with anyone except us, although having said that I would not complain if we did sign him. I think Mellor will be a better 7 in time and his year in the capital will be great prep for him to stake a claim for a spot in 2012.

I think it is dangerous and easy to write Eastmond off. Yes he has had his injury problems but this is understandable for a lad his age, with the athletic potential that he has. He is not a "normal" athlete, he is extremely muscular and has very strong muscles and tendons that will be very tight, as he matures these will hopefully, sort themselves out and I think he will have an excellent career and always be pushing for rep honours if he remains in our code.

Quite simply his potential makes him a guy we have to be in for.

Sam -FB
Mellor-6
Eastmond-7

Charnley, Mcilorum, Joel, Goulding, Mossop, Davies & Faz.

That's 10 players who in five or six years will be in their pomp, should all be England internationals and most importantly all playing in cherry and White. That's a scary thought and would guarantee us being in any trophy hunt.

Signing Eastmond would improve us, we'd get one over on Saints & keep him in RL.

What's bad about that.

I just think whatever offer Union have made would necessitate the off-loading of talent in order to accommodate him. It might be possible, it might not. The salary cap has focussed everyone's attention on getting value for money these days. If we were to offer even a realistic salary to Eastmond - say something like £170,000 (which probably wouldn't be enough) - I'd be worried about who we'd have to let go, and how much game time Eastmond would actually give us before he was injured again.

In a world without the salary cap, I'd be rooting for us to sign him. As things are, I'm a bit wary.

It will be difficult for any RL club wanting to Eastmond to sign him.
There is an rule in place that prevents clubs approaching players (or their agents) prior to 1st Sept each year.
The only reason they could approach the player is if the host club allowed them to make an approach or gave early notice of no new contract at the end of the existing cuurent deal.

He could be signed up by Union months before a RL club would have a chance. Unless of course Saints said he was open to bidders.
Hope he stays in RL but I do doubt it.
Worst of all he may only stay if he's injured and the Union clubs walk away.

That deadline is a joke, deals are agreed long before that is put into place. The main issue is from Union is not the deadline it is the fact that they are able to inflate his price and hence value against the cap to any league club looking to sign him.

My opinion is he would be a fool not to take a 2 year league deal prior to considering a move to union for his own development.

I agree

but it is easier said than done when the Rah Rahs are offering silly money and (no doubt) a fast track into the England setup, for very little extra effort.

It all depends what motivates the lad i suppose.

Also i really think he owes Saints a degree of loyalty in return for time on the sidelines, but (without wanting to sound dramatic) there is little loyalty when the cash prize is much greater.

we have a host of names off contract at the end of the year hoffman,carmont,deacon sure that would free up more than enough for eastmond

My theory on this:

Agent wants to get his player more wonga ensuing he in turn gets more wonga.
Picks a club local, known for throwing the money around and also the money bags other code, hoping saints pull out the cheque book and pressure them in to paying KE more money.

Now Eastmond for me when fit is a quality player (personally though think he should be a centre)
but over the last few days i have actually been thinking maybe he should go to union.

At first i thought it would be a shame to lose him but the more you look at him the more you think his he a complete biscuit ?

In union out on the wings he'll probably touch the ball about 4 times a match and then only tackled maybe once possibly twice a game.

He's not coming to Wire though, i'm sure of that.