the main thing Hull have lacked in the last few years has been the attacking structure in the opposition 20 everyone looks lost. hopefully Long will work on this then if he does miss a game the stuctures are inplace and everyone will still know what there doing and what plays to run.

I'd like to see a young scrum half come in to work with Long with a view to him been the long term replacement and cover easier said then done

Long often gets in at 1st receiver regardless of which side of the pitch Saints have posession in. Too often we are rigidly structured with one half on one side one on the other. He will bring badly needed direction and organisation.


Standee someone has hacked your account mate

I reckon long has signed a 2 year deal so he can work with the youngsters 1 on 1 and produce us a decent no 7 for when his playing days are over,dont think we could wish for anyone else better to do the job, my guess that is why he was excited about the role he has been asked to do for us rather then go across the road from his house and sign for wigan,must of been a tough thing to do up root and move to hull after spending so many years at saints,im realy looking forward to his contribution to the team.

Roll on 2010

I wouldn't worry about Longy. Remember, we did offer him a one year extension. This was along the same lines as Cunningham, who is now on his third one year extension, but he didn't want that. He also turned down Wigan's interest. His form prior to his broken jaw was not good but everyone believes that is because he was unsure of his future at Saints. That is the kind of thing which will affect Long's on-field play.

He had quite a lengthy time out due to the broken jaw. The jaw itself is now fine and his sight is also fine. However, he still cannot close his eyelid. This is nerve damage which resulted from the surgery, not the injury, and he has been told by his specialist that it will rectify itself. I think it has undermined his confidence as a kicker, which is why Eastmond is kicking goals even though Longy is on the field and why it took him three attempts to slot one over on Saturday night.

There are also other factors at play since his return. For example, Potter had him playing on the opposite side of the pitch to his usual side two weeks ago and in his own words he said he didn't know whether he was 'coming or going'. Why Potter decided to do this after 13 years I have no idea but that caused problems against Catalans. Potter has also been experimenting with lineups and also with attacking plays, both of which have confused all our players, Longy among them. On top of that, of course, is the fact that when any player has had a long term injury, it takes a few matches for him to get back up to speed.

Although one or two kicks on Saturday night didn't function as they should, some others were fantastic. In fact, the best I've seen from him all season. On top of that, he was organising all night long and he also got in some wonderful half breaks. Hudds were watching for him, of course, but even so, he made some yards and did some of his halfback jinking.

I shouldn't worry about Longy. He wants to join Agar because Agar wants him to organise the guys around the park, which is what Longy does best. The only thing which could hamper him is the eyelid. If that does not fix itself during the off season then it could mean problems as he cannot play in strong sunlight because his eye dries out. Hopefully, though, it will be sorted soon, not least for Longy's sake.

Now that's what we want to hear. Thanks for posting.
Sean Long is no different to most other sportsmen/women; when a serious injury occurs it takes time to regain fitness and sometimes most importantly 'confidence'.
Given an injury free season ( ) I think he'll be out to prove to people he's not finished as a quality player.

well said. Some people are never happy, usually you i might add!

Have you done the same to watch what you missed pre 2007?

I have never said i am not happy with the Long signing. However i would like to have seen a reasonable youngster signed alongside him to learn from him.
Hell it could even have been someone Long recommended, personally i do not know too much about our youngsters in this position but if any of them have been showing promise surely they would have been given a chance this season?

He has not had many injuries throughout his career but like anyone as they get older they become more prone to injuries and with our recent luck it is something i would rather not leave to chance.

SH and SO are two positions that can be filled by older, wily players. Just look at the NRL. And did you see how Saints went without him - they will miss him next year I am sure.

During his time here he will also mentor (and help scout for) young half backs. This is a great move from Hull imho and a sound investment for the future of the club.

you missed live super league rugby i think was his point. other than crossing the river and giving us your money i guess.