Long admits he could leave Saints

[Cymro]

Sean Long could be poised to quit St Helens this summer after being told he can speak to rival clubs about a move.

The scrum-half, 32, told BBC Sport that Saints are only prepared to offer him a one-year contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season.

"Obviously I'd like to stop at St Helens to finish my career but if another club comes in with a two-year deal I've got to consider it," he said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_leag...ens/8059810.stm

 

[Bullitt]

Heard this on Boots'n'All last night.

Can't say I'm surprised though, he's knocking on a bit (in sports terms) and it's usual practice for 1 year contracts to get offered once a player is in their 30's in most sports.

Class player, but even if he does move on with Roby on the books (and no doubt another good youngster), I'm pretty sure St. Helens won't actually miss him that much.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Sorry Longy lad, but 1 year is a fair offer. 2 years takes him to 35 and I reckon the small number of players of that age in Super League shows how tough a sport it is. He's going to be a Saints legend and in 30 years I'll be telling my children or grandchildren about how he won the grand final in 2002 with a drop goal, about how he kicked Wigan to death in 2004 at Cardiff and how he is just generally one of the best characters we've had at the club.

He's always a slow starter to a season and he has improved, but worryingly for me, I sense one or two signs that it's all started to catch up with him at times this year. 1 year is a fair offer. If he wants 2 he'll probably get it but it'll be at Wakefield or somewhere like that.

Above all though, I trust the club. We have made the right decisions at the right time to renew or not renew contracts. Gidley got a new deal, he's on fire. We decided to not renew Scully's deal, he's had to retire. Talau didn't get a new deal, he's not played much this season and is playing for arguably the worst team in the league...

I trust us to get it right. I don't know whether or not Sean Long can last for a year or two years, but the club does.

 

[Vambo]

Stains would miss Long of that I have no doubt.
Halves of his quality do not come along that often and he has proven himself time and time again for Stains.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

I think anyone in the world would miss a player that much. He's not so much a player now as an institution.

 

[wigan_rlfc]

This the lad who was third choice scrum half at Wigan (after Shaun Edwards and Craig Murdock) and could never get in that great team so was farmed off to the Chemics?

 

[St Helens RLFC]

And who has won more trophies in the past 12 months than Wigan have the last decade? Yep, that's him. You foolishly let him go and it will always, always irk you.

 

[Vambo]

He's signed for Hull.


Another NRL import will no doubt be heading to the SL next season.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Cheers Sean.

All the best.

As for his replacement, I get the feeling that it will be Eastmond, unless a quality NRL stand off becomes available. Thurston is off contract but whether we can afford his wages is a completely different matter.

 

[QLD]

It's got me baffled why he'd rather be end on a further 2 years with another than finish his career with the one club (sort of)

 

[St Helens RLFC]

He reckons he's got 2 years left in him. And he thinks that very strongly. I think our offer of one year was a fair one. He's 33 now. He'd be going through to 35 with a 2 year deal. Not many people play to that age in Super League. We owed it to ourselves to take serious preacautions to ensure our future at 7 is protected.

He'll go with all my best wishes in the world. He's a special, special player. He's just getting on now.