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.

Il be honest I didn't think kyle could handle playing centre but he's done a very good job against some very good centres.

What Kyle offers in the centre is an attacking threat outwide.

For 90% of this year we've had no attack outwide but with Kyle and gidley in centres and meli playing well it looks much better.

That was over ten years ago when coaching tactics only existed at Saints, Bradford and Wigoon. Today he'd be bombed to death and exposed in the same manner in which Kevin Penny was.

I still think he could do a job there, but as you imply i would worry if he was 1 on 1 with ryan hall

I think he'd be wasted on the wing.

He's a scrumhalf and a very good 1 at that, so lets play him there.

He's slotted in to centre very good but I'd like to see potter switch pryce and eastmond for a spell during the game.

I think eastmond being moved to halfback for the last 10 mins of 1st half could pose problems for a tired pack.

Don't you think Kyle needs to be more involved than just stuck out on the wing?

He's show against Wigan and Warrington he can find gaps and make breaks down the middle against good sides

Just said same thing. He'd be wasted on the wing.

I'd like to see him get more ball than he does at mo.

Leave him in the Centres? Use Soliola as a forward?

He'll have to play 7 as we don't have anyone else apart from Moore who's been converted into a hooker. I think they will start Kyle at 7 and just use him wherever they think he'll do the most damage.