Is =redALLEGEDLY leaving! signed a 3 year deal with Sale Sharks. Martin Offiah is a nob!!

=redEdited for accuracy - TS

Heard it was 4 yr deal

linky?

I heard it was 5 years.

Trousers if true

Got told by a club spokesman. Offiah wanted a big salary for him. Nick Fozzard as signed a 1 year deal with us.

so no link then?

at least we will get a transfer fee for him as he has time left on his contract.

Tripe!

Is he balls.

Cool! He is a talent, but i'm yet to be convinced at halfback, more of a winger for me

He is no Sam Myler or Tom Tomkins put it that way.

Wouldn't be a total surprise if he did leave, IMO.

Offiah is allegedly demanding extortionate salary increases, and I don't believe Sir Mac is one who'll take kindly to exortion.

It'll leave a bigger question mark over a replacement for Long, but we can't be forced to pay silly money for a relatively untried player.

Big shame for Superleague and you guys if true. I'll be sad to see him go from an England point of view, just wondering where he'll play for Sale.

I realise I might have been on mars with my fingers stuck into my ears...

but what does Martin Offiah have to do with this?

I'm not overly bothered if he goes. He's an exciting prospect but it's only potential at this stage, and no player is bigger than the club - if he's been trying to hold the club up for exorbitant amounts of money then good riddance. I have heard rumblings about his poor attitude for a couple of years now.

On the other hand if this is a complete fabrication, Eastmond is the best young player in the game and I'm made up he's staying!

I'd heard a while ago that Eastmond was off to Rugby Union but was unsure of when (my fault as I didn't ask the question)
I may have actually posted it on here but I certainly told two regular Saints posters about it.

When is his contract up?

You can't blame Offiah or Eastmond for getting the best deal possible. As you know I've ALWAYS advocated some form of salary cap discount for players who have come through clubs academies.

We should not be losing players like Eastmond, Smith or Ashton to Rugby Union.

But it's not just money is it? Union can offer the Heineken Cup, 5 Nations, regular International Tours, the Lions etc. We can't and that's why I get so pi$$ed off with fans who only care about how their team is doing and can't see the relevance of International competition.

His agent

The clubs are just as bad, would be great if the RFL made public details of how clubs vote for the international games.

The world cup in 2013 should be in july not november, but the clubs won't have a break.

Were are all the people now who wouldn`t believe me when i told you all ages ago he was asking for the same money as Sean Long? Its not a defo with sale just yet, but it looks likely, and fozzard is a definate.

Another kick in the nads for RL if he is.

What would puzzle me is why we would let Matty Smith go to Salfords if we knew there was a chance Eastmond would leave!!

We will be really down on half-backs if that was the case!

Unless they plan to use Roby or Moore in the Halves??

Gary Wheeler, Jamie Ellis, Jonny Lomax

Surely with money saved from alot of players leaving recently could have been used to offer him a nice deal... I mean not sure on player turn around but alot more have left than have joined recently...??

That's why I asked when his contract was up.
I think he may leave at the end of 2010. However if he is definitely going Saints may want to cash their chips in early and get a fee for him, as they will get nothing for him from a Union Club if he goes at the end of his contract.

Are all completely unproven playing at 7 for Saints. A huge gamble to let Eastmond go and let Smith leave for Salford unless we have a signing in the pipeline...if Eastmond to Sale is true.