What coulda been eh?

That's exactly what I thought at the match last week when I saw him kick one of his lovely grubbers, thinking to myself how much we have missed that talent of his.

It sounds like he was really good out there today.

I don't anyone doubts his obvious talent but it's his attitude that turned the fans. He's very gifted with explosive pace.

It's a shame he got so unsettled and went to union as he's got everything to be a worldclass player.

The fullback role would benefit kyles game as he's got more space than he has at 7. It's just how he handles kicks.

What happened at the start of the season wasn't all Kyle's fault. He was put under tremendous pressure by the club over his contract offer and the reaction from all parties was very poor. He was singled out and thrown into the lions by the club. The constant sniping at him in press releases was incredibly childish and you can only imagine how he was treated by the club.

They could clearly see his frame of mind and yet chose to throw him in anyway. They shouldn't have acted so spitefully and should have dropped him until it was settled. Doing it that way would have meant he could have come back in when things had settled down without him getting the level and severity of abuse he got. A kid that young is never going to be able to deal with that kind of pressure and animosity from his own club and supporters. His reaction from there onwards wasn't great either, but it should never have been allowed to happen.

We're losing arguably the most talented young player the club has ever produced. In my 25 years watching Saints I've not seen a youth player with that level of natural talent and now he's lost to us. I'd say given the difference in sports a return to league within 2 years is probably a 50:50 chance and we've now ensured that return won't be to us. If Warrington or Wigan sign him in a year or two I won't enjoy watching him tear us to pieces.

As I said when the eastmond saga was in full swing. The club should have sorted the eastmond and Graham situation way before the season started. That way the decision would be out in the public and everyone would have calmed down before the season started which would have prevented give the two fingers to fans and all the booing.

It's a shame he's going but let's hope he finds the form and helps us push for a cup.

Here's hoping!

You can't force a player to decide. If the player had said no I'm off to union before the season then that would have been that, and employer can only do so much. In the end it's down to the employee to make a choice about their own fate, unless they do something that is a sackable offence.

Saints did not put into the press that he was looking for another club, Saints did not tout him to Sale and Bath publicly during the start of the season. Saints did not throw him onto TV after the move and Saints did not make him play rotton.

Saying don't play him when he was our first choice 7 was just not an option, just like when he decided not to play, it has not been an option to play him. I always thought he would come back after the Easter break, but lets not try to rewrite history. For me the clubs issues with the Eastmond saga go back much further.

We told Long to go and Smith to go and then tried to renegotiate with Eastmond when he was the last halfback standing. Sorry but you negotiate from a full hand of halfbacks, once Long was gone and Smith was gone, Eastmond knew he was the only guy left and could basically name his contract, before he had even had a long run at 7 for Saints. Had we not shown the door to Long and Smith who knows we could have played Eastmond to sign longer term than just 2 years and all this may never have occured.

But in the end it did and there is no point crying over it, Eastmond is a union player and no amount of blame switching will change that.

It should have been sorted before the season kicked off. Saints can't force a player to sign but saints can say, this is what's on the table and you've got until a certain date or it's removed.

If's and And's. What today proved more than ever was that with pace at Fullback it a much different ballgame.
Good as Wello is he has not got the necessary speed to make yardage. in fact I would have to go back to the days of Steve Prescott to name a Saints No1 WITH REAL PACE. In Superleague it is essential. Eastmond proved that today.

Class act, and a BIG loss to English RL. RFL need to do something sharpish to keep home-grown talent in the game or there'll be more following him to the trough!

Don't necessarily disagree with this, but there's also the argument that you negotiate for as long as you can if it means you have a chance of retaining your talent - plenty of 11th hour deals are done when it seems like the player is on the move (TP being a prime example).

I can live with Eastmond taking the Union dollar, just wish he could have dedicated himself to signing off from Saints in style. Still not too late for him to create some real positive memories though...

I get the feeling Kyle thinks the whole world is against him as he's took stick from all directions. Now it's all died down let's hope he gets his rugby head on because he could make a big difference.

I honestly don't think he's going to union for the money. He'll have his reasons

He's defo gone for the money. Wasn't it a four year deal worth £250,000 a year?

Also, the international game in union and the heiniken cup is a major draw for players.

How do you know what hes on? Have you got any evidence to back your view?

I do honestly think there are other reasons he's going.

There was a press release from the club at the time saying they had financially matched the offer from Bath, so I'm not sure it was that

It was what was being said at the time.

What other reason could it be?

International stage perhaps, we all know how big his ego is. Perhaps he though Union could provide him the national recognition and fame he probably desires.

It's all Chinese whispers. He'll be in good money and from a very reliable source saints offered the same deal bath offered him. We'll never know what he's on and who cares. Many league players have failed in union and come crawling back after a season or two but at least he can say he had a go.

I just hope if he does come back to League we have a deal on the table for him. I'd hate to see him tear us apart in a Warrington shirt.

I can't see Eastmond coming back , given he's on a 4 year deal and would have to be pretty aweful to fail on the wing given the lack of ball they get. He may not set the game alight, but to fail and return with his tail between his legs would be pretty unlikely. Even more unlikely would be that he would return to Saints given the nature of the exit and looking at previous returnise it would be very unlikely for him to return in the same condition.

I know, but ah well.

Your positivity is refreshing but I think we have more chance of winning the next 4 GF's on the bounce than re-signing Eastmond.

Just watched the highlights on Super Dooper League show and Eastmond had a big hand in a few tries.

Although, I'd take the next 4 grand final's if it meant Eastmond not coming back.

To be fair to Kyle, his performances since the Crusaders game (where Ade got injured and Gaskell went to the wing) have been a lot more involved and convincing than before that.