Personally I hope he regrets his decision - not least because that will mean we'll have been successful. People wishing him success are presumably happy for us to play second fiddle to whichever club he ends up at?

I'm sure the club would offer him a contract after this one (mind you on recent form...)

If he turns it down and goes elsewhere, why is that different to Manu. He doesnt want to play for us. Same as Manu

we're used to it, we have played second fiddle to the entire SL since Kath took over

You aint read any of East Hull's comments then have you?

You downplayed it your self by stating that it is not a 'blow' to the club!

Any official news about this, or is it still speculation? (79 pages of it)

He is, currently! Yes you have replaced him with a quality player, I have said all this if you read my post clearly. But thats not progressing the team is it? Its just replacing one quality player with another.

Manu has been great for us in the last 6 years, i don`t know his reasons for wanting to leave but its probably his last contract and he has to make what he believes to be the best decision, while i am disappointed that he is leaving he also goes with my best wishes and i hope everything works out well for him,all the time he has been at our club he has never given anything but his best and i hope that continues for the rest of the season.

It may have escaped your attention, but she's not here any more.

I never wished him success I said he goes with my best wishes.

Good Luck to him in his future endeavours, he has been a great player for the club. But I honestly don't know what else the club could have done.

I know

The point is no one person at the club now should settle for second fiddle, players, fans, coaches, staff, anyone. We've had enough.

All he's said is that he isn't the best SR in SL. It's an opinion. If you could find any posts prior to Manu (allegedly) leaving where he's expressed a different one then you may have a point.


I don't believe it is. It's an opinion. Again, if you can find any posts of mine where I've declared what a blow it would be for him to leave [ibefore[/i he was rumoured to have done so then you'd have a point.

Disagreeing with the severity of the impact of Manu leaving is not downplaying anything, unless you're assuming that your opinion (and that of those who share it) is the only one that counts.

Fair enough. As I said earlier, I'm a vindictive old git so at the moment at least he doesn't have mine.



Unless of course it turns out he's staying. In which case he's an absolute gem of a player and a shining example to us all.

Sorry - so used to you disagreeing with me that I completely misinterpreted your post.

The latter. Although with more 'weight' behind it than ever.

So who should we release to bring in Ellis and other signings?

Gentles said were 2 years of hudds, how do we get there by re signing the same players who aren't good enough not to win but challenge sl?

Manu's been very good in a average to poor side, I'd have liked to have kept him but not to the detrimental effect on other positions.

Some people simply cannot grasp this and want us to resign everyone we already have

I don't think anyone has said we should have thrown our Salary Cap at him. Most are just expressing their dissapointment at losing one of our best players to a rival and acknowledging it is a blow to lose a player like Manu. Gentle and the club obviously thought the same thing which is why they have tried so hard to keep him.

Losing Manu(replacing him with Ellis)and signing players like Aspinwall, Martin and Pitts are going to get you closer to Hudds?

Theres disappointment and theres disappointment.

The only player I can see fans would sacrifice from our average squad is the contracted Rich Horne.

Wtf are you on about?

Where have I said we should keep Aspinwall or Martin?

Which has been the point I've been trying to put across. Obviously not very well.



Maybe we could all just agree that nobody's [ihappy[/i to see him go and leave it at that?

2 of those are for this season only to help us out of the mess the last board left us in and as for Pitts,we shouldnt sign a promising english back-rower then?

I wouldn't because we look like a much worse team without him in the side. I'm gutted about Manu, but all the best to him. He's give us the best years of his life rugby wise, and if he wants to win something before he retires - fair enough. I'm more gutted about Turner who looked very average for a long while, and is leaving as soon as he's blossomed. I think he'll be an absolute star for Saints. As for fans over-reacting, I'm not too fussed about McKinnon, but losing Manu, Moa AND Turner IS a pretty huge blow as far as I'm concerned. Every new signing is a risk, and we're not lucky enough, or astute enough to replace all 3 with equal quality.

If Manu does leave (especially for another SL club) it will be a massive blow IMO. I also think that it will be a real kick in the teeth for AP and his attempts to "win back" supporters. We will not compete at the top of SL by "re-signing all our players that have proved to be not good enough" but we would clearly never want to lose our best players. Manu is obviously one of those.

The two most disappointing things for me are...

1) I honestly thought that Manu would care a little more about our club.

2) Has Manu failed to buy in to the "vision" of the next couple of seasons that AP and PG have managed to sell to Ellis? Or has he just gone for an increased salary which could only be a nominal amount anyway, given what the club have said about his offer.

Either way I'll be very disappointed with him if he goes and I won't be wishing him well.