My first thought when Sean Long announced he will be talking to other clubs couldn't be published. I'm not normally one to care about offending people, but my inner (and outer) monologue would have turned a Bernard Manning audience white with shock.
Yes, it's true, Sean Long is considering offers from other clubs to prolong his rugby career. Sean Long is potentially about to leave his adopted club, and the club that brought him in from near obscurity after being cast aside by his home town club. Their loss was our gain; three Lance Todds in five Challenge Cups, four Super League's, Two World Club Challenge and a Man of Steel award. Longy is a living legend.
But his character epitomises him much more than his rugby.
To describe Longy as cheeky would be a disservice to the term cheek. He exudes charisma, which flows into his game. When he is sure of himself, it shows. He will kick goals for fun, cut through defences like they don't exist, and usually (normally to Warrington's dismay) make a match winning move.
Off the field, his character split fans of Saints, and other clubs. Most notable were his 2004 faux pas of cashing in on the knowledge Saints were sending the kids in at Bradford. Two years later, he walked out of Great Britain's tour Down Under, not seeing eye to eye with Brian Noble.
His career has spent been spent assembling critics, from within Saints and beyond, and blowing them away with his ability, never done better than when the spotlight shone on him.
Longy was the linchpin of the now crumbling "Holy Trinity." Sean Long, Keiron Cunningham and Paul Sculthorpe. Scully's injury ridden potentially saved Saints more of a headache than they have as they look to move between former success and future.
With Long suggesting he may be on his way, the headache becomes a migraine. But it is a necessary one. Time is not on his side. With Saints looking to the future, and with players like Eastmond and Wheeler ready to make the permanent step up, restricting their development for two years is not healthy for a club with Long term aspirations. On top of that, Saints will be monitoring the development of Matty Smith on loan at Celtic Crusaders with great interest. A player who has proven he can handle the pressure at the top, and who has shown the potential to be a dependable scrum half.
Should Long decide to go elsewhere, there is then the headache of what the King decides to do. Age is starting to take it's toll on Kieron. He'll admit as much himself. The past four seasons have seen him mentor James Roby, while Scott Moore is ready to make a move back to Saints after finally developing into the hooking role. Saints could enter 2010 with a rookie half back, and hookers still adapting to a new role and side.
As for Longy, what would await him? Well, there isn't a side in the northern hemisphere who would ignore the chance to sign him. He'd be ideal for a developing side like Celtic, or could maybe top his tan with his pension in the south of France.
The thought of him playing for another side, against Saints, doesn't bear thinking about, especially in a game on a knife edge. The thought of him taking Saints on in a final is worse.
Many Saints fans wanted to know how the club would handle the transition. Seems we are starting to get answers, and the truth gets a lot scarier than the dream.
