Squishy_Da_Byatch said:
To be honest the Saints are going to hell in a handbasket! They are buying all these new players, which then in turn holds them back from being able to even TRY to keep their star players! They are shaking up a stellar line up because they want a ready made powerhouse! Rather than building their own!
If you reverse that around you might be closer to the truth.
Players in recent history who were 'lost' include Riddell and Kite. Neither are local juniors and I don't think they were that fussed about Kite - the money Manly were offering was well above what Saints were willing to pay. They did try to hang onto Riddell but the Eels simply wanted him more and outbid Saints.
It has been shown that Saints have the depth to replace these players anyway.
I'd also put Ennis in there but again he isnt a local junior and quite replaceable.
I might have missed a couple but those are a few examples of players who were probably welcomed to stay if the circumstances allowed for it.
The other players that have gone elsewhere were pretty much shown the door... or as they sometimes say, 'invited to look elsewhere'.
With players being shown the door, the harsh realities to consider include...
The players 'use by date'
Are the players getting on in years?
Have we got the best out of them?
The money
Can we fit them under the salary cap / are they getting too pricey?
Will keeping a star player be at the expense of developing a star junior?