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Absolutely Astounded

M

Muse_Cubed

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http://www2.rugbynetwork.net/main/s99/st119807.htm

Northampton Saints today confirmed that Ben Cohen has indicated his intention to leave the club following the appointment of Bruce Reihana as club captain.

28-year-old Cohen, who has played 270 games and won a Heineken Cup winners' medal in 2000 in his 11-year Saints career along with 56 England caps and a 2003 World Cup winners' medal, has failed to attend training at the club since the captaincy appointment was announced last Wednesday. In doing so he made himself unavailable for selection for Sunday's pre-season friendly against Samoa.

With the opening match of the new season just over a week away and despite meetings and repeated requests from director of rugby Jim Mallinder and chairman Keith Barwell, Cohen has continued to stay away from training this week.

"Ben came to see me and said he was unhappy about not being appointed captain. He said: 'That's it, I'm off'," explained Barwell.

"I am bitterly disappointed both with Ben's decision and also with his action in staying away. He has been a brilliant servant to the club for more than 11 years but no man is bigger than the club. It is the director of rugby's responsibility to appoint the captain and I support Jim's choice of Bruce Reihana wholeheartedly â€" his decision must be final."

Mallinder said: "Ben's contract with the club runs until the end of the coming season and he is not able to play for any other club in the meantime."

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I'm absolutely stunned and I've lost all respect for the guy. I guess now we know the real reason for him making himself unavailable for the World Cup.

Class A twat. Especially considering his popularity with the fans...I can't believe how utterly selfish this is. :%#%#:
 
such a shame a player like that can just walk out on the club which has been his life for 11 years, he'll have to kiss and make up, or he wont be playing rugby for a season...

ben, saints great, but if this is his minset its best he goes
 
what a big headed twat! who the hell does he think he is. my god this bugger thinks he's david beckham. and you're right, if he has that mindset, its best he leaves!
 
I was disgusted when I read the report. Let him leave. Who does he think would rather have him as captain instead of Bruce, let along above anyone else?

Don't know if he was expecting the sympathy of Saints supporters or not, because he sure isn't going to get it.
 
The club is better off without him with that attitude. This also must prove that giving the captaincy to Bruce was the right decision.

Surely the only deal that could be struck would be for a contract termination to allow him to play elswhere in 2007/08, because I can't see the club or it's supporters welcoming him back with open arms.
 
It's just bizarre though....the only thing that makes sense is if he's rocking the boat 'cause he wants a move.
 
What an arrogant display. Unless he had been previously promised it there's no justification for that. And there's a reason that captains playing on the wing are few and far between, he shouldn't have expected it.
 
thers something more to this i feel, somethings happened behind the scenes, kept behind the gates. i have a feeling this has something to do with the overseas players...

many on other forums have taken bens side, saying he has every right to be annoyed, saying he serves 11 years and his reward is to be rejected in the pl;ace of a forigner, my response is bruce has given so much to the club, when he made his speech at the end of the season you could tell how much he cared for the club, hes turned down a full NZ contract too...

would also like to congratulate jim mallinder and kieth barwell for their firm, no nonsense approach to this event...

with cohen gone, come forth diggin into the empty space....
 
many on other forums have taken bens side, saying he has every right to be annoyed, saying he serves 11 years and his reward is to be rejected in the pl;ace of a forigner[/b]
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Those people are talking out of their arse. I don't care what the nationality of a leader is, as long as they are the right person for the job. For the last 5 years, our most consistant and inspirational player has been Bruce Reihana. Matt Lord has more of a case for being made captain than Ben Cohen.



The guy used to be one of the top wingers in the world, but his attitude stinks. No one is bigger than the club - you'd have thought he'd realise that after so long.
 
speaking as a Tigers fan and not knowing as much as you lot on the ins and outs of Saints i'm still gobsmacked at Cohen's attitude. My impression was that reihana was always going to be captain. No player has been talked about by Saints fans as being more inspirational, more hard-working or simply consistently playing well than Reihana. Cohen on the other hand hasn't found top gear in any respect for a while. To spit his dummy out in such spectacular fashion is just madness.



i wonder 2 things though: 1- is there more to this than we know, and 2- why wasn't it sorted behind closed doors.
 
yayah go bruce! haha man, is ben on drugs or something? i can't really believe anyone would do this, is it coz bruce is maori? lol
 
No man is bigger than the club. If he seriously thought that the fans would rally round and demand his installation as captain, that the management would balk at the threat and come crawling on their knees, then he's seriously deluded.
 
Precisely if a player thinks he's bigger than the club, the club are better off without him.

But as for being a captain he rapidly showing all the necessary abilities. <_<

I think Saints will be better off without him.
 
Precisely if a player thinks he's bigger than the club, the club are better off without him.

But as for being a captain he rapidly showing all the necessary abilities. <_<

I think Saints will be better off without him.
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and lets face it, the big thing they need to get out of this year is a real sense of togetherness, team spirit or whatever you want to call it. Cohen's attitude isn't going to help that.
 

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