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Northampton Saints News -Saints and Harding part company

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Northampton Saints have agreed by mutual consent to release Sam Harding from their playing squad. Former All Black Harding, who has played 32 games for the club since his try-scoring debut against Worcester in the 2005/06 season and helped the squad achieve Heineken Cup qualification, was disappointed to leave the club but both parties felt it was the fairer solution due to the lack of opportunities in the current back-row.

http://www.northamptonsaints.co.uk/32_4199.php
 
Oh well. He's been pretty **** all season anyway.
[/b]

I assume that it is comments like that, Teh Mite, that got you removed from being a moderator on the Saints official site. Your read of the game is simply embarassing. No wonder people stopped listening to you on the other website. To say Harding was rubbish this season, especially after you supposedly understand the complete mess happening down at FG at the moment (How do you solve a problem like NH), is completely outrageous. If you can't see how and why Harding was treated the way he was, you shouldn't be attempting to analyse and interpret NHs current problems.

The very best of luck Sam. You did the right thing getting out. Better to play near to no rugby than the stuff we are trying to pass off as rugby.

Our club will unravel, there are too many problems for the bandaids to hold it much longer. Unfortunately it will get much worse before it can get better.
 
:lol:

Everyone is acting as though we have just agreed to release Richie McCaw. The guy has been poor when playing for the first team - he didn't even look impressive against the Parma back-row - and doesn't exactly seem to have been setting the Wanderers alight. Pretty anonymous during the 2nd team matches I've watched.

He has slipped way down the pecking order, losing out to the versatility held by the likes of Easter.

Plus most people seem to be forgetting his overwhelming urge to give away ridiculous penalties. He plays with less brain than Fox. I remember against Worcester at FG last season, he gave away what turned out to be the match winning penalty and you could tell he was just about to do something stupid as he lingered by the side of the ruck. It had 'inevitable' stamped all over it.

A shame yes, but this is professional sport. Everyone has been moaning the club isn't hard-nosed enough, but then when action is taken it's panic stations.
 
:lol:

Everyone is acting as though we have just agreed to release Richie McCaw. The guy has been poor when playing for the first team - he didn't even look impressive against the Parma back-row - and doesn't exactly seem to have been setting the Wanderers alight. Pretty anonymous during the 2nd team matches I've watched.

He has slipped way down the pecking order, losing out to the versatility held by the likes of Easter.

Plus most people seem to be forgetting his overwhelming urge to give away ridiculous penalties. He plays with less brain than Fox. I remember against Worcester at FG last season, he gave away what turned out to be the match winning penalty and you could tell he was just about to do something stupid as he lingered by the side of the ruck. It had 'inevitable' stamped all over it.

A shame yes, but this is professional sport. Everyone has been moaning the club isn't hard-nosed enough, but then when action is taken it's panic stations. [/b]

Well said Webby. Harding looked good last season, but everyone seems to be wearing rose tinted specs about him these days. He'd better be described as an average centre playing in the backrow because of his size, hense why everything he's good at in attack is nullified by his defensive howlers. :wall:

It's hillarious looking at the offy what the morons on there have to say though! :lol:
 
Guess the All Blacks, most recent World XV and (numerous) Barbarians coaches have all got it wrong then huh? Would the both of you please stop posting - you are embarassing yourselves? Those that even have rudimentary knowledge of the game will be cringing reading you posts.

Harding has played for the two best teams in the world - All Blacks and Crusaders - neither of which EVER take on a player lightly. Do think Fox would make a Super 14 team? He wouldn't even make an NZ NPC team! Maybe 2nd division if there was a string of injuries.

But clearly the two of you know best. Just like our brilliant and infalliable coaches down at the Gardens. Why should we question their letting go of Harding? Afterall, they have done so well this season! Grayson is pratically knocking on the England coaching door isn't he? Fantastic decision after fantastic decision from him.

Wait, maybe I'm being a little harsh. Grayson hasn't had much to work with has he? Spencer, Robinson, Reihana, Cohen, Lamont, Harding, Easter, Hartley, Barnard, Thompson....... he can't work miracles when he gets a team full of those boneheads. It's hardly his fault we are in a relegation battle.

Teh Mite - please refrain from sending me personal messages telling me to get "the carrot out of my ar se" and then having the audacity to tell me to play nice. Aren't you supposed to be admin? I have nothing personal against you. Why are you allowed to attack a player, but I'm not allowed to defend him without being personally attacked by you?
 
It wasn't an attack on Harding at all , it was stating a fact. He's not been good enough this season. Plus, Pat Sanderson is arriving next year, so where's he going to pley after that?
 
Harding has played for the two best teams in the world - All Blacks and Crusaders - neither of which EVER take on a player lightly. [/b]

Not many caps though. And against who? I've never seen him line up in a black shirt in a match which matters. Robbie Morris has England caps, why the hell did we ever let him go? Luca Martin played for Italy, he must have been an international class centre surely? With the number of players tested by modern international sides on meaningless tours, there are plenty of one or two cap wonders about, who aren't as good as their CV suggests.

On the club side, Harding actually spent most of his time in New Zealand playing for Otago and the Highlanders - New Zealand's weakest province/franchise. The fact that the Crusaders (or perhaps more importantly the NZRFU) were willing to release a young and already capped back-row player to a move abroad must suggest something.

Harding was a decent player last season, but hasn't performed at any level since. He would make no difference to our current woes and would have gone at the end of the season anyway. It really isn't the catastrophic loss some have made it out to be.
 
Actually, Waikato has consistently been the weakest franchise in NZ. But again, you miss the point.

No, letting Harding go is not a catatrophic loss. It is however a symptom of a very diseased environment down at the Gardens. Teh Mite, you were the one who wrote the article summising what everyone has been posting and talking about!

Letting a player like Harding go and keeping a player like Fox and then having Barwell state that he wants the Saints to play rugby like the All Blacks suggests many things, but nothing more clearly than this: no one down at FG actually communicates or shares the same vision.

Again, why are you treating this as an isolated incident? Harding was treated unfairly at this club. Given he played at the Highlanders, Crusaders, All Blacks, World XV and Barbars, his contacts in the rugby world are wide and deep. It doesn't take much for a couple of players to say what the environment is like and we may lose out on a good player. Especially since Spencer and Robinson are known to the rugby world to be looking to have their contracts terminated by the end of this season. Barwell has also said that Dan Carter is coming here at the end of the season. Given DC, Harding, Spencer and Robinson share the same agent, I doubt their rugby management company will be all that willing to do business with a club that have some very unhappy players. I do agree however, that Harding would not help our current woes because suggesting that one player could is simply ludicrous.

Also, the NZRFU have never stood in the way of players wanting to leave NZ for more money on this side of the world. Why would they? First rule in rugby, if a player wants to leave, let them go as it causes more disruption than it does good. It is also the reason why many players go back to play in the Super 14 again because the NZRU don't begrudge players for wanting to financially make the most of their short careers where and when they can. New Zealand just can't compete with the money that competitions like the GP can offer and the NZRU prefer to keep communications and relationships with players positive rather than resentful. When Harding left, Crusaders stated they would be happy to have him back if he ever so chooses.

Furthermore, to dismiss Harding making the toughest international side and the best club team in the world further emphasises my point in questioning your credibility and knowledge of the game. Credit where credit is due please. Making the Italian team isn’t exactly the same as making the All Blacks especially when not one England player could even get onto the All Blacks bench let alone the 1st team.

Lastly, if Sanderson comes here, good luck to him. I'll always be behind my team. However, given he has stated publically and on numerous occasions that he is staying at Wuss, even if they are relegated, if I was to believe rumours of a move to here, I would have to also believe he is a liar. Not the kind of character I want at the Saints as management already have a problem with dishonesty.
 
Kindly stick to criticising my opinion, not my knowledge of the game.

Few brief points:

Playing for the Barbarians or a World XV is an honour, but cannot be taken as a defining measure of a player's ability. Both are invitational sides and do not pick the best players in the world.

The NZRFU may not stop players going abroad, but have stated they will not play for the national side if they do. If Harding were really pushing for a place on the international scene, he wouldn't have left.

Just because someone wins an All Black cap, that does not mean they should be regarded as above all scrutiny. Harding played one test against Fiji as a 21 year old. Not the toughest opposition, especially for a June test match. To me, this would indicate he was merely being tested. The fact that he has never worn the New Zealand jersey again would indicate to me he was never considered good enough for a recall.

You question the class of Fox, but the fact is that he has been a far better player than Harding. Last season, others were ahead of him for a starting spot, but this year he has noticably pulled his finger out and deserves the 7 shirt.
 
Yawn. I've learnt my lesson. Another teenager who thinks they know everything. Very boring. You've not well received in the other forums but you can keep your playground here boys I won't be back. If you keep throwing your toys though, you'll have no one to talk to.

PS Don't let your lack of rugby success blind the recognition of true talent. Oops you already have. You should write to the aforementioned team coaches and tell them how to do their job. I hear the All Blacks, Barbars, Crusaders etc need geniuses like the two of you.

:cheers:
 
Yawn. Another person judging me by my age, thinking I can't possibly have knowledge of anything that happens outside my own little bubble.

Y'see what I did there? That subtle use of irony in the way I...oh never mind. I could do something similar with 'don't let the black jersey blind you of players' failings', but I won't.

Presumably all expression should be banned until the age of 30? Mabye just give freedom of speech to land owning males with at least 4 children?

And funnily enough I've never come across much criticism of my views on the other forums in question. Although I'm sure if I took the effort to post with more regularity I'd have my tongue metaphorically severed fairly quickly.

Debate is a wonderful thing.
 
11525664004365hc.jpg



I'm sorry, I thought we were just posting stupid pictures...
 
http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/1228/11525664004365hc.jpg


I'm sorry, I thought we were just posting stupid pictures...
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o_kawaii.jpg


Not stupid....fun! :bleh!:

As cheap a shot as it was though, it is still pretty valid when you've got your only major England talent in the form of Steve Thompson leaving next season. Soon enough you'll just be left with loads of Scottish internationals.

Ever thought about renaming yourselves "Northampton Scottish?" I think its a goer, you could make a bundle in merchandising!
 
At least we could get a new song out of it:

O Flower of Northampton,
When will we see
Your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit lift tower,
And stood against them,
Proud Leicester's Army,
And sent them back up the M1,
Tae think again.
 
Yawn. I've learnt my lesson. Another teenager who thinks they know everything. Very boring. You've not well received in the other forums but you can keep your playground here boys I won't be back. If you keep throwing your toys though, you'll have no one to talk to.

PS Don't let your lack of rugby success blind the recognition of true talent. Oops you already have. You should write to the aforementioned team coaches and tell them how to do their job. I hear the All Blacks, Barbars, Crusaders etc need geniuses like the two of you.

:cheers: [/b]

Now, now, what did I tell you about only this afternoon? This isn't the Saints offy so we don't have ***** on here like there is on there (we have some *****, but at least the have some grasp on the real world), you don't need to resort to name calling or assume things about other people.

I warned you once in private, now I'll make it public. Any more and you get an official warning.

Now play nice.
 
I dunno Mite...he might be right.

I mean look at me! I'm 23 and I'm a Saracens fan!

Maybe when I turn 40, I will grow wise and become a Bath or Harlequins fan instead :eek:
 

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