Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 10:06 am  

Carlos Alberto wrote:

Could have sworn he scored a fair few tries as well.

Yep. Top try scorer for Saints in 2011. But don't forget that according to some those tries were all 'handed on a plate' to him.

I think there are a number of Saints fans who are just plain vindictive.

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 10:26 am  

So what have Saints done with the remaining 2,3,4 (Whatever it is) years of his contract? I take it we've had to pay him off, at least partially to get him to leave?

Just simply awful squad development by the club.

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 10:26 am  

SaintsFan wrote:

I think there are a number of Saints fans who are just plain vindictive.

I think you'd be absolutely correct.

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 10:37 am  

Saddened! wrote:

So what have Saints done with the remaining 2,3,4 (Whatever it is) years of his contract? I take it we've had to pay him off, at least partially to get him to leave?

Just simply awful squad development by the club.

Foster showed great promise in 2011 but sadly didnt quite cut it in 2012. As a result, he fell behind Makinson, Gardner, Meli and Swift in the pecking order and would be 5th choice winger for us if he stayed. The kid wants to be playing first team rugby so cant really blame him for going, although I do feel hte only thing we will miss is his goalkicking as our other wingers are far stronger than him

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 11:05 am  

Saddened! wrote:

So what have Saints done with the remaining 2,3,4 (Whatever it is) years of his contract? I take it we've had to pay him off, at least partially to get him to leave?

Just simply awful squad development by the club.

Im guessing that Foster will have opted to resign/release himself from his contract? Therefore becoming available for nothing and moved to the highest bidder which so happened to be Bradford. A big step considering he had 2 years to run at Saints on good money but opted for a 1 year deal at Bradford? I'd have chanced the Union market if i was him.

Best of luck to him.

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 11:44 am  

wakey_saint wrote:

Foster showed great promise in 2011 but sadly didnt quite cut it in 2012. As a result, he fell behind Makinson, Gardner, Meli and Swift in the pecking order and would be 5th choice winger for us if he stayed. The kid wants to be playing first team rugby so cant really blame him for going, although I do feel hte only thing we will miss is his goalkicking as our other wingers are far stronger than him

Rubbish. Foster was no worse than any of the other players and bar one shocker of a game at Bradford, what exactly did he do wrong? His lack of form was due to the ridiculous choice of coach the club have made in recent seasons and he was one of about 15 players who were also terrible during that period, and they aren't being chased out of the club.

Gardner is terrible, he is a complete waste of a squad place, he offers nothing. Swift isn't a winger in a million years and I'd be astonished if he ended up playing there. He's only been playing there to give him experience in the first team in a position we can carry a player in.

Meli is pretty awful on the wing as well, because he cannot catch. Foster might not be the best player ever, but he should be in our team. He's better than Gardner, less of a liability than Meli and has the positive of being an excellent goal kicker, something we lacked last season and will no doubt lack next season too.

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 1:29 pm  

For once I do find myself in agreement with Saddened and Saints fan. In that we have let similar efforts from long standing players go unchecked and even offered new deals. I'm not saying Foster was the future at Saints, but Gardner was just as bad in defence and under the highball in his first 4-5 years at Saints, he was no faster. People saying Ade is better than Foster now, well yes but he's had over 10 years to get to that level.

In a round about way I understand why the club want to let him go, but for those same reasons we have not let others go. I fail to see the consistency. As it is, if Foster has only signed a 1 year deal, then it's as good as a one year loan deal. If he put out good performances for Bradford then more power to him and he can still be signed by Saints for 2014. If he does not make it then we have managed to get out of his contract early. In a way this one year deal is more risk to Foster than Saints. He must be confident in himself to take a one year deal and must be confident that he can prove himself to both Saints, Bradford and any other club that maybe looking next year, otherwise he could have just sat on his 2 year deal at Saints.

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:38 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

In a round about way I understand why the club want to let him go, but for those same reasons we have not let others go. I fail to see the consistency. As it is, if Foster has only signed a 1 year deal, then it's as good as a one year loan deal. If he put out good performances for Bradford then more power to him and he can still be signed by Saints for 2014. If he does not make it then we have managed to get out of his contract early. In a way this one year deal is more risk to Foster than Saints. He must be confident in himself to take a one year deal and must be confident that he can prove himself to both Saints, Bradford and any other club that maybe looking next year, otherwise he could have just sat on his 2 year deal at Saints.

His attitude seems absolutely bang on for me, despite his reputation for being obsessed with image and status rather than rugby. Like Gaskell he was unfairly ostracised last season but instead of just sulking, went on loan and had a decent stint in a team that was struggling when he arrived. He also refused to settle for being pushed out this coming season and chose a move to another club so he can prove himself.

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 3:47 pm  

bewareshadows wrote:

For once I do find myself in agreement with Saddened and Saints fan. In that we have let similar efforts from long standing players go unchecked and even offered new deals. I'm not saying Foster was the future at Saints, but Gardner was just as bad in defence and under the highball in his first 4-5 years at Saints, he was no faster. People saying Ade is better than Foster now, well yes but he's had over 10 years to get to that level.

In a round about way I understand why the club want to let him go, but for those same reasons we have not let others go. I fail to see the consistency.

It's not as simple as clicking your fingers and letting someone go though, these are contracted players and we need teams to come in for them. Fewer teams are likely to be in for Gardner than Foster due to age, salary and long-term potential. I don't think Gardner or Foster are viewed as long-term players at this club, so better for me that we clear the decks why we can and then use their wages (and hopefully Meli's too) to recruit a top-class winger for 2014 if we can't promote one.

Re: Time to recall jamie foster? : Fri Nov 09, 2012 4:08 pm  

The Chair Maker wrote:

However i have so far only got one response as to who we may be able to get to play on the wing for Saints in 2014.

I understand your concern for future planning, but even if we kept Foster with that season in mind, is not exactly the solution to get us from bridesmaids to champions.

We've managed to pick up Turner and Walmsley for next season, two young english players who are well rated in certain circles. Who's to say we won't be able to pick up a winger next year?

I don't really see what the fuss is all about, letting our 4th choice winger leave.

Good luck to him in pastures new. He never lacked commitment to Saints in my mind, but not every fairytale works out exactly as planned.