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League legend Long now linked to two Premiership clubs - reports
By Ian Cameron
League legend Sean Long has been linked with a cross-code switch to two separate Premiership club.
The Saint Helens assistant coach enjoyed a decorated career in League, but it seems a lucrative switch to union is now on the cards.
The first club Long was linked with is Gloucester. Speaking on The Rugby Pod, former Ireland international Darren Cave suggested Long's pre-existing relationship with Danny Cipriani may sway him towards the Cherry and Whites.
“I’ve heard he’s done some work at Gloucester and D Cips insisted that he be brought in to do their phase sort of shape,” said Cave. “He’s basically come in and said that he needs someone to be on the forwards about their running lines flat out and he can’t be doing it as a 10 and they need to bring in Sean Long.”
Long has also been heavily linked with Harlequins, whom The Mirror believe have beaten Gloucester to the signature.
They report that Long will sign for Harlequins in coming weeks, where he will work under Paul Gustard, who lead Quins to a fifth place finish this year.
While he is a legend in league, he does have some experience in the fifteen man game. He represented a Northern Hemisphere XV in a Help For Heroes Rugby Challenge at Twickenham in 2011. In 2016 he played against Gloucester for the Salford Red Devils, which saw the league side run out 49-41 in a literal game of two halves - one played in union, the other in league.
Long won two World Club Challenges, four Grand Finals and five Challenge Cups as well as being named Lance Todd winner three times.
He left in 2009 to join Hull FC and then coached at Wigan before assisting at Salford and Samoa.
Long scored 2,625 points for Saints in a career that spanned more than 330 games.
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It certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
Go to commentsHis best years were 2018 and he wasn't good enough to win the World Cup in 2023! (Although he was voted as the best player in the world in 2023)
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