Mallinder fury at Tiny's switch
Saints boss Jim Mallinder has revealed his "massive disappointment" at Soane Tonga'uiha choosing money over his up-and-coming side.
Saracens yesterday confirmed the loosehead prop, nicknamed Tiny, will be leaving Franklin's Gardens at the end of the season to join Brendan Venter's team.
Mallinder said Saints simply couldn't compete with the money on offer from Saracens, with Tonga'uiha believed to have signed a long-term deal in the region of four years.
The 28-year-old is believed to have signed a deal worth 190,000 a year, and after Ben Foden, Chris Ashton and Bruce Reihana turned down big money offers to stay with a club that is on a definite upward curve, Mallinder was upset to see Tonga'uiha not do the same.
"We did want to keep Soane, but financially we just couldn't compete with the offer he got from Saracens," said Mallinder. "We have to stick within the salary cap and couldn't match their offer.
"It is a massive disappointment. I remember arriving here at the club and there was an unmotivated, unfit Soane Tonga'uiha here.
"The club have done well for him, with him working with the fitness coaches and Dorian (West) on his technical game and on his scrum. He has improved massively and become a good player."
Mallinder and West have delivered a trophy every season since taking over and are still challenging on three fronts this term, with Saints being the only Premiership club to qualify for the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup.
Privately Saints feel Tonga'uiha has been badly advised by his agent, especially as he is leaving a club he enjoys playing for and has every chance of winning more silverware with.
Mallinder added: "You want players who want to play here, who want to be part of the culture, part of the group moving forward, to give yourself a chance of winning things.
"He has decided to move away and that is his choice. Soane has done well for us and thrived on the type of game we play, his carrying and running game, that suited him here. It will be interesting to see how that fits in down at Saracens."
Saracens have also somehow managed to cram big-money signings Matt Stevens and Richard Wigglesworth under the 4.1m salary cap for next season, but Saints couldn't find anymore room in theirs.
"We will replace Soane," said Mallinder. "The team is miles bigger than one individual.
"There are good players out there and what we will do is get another good player, develop them, as we have with our other players.
"Unfortunately you have got to live within the salary cap, if players remove for financial, you have got to let them go and bring other players in."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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