 Eastmond is hoping to inspire Saints to reclaim the Super League crown
St Helens may not have won a trophy in 2009, but they might just have unearthed something that will prove to be every bit as valuable in the long run. Kyle Eastmond went from the fringes of the Saints first team to being one of their star performers, typified by his Grand Final display in which he scored all 10 of his side's points in the 18-10 defeat by Leeds. The 20-year-old, already rated as one of British rugby's top young talents, saw his reputation further enhanced by a call for England's Four Nations campaign, though again he tasted disappointment with a loss to Australia in the final. But armed with a new deal that ties him to the club for a further two years, the coming campaign offers new challenges for Eastmond, not least taking over as scrum-half from Saints legend Sean Long. Shouldering the organisational responsibility for the side is a daunting prospect for any player, let alone a relatively inexperienced one like Eastmond, but it is a test he is clearly determined to pass.  | He's got big boots to fill with Longy, but the one thing Kyle's got is that X-factor |
"There's going to be pressure this season, but there's pressure in every game, for any player," Eastmond told BBC Sport. "You can't concentrate on pressure too much, or other things around you. You just have to concentrate on what you can do on the field. "I know that I need to improve on every single part of my game. "Moving the team around the field and organising the team well enough every game, not just one, two, three games in a row, is what I'll be looking to do, and hopefully I can do that." For all his justifiable confidence, Eastmond is realistic enough to know he cannot expect to simply replace Long, a player he admits he has already learned a great deal from. "Longy is a legend and he deserves all the praise he gets," says Eastmond. "I couldn't have picked anyone better to learn from. I'm not going to try and fill his boots or try to do anything that's not possible, I'm just going to try to do the best that I can do for the team and hopefully if that's good enough I'll be happy." Former Saints captain Paul Sculthorpe, a man who knows Long's game as well as anyone, believes that Eastmond has what it takes to succeed. "He's grown in confidence," says Sculthorpe. "He's a different guy now than when he first came into the first-team squad. He's a lot more confident and he'll direct the team around.  Long left Saints this winter to join Hull |
"He's got big boots to fill with Longy, but the one thing Kyle's got is that X-factor. He's got pace and he can do something out of nothing. It is going to be an exciting year for him." The thing that immediately strikes you about Eastmond is the speed at which he operates on the field, both physically and mentally, qualities Sculthorpe believes can propel him to the top. "Obviously his pace and agility are big assets, but he's also a very skilful player as well," explains the former Great Britain captain. "He's got great hands and good vision, which he showed in the England games. He's also got a good kicking game. "He's got to keep working hard at his game as he has done. I think he's a different person than when he first started at Saints. "When I first saw him, and I think he'll admit this, he wasn't the best trainer, but he knuckled down and worked hard. | 606: DEBATE stleon - Blackpool's Still Better Than Bondi!!! |
"I'm sure he intends to keep doing that. He can go right to the top. It's up to Kyle." The record books show Leeds have won the last three Grand Finals, but such facts do little justice to the contribution Saints have made during that period. Having come so close to reclaiming the Super League crown, Eastmond is determined to utilise his prominent role to make amends in the coming season. "We've been doing pretty well over the last few years," he declares. "We've finished top of the league a few times but Leeds have just got us in the Grand Final, so hopefully we can go one step further this year. "We definitely have the hunger for it this year, not just the Grand Final but the Challenge Cup as well. We set out every year to win both, and there's nothing different this year. "It was disappointing last year not to win one, but it's just going to give the boys more hunger to do better this year and hopefully go on and win everything we can." Many see this as a transitional year for Mick Potter's Saints, as they adjust to the loss of Long, not to mention Lee Gilmour, and seek to bed in a number of talented youngsters, including the likes of Gary Wheeler, Gareth Frodsham and Matty Ashurst. "It is a big loss to us that those two players have gone, but the players who come in are going to have to do a job and help the team win games and win trophies," says Eastmond. "We've got a few young players in the side, but we've also got some experienced players as well, like Kieron Cunningham, Matt Gidley, Paul Wellens and Leon Pryce. "With the youngsters in the team, it's going to be very exciting season for us all. We've got a good mix and the experienced players will help us along the way." First up for Saints is a home game with Hull FC, captained by a certain Sean Long. Eastmond's first big challenge is homing into view very quickly.
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