Long goodbye but short wait to start coaching career

HULL FC star Sean Long, one of Super League’s most colourful characters, was last night hailed the finest player of his generation as he confirmed his immediate retirement.

The ex-Great Britain scrum-half, who won every honour in the game during a glittering 12-year career with St Helens, has finally succumbed to the litany of injuries which had ruined his move to East Yorkshire last season.

Long, 34, played just 21 times for the Airlie Birds, a dislocated shoulder suffered against Hull KR in June unfortunately proving his final fixture in the professional sport, and he is now preparing for coaching, possibly with Saints, Salford or Widnes.

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Huddersfield Giants second-row Lee Gilmour, an ex-Saints and Great Britain team-mate, told the Yorkshire Post: “He was the best.

“When I was with Bradford, the three reasons I joined Saints were to play with Paul Sculthorpe, Keiron Cunningham and Sean Long but probably Longy more so.

“He put me through so many gaps and, over the last 15 years, there’s probably not been a better half-back with such a good footballing brain.

“You’d have to go overseas to find one but he was so tough as well; I’ll never forget how he just got up and carried on after Willie Mason smashed his face with his elbow in Australia in 2006.

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“It’s just a shame the horrendous injuries over the last 18 months mean he couldn’t go out playing the great football we know he can.”

Gilmour, whose Huddersfield side face Saints tomorrow, said: “Daniel Anderson always said Longy would make a great coach and it’s unquestioned he’ll make an assistant; Richard Agar picked his brains a lot at Hull.

“What is really interesting is seeing how quickly he makes the transition to a head coach.”

Long, the only player to win the Lance Todd Trophy on three occasions and out of contract at the end of the season, said: “Making this decision has been killing me.

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“It isn’t how I wanted to end my career but an opportunity has come up and it is something I have to take now. I’m disappointed I won’t get to see things through at Hull, especially with a new owner coming in, but there is no deal on the table and I cannot afford to sit around waiting.”

Wakefield, who earlier this week signed Crusaders centre Vince Mellars and Newcastle Knights forward Steve Southern, have continued their recruitment for next season with the ‘marquee’ capture of Leeds Rhinos’ Kiwi second-row Ali Lauitiiti on a two-year deal plus Hull KR winger Peter Fox. He returns to Trinity – he scored 12 tries there in 2007 – on a three-year contract.

Wildcats’ Chris Dean will join Widnes next season.

Leigh half-back Mick Govin, the former Halifax playmaker, has been banned for two years after admitting taking cocaine.