Saints Fans Say Goodbye to Big Samu

It's always difficult to say goodbye to players who have been real servants to the club, but the loss of someone like Samu Manoa makes it much tougher. Since he joined in 2011, he was nothing short of excellent for the club and was the player everyone wanted to watch. Toulon are known for snapping up some of the world's best players, and Manoa is no exception to the rule. He is going to be missed by everyone, and it will be impossible to replace him.

When he signed for the Saints, only a very small number of people knew who the big American was, and barely anyone knew exactly what he was capable of. However, Jim and Dusty clearly saw something special in him, and how right they turned out to be. Life hadn't always been easy for Samu, but his love for rugby got him through it, and this love was more than apparent - right from the outset he put everything on the line for Northampton, and his big hits and excellent ball handling quickly set him apart from everyone else. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we were blessed to be able to have him as part of the team, and so very lucky to have been able to sign him.

Saints Fans Say Goodbye to the Squad Father

The end of the season brings both excitement and dread as we find out who will be joining the club, but also who will be leaving. Saints have lost some good people this season, with one of them being the well-loved Dowson.

Having joined in the 2009-10 season from Newcastle Falcons, Dowson immediately made a name for himself, not only going to on to lift the Anglo-Welsh Cup in his first season at the club, but also by being short-listed for both the then Guinness Premiership Player of the Season Award and the RPA Players' Player of the Season Award. Not many can say they have made that kind of immediate impact at a new club, but Phil can. Playing for Northampton turned out to be the best fit for him, and he became a giant of the game in the six seasons he played for us.