'Heavy heart': Salakaia-Loto quits Northampton with immediate effect
Northampton boss Phil Dowson has lost the services of Lukhan Salakaia-Loto for 2023/24 after the Gallagher Premiership club agreed to release the Australian on compassionate grounds.
It was last month when the Saints thought they had completed their list of departures, adding the names of Brandon Nansen, Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, Ethan Grayson, Frankie Sleightholme, Callum Burns, Archie Kean, and Joseph Gaffan to the already confirmed exits of David Ribbans, Mike Haywood, Courtnall Skosan, Tom Collins, James Fish and Matt Proctor.
However, a fresh addition to that list has now been confirmed. A statement read: “Northampton can confirm that lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto will depart the club with immediate effect. The 26-year-old second row joined ahead of the 2022/23 season from Queensland Reds.
“Salakaia-Loto made 24 appearances in total for Saints, scoring twice against Bristol Bears and Harlequins, both at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.”
Director of rugby Dowson said: “We’re disappointed to see Lukhan return home to Australia, but he made it clear that, while he has enjoyed every moment of his time as a Saint, his family have not settled so far away from home. No matter what, as a rugby player your family always has to come first, so we understand Lukhan’s decision and wish him the best moving forward.”
https://twitter.com/salakaialoto/status/1588923167627948033
Salakaia-Loto added: “I’m leaving Saints with a heavy heart as I loved my first season representing Northampton and being part of a special group of players here. I believe the club has everything in place to challenge for major silverware in the years ahead, but you have to put your family before everything else, and being on the other side of the world from the rest of our loved ones has been difficult.
“So we have made the decision to return home to Australia, but I’ll always cherish the short time I had and how all the Saints supporters welcomed us into this community in Northampton. I’m leaving some great teammates and friends, but I hope the boys can kick on again next season – and I’ll be supporting everyone at Saints from afar.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Average AB captain by recent standards. Speaks to the wider issue
7 Go to commentsWholesome lad, but no longer test level. At all
7 Go to commentsThis game was always going to be close, Canada have such a dominant pack and the Black Ferns have come unstuck in that area against teams like France and England in the past.
2 Go to commentsA distinct discomfort with the officiating they were probably selected from the local IRA narcos branch along with the commentators bloody fly tippers.
1 Go to commentsWow, never thought I would read that
2 Go to commentsExcellent match. Great to see Keenan and Ryan back for Leinster. Super result for Ulster. Season is turning around.
1 Go to comments“We need eight or nine new players, who are hard-wearing and durable and experienced Premiership performers”. So why are they scouting a retired fullback who himself admits that his “body is broken”?
1 Go to commentsBrumbies hand, knocked a Crusaders hand. Therefore, knock on in goal. Crusaders, goal line drop out should’ve been awarded. most likely after that 24 each at full time, so extra time would’ve been the right an entertaining outcome. Act Jim
1 Go to commentsSpeell cehck
1 Go to commentsColeman is gaawwwwnnn.
1 Go to commentsnext SA head coach?
3 Go to commentsGreat try by van Poortvliet.
1 Go to commentsThey have been cruelled by injuries but almost nobody (Sevu Reece and Fletcher Newell big exceptions) has played above himself which regularly happened before. Surely Scott Robertson had maintained the recruitment programme and it looks like a reasonable squad. Last in this competition will stall a lot of careers. Penny seems likeable. But it’s not enough even though this was better. We haven’t been good enough and it’s not helped by the “it’s been 15 years since… “etc “after nearly every match. Seems somehow a soft gifting of something once valuable. Kieran Read giving comments last week almost choked describing the easy surrender of possession by the forwards. I’d love to think that the senior players some of whom are back can show enough pride in the jersey to test the Blues next week.
3 Go to commentsWho will Joe select for the back three with so many in form candidates? Just hope he doesn’t get shafted like Dave Rennie and to a lesser extent Deans.
8 Go to commentsAlways reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
3 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
8 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to comments