Stephen Myler the latest victim of Boyd's Saints clearout
Northampton Saints fly-half Stephen Myler has announced he’s leaving Franklin’s Gardens at the end of the season.
His departure had been rumoured, with new Saints Director of Rugby Chris Boyd having Wales international Dan Biggar on his books next season.
Myler made his debut for Saints in 2006, having switched codes from rugby league to union earlier that year.
He then played a huge role in Saints’ return to the Aviva Premiership in the 2007/08 season, with Northampton recording a 100 per cent winning record in the RFU Championship.
He then kicked all the points as Saints beat Bourgoin to win the European Challenge Cup in 2009, before starring in a remarkable Heineken Cup run in 2011 that saw the club reach the final in Cardiff, where they lost to Leinster.
The Widnes-born No.10 was instrumental in Saints’ historic 2013/14 season, with Northampton completing a Premiership and Challenge Cup double. Myler was named man-of-the-match in both finals, and notched up the most individual points in a season in the club’s history.
Myler joined an exclusive group earlier this term as he pulled on a Saints jersey for the 300th time.
? “I will leave with memories that will stay with me forever.
"I hope I’ve been able to repay the Club for the opportunity they gave me and I cannot express how much the support I've received from Saints supporters has meant to me."
Chapeau @StephenMyler ?? pic.twitter.com/Y6gULrDjyT
— Northampton Saints ? (@SaintsRugby) March 23, 2018
“I’ll be forever grateful to the club for giving me the opportunity to make the switch from Rugby League early in my career,” the 33-year-old said.
“I’m extremely proud to have spent almost 12 seasons at Franklin’s Gardens, and I hope I’ve been able to repay the club for the opportunity they gave me and the faith they showed in me by playing as many games as I have.”
“I’ve been lucky enough to play alongside some great players, in some great teams, but more importantly I have met many great people in my time at Saints.”
“I cannot express how much the support I’ve received from Saints supporters has meant to me over the years – both on the pitch and off it, and notably during my testimonial season which they helped make so enjoyable for me.”
Myler also achieved international honours during his time at the the Saints, getting selected in the 2009 England Saxons squad and playing in the Churchill Cup, before earning a full cap in 2013 during England’s summer tour of Argentina.
He also moved himself up to third on the Aviva Premiership’s all-time list of points scorers earlier this season, currently sitting on an astonishing 1,667, and boasts a record of 23 kicks from 23 attempts in finals for Saints.
Myler added: “I will leave with memories that will stay with me forever, having played and enjoyed success in many key games in the Club’s history.
“But the time has come for me to move on. I’m grateful for what has been, but I’m ready and looking forward to what my future holds.”
Keith Barwell, Northampton Saints’ Chairman for much of Myler’s time at the club, paid tribute:
“It’s difficult to single out individuals – as rugby is such a team game – but with ‘Smyler’ it’s easy to make an exception.”
“Stephen has been one of our best. He is a true club man. And, like every supporter, we will miss him and his style of play.”
“On behalf of the Barwell family, everyone at the club and all Saints supporters we wish him every success and happiness in his future.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Anna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to commentsWe had during the week twilight footy, twilight cricket, tw golf plus there was the athletics club. Then the weekend was rugby 15s plus the net ball, really busy club scene back then but so much has changed and rugby has suffered. And it was all about changing lifestyles.
6 Go to commentsIn the 70s and 80s my club ran 5 Senior sides plus a Vets. Now it is 2 sides with an occasional 3rd team. Players have difficulty getting to training now, not sure why and the commitment is not there. It seems to me more a problem of people applying themselves and not expecting to turn up and play whenever they want to.
6 Go to commentsROG’s contract is until 2027. The conversation about a successor to Galthie after RWC 2027 may be starting now. We can infer that Galthie’s reign stops then. He is throwing the Irish Coaching Job angle in because he is Irish. The next Irish coach MUST be Leo Cullen. As well as being the best coach available, coaching the vast majority of Irish Internationals week in week out, he has shown incredible skill at recruiting the best coaching staff for the job in hand. That was a failing in France. Cullen is a shrewd guy and if there is a need for foreign coaches underneath him he won’t hesitate. Rightly so. Ireland does need to start to bring Irish coaches through. Not just at the professional level but we need to train coaches to man new pathways for developing kids from schools/clubs up through the divisions.
8 Go to commentsNo Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
6 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
8 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
61 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
61 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
8 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
61 Go to comments