DESPITE being told he will be released at the end of the season, Saints' veteran front rower Sonny Nickle has continued to play with drive and aggression, prompting some fans to question the wisdom of letting him go.

The rugged 33-year-old prop, has been the cornerstone of the Saints pack since rejoining the club in 1999 has been consistent all year, making Ian Millward's decision even tougher.

He said: "Sonny has been outstanding all year. But you have to understand the mechanisms of clubs, because we have the salary cap and a limit on resources.

"We have four front rowers on our books who are all in their thirties and three of those will be off contract next year. For all four to come off at the same time would not be good management.

"The other part is the likes of Stankevitch, Bennett and Edmondson need 12 months experience because they may have to take over from those experienced players.

"We also need to bring a couple of young players into our ranks which would involve us paying transfer fees. We don't have the resources for that so sometimes you have to make a sacrifice to make the club stronger in the long term.

"I know a lot of fans are saying we should re-sign him but we have to look at the long term."