SAINTS want to keep Kyle Eastmond - but they will get on with life if he chooses to leave.

The international scrum half had revealed earlier in the week that ‘it would be sorted’ this week.

That comment fuelled speculation that an announcement of a move to rugby union, when his contract expires at the end of the season, was imminent.

After tabling their best offer, the matter is now out of Saints’ hands - and on to the fingers of the Twitterati who have been discussing Eastmond’s move to Bath since Tuesday.

Saints coach Royce Simmons declared that the club want to keep Eastmond - but not at the cost of unbalancing the team.

He said: “Quality half backs are very hard to find in the modern game.

“Kyle has been here since he was a junior and you hate losing your juniors and players you have developed from a very young age and would love to keep him.

“But we have made him a tremendous offer, but if he goes, he goes. We will get on with life.

“St Helens won’t close up shop, we will keep going.

“We would bring another kid through or have to go out and buy one.”

Oldham-born Eastmond has been at Saints since he was 13 - and was nurtured as a long term successor to Sean Long, who left at the end of 2009.

He has already visited West Country rugby union giants Bath and had also been linked to a move to nearby Sale.

It won’t just be a financial package that will appeal to the young scrum half, whose position in the 15-man code remains uncertain.

He will have noticed the immense profile that former league players like Chris Ashton and Shontayne Hape are afforded at international level.

No league club - alas - can compete with that aspect should a player wish to take the gamble of a code switch.

If he were to leave, Saints would have to start the process all over again.

Simmons added: The offer is, in my opinion, very good.

“But you cannot go spending your money on one player.

“Every player I have ever known that wants to do well wants to be paid well, but also wants good players all around them. It is very hard to do both.

“We have a salary cap we have to work under, too.

“I would love to keep him.

“He is a young boy and I have no doubt that we could make him a better player.

“He has got something a lot a lot of players have not got - pace.

“He has a good kicking game, goalkicking and in general play.

“He still needs to improve his general play and learn more about the game, so we could improve.”