SAINTS let Great Britain second row Lee Gilmour leave the club three years too soon, admitted chairman Eamonn McManus at a packed forum at the stadium last night.

Gilmour spent six years at Saints after joining from Bradford Bulls, going on to win four Challenge Cups, a Super League title and a World Club Challenge.

But he was not offered a contract at the end of 2009 and moved on to Huddersfield, with Saints promoting Andrew Dixon and Matty Ashurst.

Last night McManus put his hands up and accepted that this was a mistake.

He said: "Lee was an integral part of the team that won everything.

"As a second rower he was quick and tough.

"But my abiding memory is not the years he played with us, but rather when he left the club.

"I have made many mistakes as chairman - but one of the biggest was to let Lee go two or three years before I should have done.

"We had a couple of young back rowers who we had to give a chance to. But it was a decision we really got wrong because he could have had another two or three years here.

"I didn't realise how much the club meant to him until we sat down and had that conversation."

Last night was the first event in Gilmour's testimonial with former teammates Leon Pryce, Nick Fozzard and James Graham providing a hugely entertaining and informative panel in front of a sold-out audience.