CHRIS ASHTON - ON HIS WAY?!?!?!

[Fraggle]

Cruncher posted:

turf posted:
I don't think he is being greedy. He is apparently on peanuts, compared with the RU stars and the rest of our squad.

I'll tell you something now. It would be interesting to see if Ashton went into Noble's office, in an honest 1 to 1, and said, "listen Mr Noble, why am I not getting the same money that the other players in the team are".

If he is not happy about it then that is EXACTLY what he should do. Can anyone tell me why, he has not done this?

How do we know he hasn't done it?

I've heard from three different sources now that Ashton is still on tiny wages, and that attempts are being made by his agent to renegotiate him a better package. The most recent word on this was: "It's in Mr. Lindsay's hands now."

This situation is quite unique. Ashton is a home-grown talent, who came through our youth programme and who looks as though he could go all the way, in time becoming a big star. However, even though he's far off the being the finished article yet, RU are allegedly offering him a huge amount of money to convert. Thanks to the salary cap, we can't do the same, and arguing that we should unload other players to accommodate him, doesn't wash - we need our full squad.

I doubt this situation has ever been faced by an RL club before. If we break the bank to hang onto him, we bust the cap or lose other players. If we let him leave, we're "once again" releasing our young starlets. We genuinely can't win. As for Ashton, his situation is also understandable - he wants what he's worth, and if only RU is willing, or able, to pay it, what else is he supposed to do?

If Maurice Lindsay can work out a settlement that will suit all parties on this occasion, then he's a smarter cookie than me.

I think the last time the sport faced something similar was when the RFL helped to finance keeping Rads and KFC in our game, but even in those cases both were established internationals considered core to the future of the sport. It is a ridiculous situation where we are in competition with another sport but not even on the same playing field in terms of resources, structures and organisation to fight on a fair basis.

[lucky 13]

Here I go again but this is why the cap is unfair we have spent time and money on ashton and other players who may not make the grade when one does we should be allowed to try and keep them .

[GeoffN]

Cruncher posted:

turf posted:
I don't think he is being greedy. He is apparently on peanuts, compared with the RU stars and the rest of our squad.

I'll tell you something now. It would be interesting to see if Ashton went into Noble's office, in an honest 1 to 1, and said, "listen Mr Noble, why am I not getting the same money that the other players in the team are".

If he is not happy about it then that is EXACTLY what he should do. Can anyone tell me why, he has not done this?

How do we know he hasn't done it?

I've heard from three different sources now that Ashton is still on tiny wages, and that attempts are being made by his agent to renegotiate him a better package. The most recent word on this was: "It's in Mr. Lindsay's hands now."

And Maurice should, quite rightly, say that Ashton's contract, along with DV, Richards, Fletcher and the rest, will be discussed towards the end of the season.
He should add that much will depend on his ferformance in the 20-odd games before then, just as it will for the others (except Fletcher, who will presumably retire).

Even players like Hock & O'Loughlin had to wait till the end of last year before their contracts were renewed; why should Ashton (or anyone else) get special treatment?

[Matthew]

GeoffN posted:
And Maurice should, quite rightly, say that Ashton's contract, along with DV, Richards, Fletcher and the rest, will be discussed towards the end of the season.
He should add that much will depend on his ferformance in the 20-odd games before then, just as it will for the others (except Fletcher, who will presumably retire).

Even players like Hock & O'Loughlin had to wait till the end of last year before their contracts were renewed; why should Ashton (or anyone else) get special treatment?

Was just about to say the same thing.

With Richards and DV likely to finish their pension plan stints with Wigan at the end of the season (there is NO WAY that the club can consider renewing their contracts is there???) we will have more money to go around. Hopefully several players (Goulding, Tomkins etc) moving up from the academy into the first team.

[Panchitta Marra]

turf posted:
FORGET about his recent form, but according to the Rugby League Weekly, it says that Ashton has actually ASKED to leave Wigan.

The article also says that Ashton AND his agent have been talking to RU clubs. Will he stay/last the season???????????

What in the hell is going opn in this lads head/mind?!?!?!

Any thoughts?

Maybe the little man's head is getting too big for his hat, or is it be his ego.
If all this is correct, then it is no good for Wigan Rugby League, therefore get as much for him as possible and wave bye bye.
On this seasons form to date,will he be missed. Certainly doesnt seem as though he will get any better. Maybe a wise thing bringing Michael withers to the club afrter all.

[DaveO]

Cruncher posted:
This situation is quite unique. Ashton is a home-grown talent, who came through our youth programme and who looks as though he could go all the way, in time becoming a big star. However, even though he's far off the being the finished article yet, RU are allegedly offering him a huge amount of money to convert. Thanks to the salary cap, we can't do the same, and arguing that we should unload other players to accommodate him, doesn't wash - we need our full squad.

If RU are offering him mega bucks they are as mad as we would be to do the same. He has had one very good season is 19 years old and there is no guarantee he will make the grade in either code.

I doubt this situation has ever been faced by an RL club before. If we break the bank to hang onto him, we bust the cap or lose other players. If we let him leave, we're "once again" releasing our young starlets. We genuinely can't win. As for Ashton, his situation is also understandable - he wants what he's worth, and if only RU is willing, or able, to pay it, what else is he supposed to do?

I don't think he is going to be worth to Wigan what the RFU think he is worth to them. The club would be mad to offer Ashton mega bucks at this moment in time. If at the end of the season he has had another great season then the club can work on an offer based on that.

If Maurice Lindsay can work out a settlement that will suit all parties on this occasion, then he's a smarter cookie than me.

If the rumours about him being on a pittance are true the club should have offered an increase in his contract for this season as a gesture, say an extra £10K with a promise to offer him a deal at the end of the season.

What the club should not do is rip up his old contract now and try and compete with RU at this point in time.

If Ashton can't wait until the end of this SL season to decide on his future and signs with Northampton now I would play Withers at full back drop Ashton to the U21's and bring in a player form the U21 squad who was committed to the Wigan cause only using Ashton as needed. I would not release him early because we may need him in an injury crisis and we don't need the money.

Dave

[ancientnloyal]

If he does decide to play namby-pamby, the Wigan board should get as much as they can and be stubborn for the lad. No we dont need the money but we must send out a message that Wigan players are not available easily.

[bertina]

Fraggle posted:

- psycho - posted:
i don't know, ask farrell and robinson.

Ashton is hardly the Great Britain captain, or a hugely successful player coming to the end of his career. RU might be interested, but they are certainly not going to offer megabucks to a 19 year old with one season's experience. Even in terms of publicity he's a nobody, sponsors would be not be attracted in the same way that they will have been with the captures of Farrell, Robinson, Sailor, Rogers etc. I don't think he's worth as much financially to union as some people are suggesting.

Absolutely 100% correct Fraggle!!
At the moment the only person who sees Ashton as a superstar is Ashton himself.
I don't quite understand all this hysteria surrounding Ashton. Fair enough he had a decent season last year, (his first), but out of four matches this year he's probably been our worst player.
I'm not saying he won't make a decent player, but all this talk of him being "the next Radlinski" is far too premature in my opinion, and if he is believing it himself it may be partly to blame for his current form.

[turf]

You say bertina that the only person who sees Ashton as a star at the minute is Ashton himself. I wonder what Noble thinks of him????????

He has been called a cocky little s*d on here a few times and worse. Maybe he DOES want a good 1 to 1 rollicking off someone, i.e, his dad, to bring him back down to earth.