Joel to Union

[highland convert]

I would imagine Joel will be the same as Pryce. WW will hold his RL Licence in suspension so if he returns WW has first dibs or another club would have to buy out the licence. Was it not 50k Pryces licence cost us for Bradford to release it. Jim

[Dobby]

Joel going, as a player, does not bother me a great deal. I have said all season that he is never a centre and I dont think he is half as good as he seems to think he is as a forward. Indeed with a full squad he wouldnt have been in my starting pack last year, possibly a reason he was pushed out to the centres.

However as a Rugby League fan I think this move is a disaster and from a PR point of view it is just awful for the sport as a whole.

One point though about wages, the salary cap etc and Rugby Union and competing with it. Rugby Union is built on very shaky foundations and every club bar Leicester and Northampton (who are now only profitable after their owner spent millions getting them to that position) are losing fortunes. Saracens lost £6.9 million last year, that figure alone is the equivalent of every Super League team spending an extra £500,000. It isnt even like last year was a one off and they have lost over £13 million over the last 3 years. If it wasnt for their wealthy backers there would be no Saracens. The same can be said for most RU clubs. Kennedy at Sale has given every indication lately that if the crowds dont start coming that he is going to pull out after ploughing in millions. Newcastle are screwed and even the likes of Bath and Gloucester only exist intheir present forms due to being heavily subsidised by their wealthy owners.

[ian.birchall]

Ok Ok, I for one have been for sticking Joel in Orrell until he comes to his senses but today I read on SKYTEXT JOEL TOMKINS IS 'MULLING OVER' AN OFFER FROM ANDY FARRELLS SARACENS WORTH £400000 PER YEAR

I think that it is time we all wished the chap bon voyage and good luck, we cannot reasonably expect him to be asked to turn down this much money, remember anY career ending injury payout, which some of our more feeble minded contributors are wishing on him, will now be based on a 'current' salary of 5-6 times his Wigan salary.

Whatever Lenihan or the RFL could swing in a salary increase will pale into insignificance. Lenihans aim should be to get a transfer fee based on his new salary, thats what happens in Football, £1 million would soften the blow.

[Dobby]

I dont believe it is that high but as I said on the Joel thread, Saracens lost £6.9 million last year and they have lost well over £13 million over the last 3 years. They are bankrolled by wealthy South Africans and wouldnt even exist without them. In comparision if a RL club loses £200,000 then it is a huge crisis. Rugby Union is a house of cards and if some of the wealthy backers pull out then it will all come crashing down.

[cpwigan]

I dont believe it is that high but as I said on the Joel thread, Saracens lost £6.9 million last year and they have lost well over £13 million over the last 3 years. They are bankrolled by wealthy South Africans and wouldnt even exist without them. In comparision if a RL club loses £200,000 then it is a huge crisis. Rugby Union is a house of cards and if some of the wealthy backers pull out then it will all come crashing down.

Not necessarily. The RFU produces and the international game produces plenty of finance whilst investors are far more plentiful than League.

[Dobby]

I dont believe it is that high but as I said on the Joel thread, Saracens lost £6.9 million last year and they have lost well over £13 million over the last 3 years. They are bankrolled by wealthy South Africans and wouldnt even exist without them. In comparision if a RL club loses £200,000 then it is a huge crisis. Rugby Union is a house of cards and if some of the wealthy backers pull out then it will all come crashing down.

Not necessarily. The RFU produces and the international game produces plenty of finance whilst investors are far more plentiful than League.

Maybe so but there is no way the salary cap would be so high and there is no way they could offer players such high wages without their owners. 12 Premiership clubs lost over £20 million between them and crowds have been very low so far this year which will mean even more losses.

Millionaires or not there is only so long they will fund this for. In addition to Saracens Sale lose at least £1.5 million a year and their owner has said he will not fund this for much longer and they are in the last chance saloon. Wasps have just been put up for sale, they lost £2.2 million last year and their owner has given over £10 million in loans to the club since he owned it. Every other club bar Leicester has been subsidised in much the same way. It is hardly a sustainable model for the sport.

[cpwigan]

I dont believe it is that high but as I said on the Joel thread, Saracens lost £6.9 million last year and they have lost well over £13 million over the last 3 years. They are bankrolled by wealthy South Africans and wouldnt even exist without them. In comparision if a RL club loses £200,000 then it is a huge crisis. Rugby Union is a house of cards and if some of the wealthy backers pull out then it will all come crashing down.

Not necessarily. The RFU produces and the international game produces plenty of finance whilst investors are far more plentiful than League.

Maybe so but there is no way the salary cap would be so high and there is no way they could offer players such high wages without their owners. 12 Premiership clubs lost over £20 million between them and crowds have been very low so far this year which will mean even more losses.

Millionaires or not there is only so long they will fund this for. In addition to Saracens Sale lose at least £1.5 million a year and their owner has said he will not fund this for much longer and they are in the last chance saloon. Wasps have just been put up for sale, they lost £2.2 million last year and their owner has given over £10 million in loans to the club since he owned it. Every other club bar Leicester has been subsidised in much the same way. It is hardly a sustainable model for the sport.

I agree BUT the problem is it has been so for a long time in football and is likely to continue in Union.

[ancientnloyal]

Lenegan shouldn't up an offer to Joel if it had ever come to that, it would have been a ridiculous thing to do. It's not Wigan's contract to Joel it's the salary cap which needs to be changed.

[jaws1]

Heard that the package the RU had put in for Joel and Sam was worth 2 and a quarter million pound. Sam felt he was not ready so turned it down.

[Matthew]

Surprised that no-one has mentioned Farrell's likely involvement in all this.

At the end of the day, Farrell is employed by Saracens; however as a past Wigan great and someone who comes from the town; I am surprised (and frankly disappointed) that he has come to draw a player away and weaken a team that he professed to love and who still has family members playing for.

I can't believe that Farrell is not involved in this somewhere and if this proves to be true then he has gone down in my estimation.

If he wanted to steal a league player rather than bring them the youth system at Saracens; then you would have thought that he would at least have the decency to go to one of our rivals; rather than use his connections at Wigan to poach a player that is clearly integral to his hometown club's long term plans.