Kevin Locke to Salford

[cpwigan]

Good luck to them. To try to break the stranglehold of football in Manchester/Salford is incredibly difficult and will never be achieved by a salary capped club.

[cpwigan]

Rumours Joel Tomkins could be their next signing. Hope so xxx

[Kittwazzer]

Rumours Joel Tomkins could be their next signing. Hope so xxx

Which Joel did you think I was referring to earlier?

[Mike]

You don't really need spectators to win though.

Sheffield Eagles weren't the most well supported team.

[josie andrews]

Two words - salary cap.

The doc also mentions they have made another big signing this week and will reveal later in the season - will be interesting to see who that is and who is leaving them to make way under the so called salary cap they are subjected to! Unless of course he is betting that the RFL give into pressure and raise the cap.

Rumoured to be Joel!

I've heard that too!

[cpwigan]

The best thing for SL / British RL would be to to give Salford AND London (if they can find the owner or Hughes wants to) DOUBLE or TRIPLE the salary cap, provided the owners underwrite any debts that occur.

[Owd Codger]

The best thing for SL / British RL would be to to give Salford AND London (if they can find the owner or Hughes wants to) DOUBLE or TRIPLE the salary cap, provided the owners underwrite any debts that occur.

Why should Salford get special treatment when they are a established club in a traditional rugby league playing area whereas London are the opposite but doing a good job in the schools of the London area.

The way Salford are going on in signing known players, they should change the name of the club to 'Koukash's Mercenaries'

[cpwigan]

Sorry cp but I just don't think that is fair on the other teams especially teams from Cumbria and other championship side's,Salford have lost their support base they've moved out of town and I don't see them attracting a new fan base,imagine Salford get to Wembley all those empty seats would be a disaster for the game.

Fair? I take it 1983-1985 you were stood outside CP with a placard stating that Wigan RLFC were evil for trying to drag a sickly sport forward.

Thank heaven the gang of 4 came along then because NOW they could not rescue an ailing Wigan attracting crowds of 4000 or less.

The big picture is the health of the sport. If you are a Union fan or a football fan you can accept that the over the top admission prices you have to pay have seen standards rise and the quality of players and play improved. Only in RL are we squabbling over crumbs and watching comparatively poorer standards of players / play.

RL in Cumbria is not about the professional clubs. It never was. Nor would Salford or London remain static as you imply. Just think a strong Salford/Manchester RL and a strong London RL would see far more people interested in RL, far more TV investment / company sponsorship and players getting far better careers even those kids from Cumbria!

Vision is everything; RL has no vision bar squabbling over crumbs and watching progressively poorer RL.

[MT Smart]

Hello Lads.

Kevins a good buy. Not as good as Sam Tomkins but not too shabby none the less.

I'm looking forward to seeing Kevin go around in the SL , I'll be adding Salford to me list of clubs of interest to follow ( it's growing , I've been following Wakey....not going so good over there to see how Pita Godinets getting on ).

I would say Locke wasn't in the head space to look at Wigan last year when he packed a sad about TOmkins.

That would have been too awkward , being usurped by Tomkins then having to fill his boots in SL.

You got a goodun in Bowen in any case , him and locke are on a par.

Kevins not cheap. Top tier Salary here at the Warriors.

He is costing Salford a pile of dosh.

If he were going cheap, he would have held out for the Offers from Melbourne and Penrith.

Couple of things not correctly reported in the Evenning standard article recently....there is no transfer fee , Lockes off contract this NRL seasons end.

There is no transfer fee system in the NRL in any case.....also the Dr thanked our CEO for shopping Locke to Salford in the first instance.

Kevins coming right again in reserve grade , played a full game last week and today...form is back.....knees fully recovered.

[cpwigan]

The gang of 4 came to wigan because they knew that the wigan public would back em they wouldn't have touched Salford with a bargepole as for London they should be disbanded and rebuilt because they have failed on and off the field since Fulham started,
i wouldn't trust the current club with any money . Salford is no longer rl heartland I work a lot round Salford and no one under 50 is remotely interested in the game football is king,it's not cool to say you like rl down south and that won't change,the structure of sl is a joke as is the international game,
the product is not great to sell . Salford should be giving tickets away but I can't see traditional support and any new media city types watching the same team.

Salford has never been a RL heartland Mick. A small minority like most parts of Britain are interested in RL. It will take real imagination to make RL popular in Manchester / Salford something that the salary cap prevents and something that would have prevented the gang of 4 rescuing Wigan.

London has achieved a great deal off the pitch and given their relative recent history achieve much more than many RL heartland club on the pitch.

RL has no vision / no ambition. The fight for crumbs is the be all and end all.