How IL and KR cannot see how poor this strategy has been is beyond me.DaveO wrote: ↑Tue Mar 12, 2019 9:18 pm Never really understood why the Aussies come looking anyway given they produce so many of their own. The fact Canberra looks set to become an ex-pats club seems very strange. Don’t they have their own production line?
As to why we can’t keep players I think the fundamental problem is every player has a price IL is willing to sell at.
The idea he will hold them to contracts seems non existent and every player who signs a top deal automatically wants to tack on a get out clause.
So far he’s seemed to think letting them go after a couple of years and trying to include a return clause is good business when in my view all it does is encourage them to leave in the first place and we only see them back if they fail or are homesick.
If a player signs a four year deal I’d like it to mean four years with no expectation of a release beforehand. If at the end of it they leave for Australia or anywhere else at the end of the contract for free, so be it. If the contracts were run like this they could concentrate on playing rather than thinking if an NRL club will take them. This would also inform other clubs not to bother even asking about our players.
Can’t see this happening at Wigan with IL in charge as I don’t think he can afford to hold players to contracts. Selling a top player every season or so looks like part of his business plan for the club very much like a lower league soccer club relies on producing players the wealthy clubs will buy.
Joel Tomkins - Never regained close to the form he showed before departing for RU.
Sam Tomkins - Never regained close to the form he showed before departing for NZ Warriors.
Joe Burgess - Absolutely know where near close when fit and has spent the last 2 years injured.
Lee Mossop - Terrible on return
Tommy L - Probably playing similar to how he did. Limited by playing at 7 rather than 9
Sarginson - Average before and average after