Morgan Smithies set for NRL move as Wigan Warriors forward heads down under

[josie andrews]

Wasn't good enough

Sod off, told you before & just replied to a message from Rads saying the same thing. He sent me a picture of me & my friends from the game

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/10/ ... n-gallery/ Think we are either the 3rd or 4th picture

[medlocke]

Sod off, told you before & just replied to a message from Rads saying the same thing. He sent me a picture of me & my friends from the game

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/10/ ... n-gallery/ Think we are either the 3rd or 4th picture

6 in Josie, some good pics there

[Dreamteam]

Counts as nothing on the cap. Think of the shirt sales and possible sponsorship deals from it. It’s a yes from me.

[Caboosegg]

It's annoying but there's nothing we can really do to stop it.

I think he will go well in the NRL he's not as small as some think.

I'm more concerned that we keep the backs from going.

It's a shame that we lose the likes of Partington and Nicholson as the want game time but then lose the reasons they where not getting game time.

This I think is where Byrne is key. He has shown he can be amazing but it isn't consistent enough to have the NRL knocking. It shouldn't be the case that that's what we have to make do with but money talks and a cap that has been static longer than some wages in the UK isn't going to help.

[DaveO]

Does this mean Farrell is coming in or will Thompson play loose?

There is a feeling inside the club that Farrell is closer than ever, they're optimistic it gets done.

Bloody hope not I won’t be happy signing a 32 year old ex RU player!

Same here but the club be the sport would be all over it for the publicity as if it was some major signing when in reality it would not be. Never played the game at senior level and as you say is 32.

He may also be cheap on the salary cap if there is dispensation for signing RU players but I’d rather have kept Smithies or go with what we have than sign Owen Farrell.

[Caboosegg]

There is a feeling inside the club that Farrell is closer than ever, they're optimistic it gets done.

Bloody hope not I won’t be happy signing a 32 year old ex RU player!

Same here but the club be the sport would be all over it for the publicity as if it was some major signing when in reality it would not be. Never played the game at senior level and as you say is 32.

He may also be cheap on the salary cap if there is dispensation for signing RU players but I’d rather have kept Smithies or go with what we have than sign Owen Farrell.

And the RL cap instantly nullifies any real benefit as any additional work or advertisement farrell does/brings then counts on the cap.

[DaveO]

Think I may put O’Loughlin 13 back on my shirt, at least I knew he wouldn’t leave me for the NRL

No need for these sorts of statements Josie. Smithies is an exceptional player and is/was my current favourite player. I love his all action play and he's really grown, in my mind, into a top class 13 and I'm absolutely gutted he's leaving. But you can't be annoyed at a young man wanting to see what else their is outside Wigan and outside this league. The NRL is a completely different kettle of fish. Not only for him financially, but in terms of quality, exposure and a completely different lifestyle.

He’s breaking his contract so we have every right to be annoyed. He’s only 22 and is contracted to the end of 2025. So he’d be 24 or just turned 25 still in in his prime. Breaking a contract shows a lack of integrity.

It’s the same old story. Players happy to sign long term deals which guarantees them a pay packet but if the grass looks greener elsewhere, then they want to break their contract. Cake and eat it and Wigan let them have it.

Got ambition to play in th NRL? Then don’t sign a long contract. Signed a contract with Wigan? See it out. I don’t think it is too much to ask.

KPP’ didn’t demand to go this year and saw his contract out. Why can’t Smithies? With the new owners we presumably don’t need the money from a transfer fee but what is most disappointing is the new ownership didn’t just say “no” and hold him to his contract meaning Wigan remain a soft touch for talented players still making any contract signed meaningless.

[DaveO]

Bloody hope not I won’t be happy signing a 32 year old ex RU player!

Same here but the club be the sport would be all over it for the publicity as if it was some major signing when in reality it would not be. Never played the game at senior level and as you say is 32.

He may also be cheap on the salary cap if there is dispensation for signing RU players but I’d rather have kept Smithies or go with what we have than sign Owen Farrell.

And the RL cap instantly nullifies any real benefit as any additional work or advertisement farrell does/brings then counts on the cap.

That’s if the player earns any money from his image rights himself so Farrell would not be able to earn money from endorsing products or whatever as clubs just don’t allow any players to do so because of that daft rule.

The sport and possibly the club would try and milk the publicity. How willing he’d be to be doing the PR for free when if he was in RU he’d get paid I have no idea but if that’s the plan I think they will have miscalculated. Within the game he would just be seen as coming for a last pay day like an older Aussie player. Outside of it, it might raise a few eyebrows. For about five minutes.

[Dreamteam]

Think I may put O’Loughlin 13 back on my shirt, at least I knew he wouldn’t leave me for the NRL

No need for these sorts of statements Josie. Smithies is an exceptional player and is/was my current favourite player. I love his all action play and he's really grown, in my mind, into a top class 13 and I'm absolutely gutted he's leaving. But you can't be annoyed at a young man wanting to see what else their is outside Wigan and outside this league. The NRL is a completely different kettle of fish. Not only for him financially, but in terms of quality, exposure and a completely different lifestyle.

He’s breaking his contract so we have every right to be annoyed. He’s only 22 and is contracted to the end of 2025. So he’d be 24 or just turned 25 still in in his prime. Breaking a contract shows a lack of integrity.

It’s the same old story. Players happy to sign long term deals which guarantees them a pay packet but if the grass looks greener elsewhere, then they want to break their contract. Cake and eat it and Wigan let them have it.

Got ambition to play in th NRL? Then don’t sign a long contract. Signed a contract with Wigan? See it out. I don’t think it is too much to ask.

KPP’ didn’t demand to go this year and saw his contract out. Why can’t Smithies? With the new owners we presumably don’t need the money from a transfer fee but what is most disappointing is the new ownership didn’t just say “no” and hold him to his contract meaning Wigan remain a soft touch for talented players still making any contract signed meaningless.

Not a player we need to kick up a fuss about. Collect the big transfer fee and move on. Oneil can more than match it he moves to 13. Can’t remember a player that I’ve been less bothered about moving to the nrl tbh.

[DaveO]

Well, I am not happy. It would be interesting to see the terms attached to this deal. I was hoping that we had turned a corner and players would have to see their contract out before going to the NRL.

Who are you unhappy with? The player or the club?

Both for me. Player breaks his contract, club lets him.

As Charriots said I was also hoping we’d turned a corner and players would have to see out their contracts.

I don’t know how many individual contracts Faz has signed since he’s been a Wigan player but if at the end of one of them he’d left for the NRL or another SL club I may have been disappointed but would have no complaint.

Dreamteam may not be bothered about Smithies leaving but it’s this still allowing players to break their contracts that is galling because in my opinion all it does is encourage others to do it.