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Players can't do anything about bad injuries and in that respect I have every sympathy for Sam and others in the same position but a lot of our salary cap has gone on him and that can't be ignored. Sam has certainly had more out of Wigan RL than Wigan RL have had out of him.
Maybe the marquee player thing needs to be earned by someone who is a valued player who stays with the club rather than tries their luck elsewhere and then comes back when things don't entirely work out. If one player is on substantially more than the others and then isn't able to play it does seem a bit strange to say the least

We need to change the salary cap system to be a bit more like the American football one in terms how players can be added and taken off the active squad. But that would involve more management of the cap and the RFL want to run a hard cap but not pay for the admin needed to effectively run that it seems like to me.

If George goes and Sam stays then that has to be one of the biggest travesties the club has ever seen.

Absolutely shocking. IF.

Wintergreen wrote:If George goes and Sam stays then that has to be one of the biggest travesties the club has ever seen.

Absolutely shocking. IF.

Totally agree.
After a dire spectacle of a season it ended with a feel good factor with us winning the GF. That good feeling has fast disappeared and been replaced with a bitter taste. Sam missing another pre-season and part of next season, Williams looking like leaving. It just doesn't feel good. At least we've signed an unknown quantity of a French prop.
Budgie returning doesn't make it better, if he was handled better he wouldn't have left in the first place.

The booze hound wrote:

Wintergreen wrote:If George goes and Sam stays then that has to be one of the biggest travesties the club has ever seen.

Absolutely shocking. IF.

Totally agree.
After a dire spectacle of a season it ended with a feel good factor with us winning the GF. That good feeling has fast disappeared and been replaced with a bitter taste. Sam missing another pre-season and part of next season, Williams looking like leaving. It just doesn't feel good. At least we've signed an unknown quantity of a French prop.
Budgie returning doesn't make it better, if he was handled better he wouldn't have left in the first place.

I agree

I've still not forgotten the uncalled for stick he gave Bilko. He should keep his head below the trench top when he's not in a position to help the team, never mind abusing those who contribute to his 'sick pay'!
I'm with meds on this one, bin him off!!

Yup, I fully agree with Wintergreen as well. And indeed, that he can take his brother with him. I have my doubts about Escaré defensively too, but let's give him a fair shot. And as noted, there's Gabe Fell behind him too.

As long as we keep George, I'll be optimistic about next season.

One has to question the whole concept of players returning from nrl or Ru. So far it hasn't done us any favours whatsoever and if anything has restricted the possibility of bringing in new players.

The news about Sam missing the start of next season is disappointing and frustrating, but reading between the lines most of our players put their bodies on the line last season and played when they shouldn't have. Joel probably tried to play on when he shouldn't have; there was a long delay before Sam got his knee sorted on his return from NZ; Lockers doesn't owe us anything. On the bright side - we won the GF without them and if they do get back to anything like full fitness and with a good off-season we'll be pretty strong.

RJ wrote:One has to question the whole concept of players returning from nrl or Ru. So far it hasn't done us any favours whatsoever and if anything has restricted the possibility of bringing in new players.

I agree. IL seemed a bit obsessed with the idea of bringing players back, in my opinion to prove a point as much as anything given the stick the club got when it let players leave in the first place.

Once they had left if they became available again each re-signing should have been on its merits based on the needs of the team, who we had here already, who else might be available and fitness. Most of the re-signings didn't look much like that sort of consideration had been made to me.

He couldn't wait to announce Joel returning from RU and as one of my favourite players I won't say I wasn't pleased but given each returnee has had issues I am not convinced we should be so ready to offer a way back if things don't work out for them elsewhere. Especially if injury has played a part in the latter part of their career at their former club.