Announcement tomorrow?

[josie andrews]

We are getting £700,000 for Sam.

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... -of-season

$750000 not £'s it works out at just over £450000 :exc:

[Sutty]

We are getting £700,000 for Sam.

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... -of-season

I bet Lenegan is cock-a-hoop with that deal. The tight arsed get!!

[DaveO]

We are getting £700,000 for Sam.

http://www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... -of-season

$750000 not £'s it works out at just over £450000 :exc:

It says £700,000 on the Sky sports article, not NZ $750,000.

Have they got it wrong?

In any case it says "Although the amount has not been confirmed, it is reportedly in the region of £700,000.", so its a rumour anyway.

[Nezza Faz]

Take Wigan's/IFL's comments with a pinch of salt !

Nowhere near how the land lies.

My last word is the operative one !

[Mike]

lets get out there and spend that money then. no point in having money we need quality players.

[markill]

Didn't we pay £440k for Fielden? Or was that Offiah? Either way, no proper figure have been given because it possibly isn't a massive mega bucks deal that they want us to believe, but the 'World record fee' is good press for the sport I suppose.

In theory the return option is good, but all he has to do is renogiate a new deal later on or sign for another NRL club or Union club after he leaves NZ and then we don't see him back, so we can't get too excited about that, lathough there is hope that he could return one day. Doubtful it would be "in his prime" as IL wants us to all dream, but still, he might stay in league for long-term at least.

Where is any announcement about Logan, or the London players?

[DaveO]

Tbh Tomkins is a great player but if he had even an ounce of integrity that the likes of Lockers, Goulding and Pat Richards have, he could have become a Wigan all time great.

Instead he goes early from a signed contract with greedy bollocks Lenagans consent.

A change in avatar i think.

Apparently IL has stressed it was Sam's decision to leave which means IL was either too weak to enforce the "gagging clause" as Sam would have been in breach of contract in speaking to the NZW or he was only too happy to facilitate the move once the $$ signs lit up before his eyes.

Either way, while you may think Sam lacks integrity, so does IL. He has misled the fans completely over this.

[KaylaRobbo]

If you watch Sam's video it is clear that he wanted to go and take on the new challenge. As someone has said earlier - he's signed a three year contract and they obviously aren't worth the paper they're written on. I agree that he could walk out whenever he wanted to if people are willing to pay enough money but I have to admit that there looks to be a less positive spin on him coming back to us than when Mossop did his press conference in much the same vein.

Lee did mention that at the end of it it would be nice to make his way back but Sam is already saying his goodbyes and 'It was nice knowing you's'. Pains me to say it but I don't think he will be back. The whole superstardom that comes with rugby stars over there is right up Sam's street.

So who do we blame? The rugby league for lack of decent PR? The club for letting him go early? Sam for wanting to take the next challenge?

Its a real shame that the whole affair wasn't handled better than we weren't left here looking for someone to throw off the bridge. That way we could enjoy the great player we have grown up with and wish him all the best for the future like we have done with so many others!!

Sad day for Wigan RLFC!!!!

[Exiled Wiganer]

In the short term, as fans, we can:
- get behind him like never before on Friday. Whatever our misgivings, we want him at his best for the last 2 games of his career with us;
- make our concerns known to the club. We deserve to know whether we will enforce contracts in the future; and
- get to as many World Cup games as we can, so that the sport gets the positive exposure it needs, to attract sponsors, and grow the game over here. Our problems stem from the challenges facing the game over here. The only thing we can do is sell the game more broadly (incidentally, if IL was faced with the choice of losing Sam to the NRL now or to union in 12 months, I hope he would sell him now, but that's by the by).

[stevo38]

good riddance over paid overated ,god help him in nrl hes no chance