Announcement tomorrow?

[DaveO]

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).

There is no suggestion it was NRL now or RU in 12 months so please don't make stuff up to justify IL's position. He doesn't need your help with that sort of thing.

According to MT Smart in the Rumour Mill Dean Bell was only saying on Sunday that French RU and two English RU clubs had money on the table for Sam and he clearly chose the NZW and the choice of RU was open to him now which obviously it would be.

Sam was contracted to us for five years not three. Wigan would still have to agree to him leaving at the end of next season after he was free to negotiate with other clubs (hah!) and would still have got a fee.

[morley pie eater]

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

Best of luck to Sam, though obviously sad that he's going.

Funnily enough, I was talking to someone the other day about the UCP tripe shop at t'top of Market St in Wigan and said I don't think they do tripe any more. Thanks, Stevo38, for proving me wrong, though perhaps it's a part of a bull's anatomy you're talking?

[Wes]

Well done Sam, it is a short career and at least he is financially secure for his life after RL or should be. I'm not interested in how the move came about as top players will always gain attention and I can't blame Sam for taking what's on offer.

That said Lenegan has handled this p1ss poor from start to finish, to delay this for so long when we knew it was in the pipework was horrendous, I remember pre season in the WEP Wane made some stupid comment about life after Sam so sorry IFL I don't buy it was his move, is it a sheer coincidence you got a record fee in world rugby league for him, I think not!

Also to be so cheap towards the fans can be withstood once but time and time again takes the p1ss.

Last night I was thinking the only reason IFL can take so long with this is surely because he wanted to tie up 4 or 5 players and announce them on the same day, ha how wrong I was 1 out 1 in!!!

Properly p1sseed at IFL.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

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

You are right Stevo, good riddance, we will not miss the 150 tries in 150 games, that stat alone clearly shows he was massively overrated in SL. He was also clearly overpaid as being the best British RL talent of recent years does not deserve a good salary. Finally he again has no chance in the NRL because he is not brave, not quick, not strong, not elusive, no RL brain, rubbish hands, can't kick, infact he should be working in a factory or stacking shelves!!

[John Ferguson]

How on earth are we going to afford him if he does come back with the way the salary cap is at present? I doubt very much we'll see him after 3 years, maybe after 6 years when he is 30 we might but I won't be holding my breath on it.

[stevo38]

if im proved wrong next yr ill hold my hands up but I doubt it ,he may stand out amongst a bigger bunch of lesser players but on the big stage no chance ,if il has got 700,000 for him ill pat him on the back

[DaveO]

How on earth are we going to afford him if he does come back with the way the salary cap is at present? I doubt very much we'll see him after 3 years, maybe after 6 years when he is 30 we might but I won't be holding my breath on it.

He'll be our "marquee" signing at 30 years of age. As according to IL, Bowen is at 31.

The NRL salary cap is set to increase year on year over the next few seasons. Sam could probably get a better deal in three years at age 27 than he got now there will be that much money sloshing around in the NRL.

He will only be back sooner if he gets homesick or at 27 if he doesn't make a go of it.

I don't expect either to happen.

[doc]

The problem is that the RFL has no leadership or vision and that the tail, in the shape of the small Yorkshire clubs, wags the dog. The only way we can avoid losing talents like Sam is to pay the players a competitive salary when compared to the Aussies or RU. The only place this money can come from is a much improved TV deal. Hopefully Barwick, with his experience in TV, will convince Sky that they need to invest in RL in order to still have a desirable product.

[DaveO]

The problem is that the RFL has no leadership or vision and that the tail, in the shape of the small Yorkshire clubs, wags the dog. The only way we can avoid losing talents like Sam is to pay the players a competitive salary when compared to the Aussies or RU. The only place this money can come from is a much improved TV deal. Hopefully Barwick, with his experience in TV, will convince Sky that they need to invest in RL in order to still have a desirable product.

I agree with your comments about paying a competitive salary and the only place the sport will get the cash to do so is from TV but unfortunately IL is part of the problem.

Remember, he is on record as saying he sees no reason to increase the salary cap.

He is, IMO,content to see Wigan a big fish in a small pond.

If we can win CC's and GF's minus special players like Sam but with players who are paid a fraction of their NRL counterparts we will still be cup holders or champions so that will be OK. The fact we just beat a load of other mediocre teams will be by the by.

Gone is the ambition to have the best players at Wigan. Or so it seems.

Yes at the minute we can't afford them but he seems to have no desire to ensure we can in future. It's all about being the best of a bad lot based on home grown talent and stop gaps like Bowen.

If more money doesn't come into the game it will revert to being semi-pro sooner than people think is my view.

[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).

There is no suggestion it was NRL now or RU in 12 months so please don't make stuff up to justify IL's position. He doesn't need your help with that sort of thing.

According to MT Smart in the Rumour Mill Dean Bell was only saying on Sunday that French RU and two English RU clubs had money on the table for Sam and he clearly chose the NZW and the choice of RU was open to him now which obviously it would be.

Sam was contracted to us for five years not three. Wigan would still have to agree to him leaving at the end of next season after he was free to negotiate with other clubs (hah!) and would still have got a fee.

I wasn't making anything up, I was hypothesising to illustrate the point about the importance of his staying on our game. I thought the brackets made that clear.