Joel to Union

[100% Warrior]

Could this be a reason why Mr L has recently been in Australia. He probably knows that he has to have a new centre in the bag if it's true that Joel has left the club.

[thegimble]

Could this be a reason why Mr L has recently been in Australia. He probably knows that he has to have a new centre in the bag if it's true that Joel has left the club.

Two reasons i can think why we would let him go.

1. We are caught with a tax bill for image rights payments and IL wants it sorted asap.

2. IL has gone to OZ and has bagged either Sonny Bill from NZ union or he has persuaded Mark Gasnier to come out of his retirement and play for us.

If either of them are the reason why we let Joel go and form whats been said he is going or even gone then i wont be that bothered. If we dont replace him with a real quality centre then IL has a lot of explaning to do around recruitment for the coming season.

If they do a fans forum in the offseason IL will have a few things to explain.

[old hooker]

For heavens sake why is it such a big deal if he does go?He is a decent player but not exactly world class.Let him go,no one is irreplaceable and we will get some nice compensation.

[cpwigan]

For heavens sake why is it such a big deal if he does go?He is a decent player but not exactly world class.Let him go,no one is irreplaceable and we will get some nice compensation.

Very simple; RL needs all the good players it can get to raise standards and if we simply become a training ground for Rugby Union then the quality of players / RL is going to drop.

Joel goes, how long before Sam, Josh, even younger George Williams/Ryan Hampshires follow suit? We already are resigned to never seeing Owen Farrell play Pro Rl or Ian thornley play first grade.

SL / Britain has very few, hardly any world class players. That situation is not going to get better if we simply become a feeder sport for Union.

The reality of modern day RL is that think back to past greats, true world class players and rewrite history because do you think Ellery Hanley would have been a RL player for long, Shaun Edwards? Eric Ashton? Billy Boston?

[jaws1]

For heavens sake why is it such a big deal if he does go?He is a decent player but not exactly world class.Let him go,no one is irreplaceable and we will get some nice compensation.

Very simple; RL needs all the good players it can get to raise standards and if we simply become a training ground for Rugby Union then the quality of players / RL is going to drop.

Joel goes, how long before Sam, Josh, even younger George Williams/Ryan Hampshires follow suit? We already are resigned to never seeing Owen Farrell play Pro Rl or Ian thornley play first grade.

SL / Britain has very few, hardly any world class players. That situation is not going to get better if we simply become a feeder sport for Union.

The reality of modern day RL is that think back to past greats, true world class players and rewrite history because do you think Ellery Hanley would have been a RL player for long, Shaun Edwards? Eric Ashton? Billy Boston?

They were paid what they worth with the SC in place as it is there will be more going to RU.It's the beurocrats at RFL and Owners of SL what's causing the situation there has not been an increase in real terms on the SC even taking inflation into consideration lets just say 4% for the last 3 years the SC would have increased by £133,333 and more .The greedy owners cannot see what they are doing to the game in fact it is not even a level playing field the object of a league is to make every team equel and is not doing this more obvious is the Premier League football.

[cpwigan]

The last time the RFL / Owners meddled re player rights / restriction of trade was the International Transfer Ban which put RL in this country back 30+ years and was one of the key reasons why we now lag behind the NRL. If you enjoyed mediocre RL mid/late 70's very early 80s that is what the RFL / owners want and are dragging us towards.

[thegimble]

For heavens sake why is it such a big deal if he does go?He is a decent player but not exactly world class.Let him go,no one is irreplaceable and we will get some nice compensation.

Agreed.

Losing Joel is inconvinent.

Losing Michael Maguire is far more devestating. Joel going to union needs to be put into percpective. He is not a great centre hes a very good second row though. Maguire changed Wigan Rugby in ways no player ever did.

[bill.inger]

Losing Joel is inconvinent.

Losing Michael Maguire is far more devestating. Joel going to union needs to be put into percpective. He is not a great centre hes a very good second row though. Maguire changed Wigan Rugby in ways no player ever did.[/quote].
All very valid but what about the playing staff in season 2013? We'll need at least five quality backs alone just to stay competi.tive, Pat is becomming a donkey, Amos and George are shot and on their last season anyway, Deacons replacement still up in the air and most of all, Sam will quit for union by all accounts and Joel seems to have left if rumours prove correct. I think we'll have to endure a very mediocre season next year while too many young players are brought into the side with a view to the future. This will be Madge's legacy and Wane's problem.

[thegimble]

George Carmont is not a donkey still one of the best centres in SL. Richards is still a good winger. Deacon should retire i feel now.

We won the CC with some apparent donkeys in the team only 6 weeks or so ago. People need to calm down a bit. We just need 1 decent centre to partner Charnley. Joel is an average centre great second row though. But Hock shold go well after a full pre season and a brain transplant.

Lets be honest Leeds have beem mediocre all season apart from 3 weeks and they won the GF. Been mediocre in SL now is not such a big disadvantage. We will still be top 3 next season.

As for Sam i think he will stay until the last 12 months of his contract and go to Madge in the NRL. No one is mentioning he will go.

[butt monkey]

TBH IF Joel's proposed move turns into a disaster playing-wise this might be the best thing looking from a Sam Tomkins perspective. He's hardly likely to "try his luck" in Union should his brother struggle with form/injuries/selection etc