Re: Mason: Wigan have made a t...

[fitzy]

would love to see the RFL reaction to a statment like this.

the transfer would probably get blocked and get put down to being against the spirt of the cap knowing the rfl

[wigwar]

I hope and believe that the new owners will make good use of the academy system, but I think paying a fortune to someone like Mason goes against the spirit of this and so would be a step in the wrong direction, that is all I was trying to say.

[shawcross da warrior]

ohh my god get him signed up now straight away lenegan....

put him omn the same deal as mathers to test him then give him a real contract next season.......



but would rather have roy asotasi deffinatly......

[butt monkey]

wigwar posted:
I hope and believe that the new owners will make good use of the academy system, but I think paying a fortune to someone like Mason goes against the spirit of this and so would be a step in the wrong direction, that is all I was trying to say.

The Academy though, is for future years, unless the players are ready now for regular first team action. From previous, more knowledgeable posters on here, there is very little to "show" for the academy at the moment, as regards the first team

Besides, playing alongside, and with him looking after junior players - on field of course, Willie would bring them on (hopefully), to a higher degree than with the current side of forwards.

[DaveO]

pieater-alex posted:
For me I think the 140K quote was a load of rubbish by Lenegan , some fans disagree as they'll tell you,saying why would lenegan lie? Why not?

First of all he will look foolish if after said we only have £140K available he goes and signs an Aussie test centre who everyone knows would want all of that and the rest to come over.

Next it will have the entire RL world saying Wigan are breaking the salary cap (again). He has said he wants the club run with integrity and that we must stay within the salary cap. Such a signing would not square with that. People would simply not believe him if he said we had managed to fit Mason in under the cap.

Finally if he wants the club run with integrity basically lying to the fans about how much we have available is a pretty strange way of doing that. It would mean no one could ever take anything he said at face value again.

It makes sense to me. Due to the late nature of the takeover its a win win situation to play down expectations, most players are already contractually tied to other clubs.

He didn't play down expectations, he killed them off. He was very specific and so going against what he said to this degree would be exactly the sort of thing people criticised Mo of.

It sounds like the club is going to be run on a firm financial footing without paying inflated wages and the next minute we are breaking the bank when apparently we have little room to do so under the cap. What is he going to do to make room? Defer some other players wages?

To brand 2008 as another transitional year with no money to spend means they are in a win win situation. If we do fail to bring in any quality then we blame the previous management. If we do bring in quality then IL is a managerial genius. If we again fail to win a trophy its due to the previous management, if we do win a trophy IL is a genius.

He would only be a genius if we won something while recruiting within the scope of what £140K allows.

To my eyes stating a figure for the remaining cap space is the percentage play from the new owner.

We either have £140K to spend or we don't. If we don't and actually have more to spend IL will have not been honest with the fans. I really can't see him wanting to risk being seen as dishonest given the way he comes across.

My conclusion is therefore his statements were up front and honest and we are not in the race for any player who is commanding silly money.

If we do do sign Mason I for one will want IL to give a complete explanation of how on earth we can fit him under the cap when we only had £140K spare and have already given some of that to Mathers.

Now the only other argument people could possibly make is that Mason is using the Wigan club as a bargaining tool , well if this is the case and we have not made an approach and the whole thing is rubbish then Lenegan or the club will make an official statement denying any interest in Mason or making any approach for 3 reasons:

1. So the club aren't used.
2. Not get the fans hopes up.
3. Makes Mason look like a bit of a d!ck

Well this Mason rumour is effectively "Welcome to the world of Wigan RL" for IL. The club is linked with just about every player going and in the past Mo didn't spend his time denying rumours and I can't see IL wanting to bat every rumour back either. So I don't think you should assume silence from the club means anything.

I am 100% behind Lenegans approach for Willie Mason long as his wage is not ridiculous

If by that you mean you are 100% behind IL saying one thing but doing another for the reasons you mention then that would ruin his reputation overnight so I can't see it nor would I agree with it.

The only sort of approach from IL I would find acceptable for Mason is the one of getting players here because they want to play for Wigan, not ones who see it as a cash-cow. If he can get Mason in for what is left of that £140K then maybe he is a genius but even then I am not convinced if we can only sign one more player it should be a prop.

Dave

[mike binder]

amongst all this lot dont 4 get we could have fekas wages available

[Fraggle]

mike binder posted:
amongst all this lot dont 4 get we could have fekas wages available

I wonder what happened to "innocent until proven guilty"...? And anyway, that legal case might take months to go to trial. Last time I attended a court hearing it was about 14 months after the original incident, with the defendant (not me!) and his team requesting and getting deferrals three times.

[standishwarrior]

lenagan's been interviewed in league express and says wigan havnt made an offer to mason he's stated how much is left on the cap and there's no way wigan could afford mason.

also now on offical website lenagan denies mason bid!

[gpartin]

standishwarrior posted:
lenagan's been interviewed in league express and says wigan havnt made an offer to mason he's stated how much is left on the cap and there's no way wigan could afford mason.

also now on offical website lenagan denies mason bid!

What a surprise

[GeoffN]

standishwarrior posted:
lenagan's been interviewed in league express and says wigan havnt made an offer to mason he's stated how much is left on the cap and there's no way wigan could afford mason.

also now on offical website lenagan denies mason bid!

http://www.wiganwarriors.com/news_full.asp?newsid=3419

Wigan Warriors Owner and Chairman to be Ian Lenagan has today denied a move for Australian forward star Willie Mason.

Over the weekend there were rumours linking Mason to the Warriors. Speaking in Monday's League Express newspaper, Ian said,

"He's a player that everybody would be interested in but how could we afford the player within the salary cap?

"It's nonsense, I've seen figures of $3 million over five years. We have to be financially realistic and the story is a complete fabrication. We have made no offer."