Sam to be Marquee signing

[AndyNick]

I dont know if it's already been mentioned elsewhere and if it has then apologies, but in his programme notes last night IL stated that Sam would be our Marquee signing next season. He said that he would be coming anyway but this allows us to offset some of his salary and free up extra room under the cap.

It's safe to say Bowen is going which will also free up space but Gelling and Clubb have no doubt both just had pay increases.

[DaveO]

I saw that in the program and mentioned it elsewhere.

I think this is very disappointing. As he was coming anyway we should have gone for another top player. We certainly need it.

CPW mentioned that had the marquee player rule not come in with us signing Sam anyway others would have to leave according to IL. Well so what? They must already have been considered expendable and with over 30 odd players in the squad quite a few now who are heading into their twenties or mid-twenties many are just not going to get a game.

In the past if Wigan were given a way to improve the side they took it even it came at the expense of existing players e.g. Mick Ford being replaced by Andy Gregory.

Of course signing Sam and another top player would cost a lot of money. So I don't think this is about giving pay rises to existing (and lets face it, pretty average) players but simply the club and or IL hasn't got the cash.

[Wes]

I think this is a good move!

Sam as marquee costs us 100k on the cap anyone else costs us 200k on the cap so it actually frees up more cap space for further signings.

[josie andrews]

I don't agree with Sam being on supposedly £300 grand!

It's not football sadly & if one player is earning potentially four or five times more than anyone else in the team there is bound to be unrest IMO

[Wes]

If Sam is on 300k Jodie it's over a year in football that figure is weekly!

[josie andrews]

If Sam is on 300k Jodie it's over a year in football that figure is weekly!

I know, & IMO it is outrageous no one is worth that, especially Prima Donna pansies falling over if someone causes a gust of wind while running past them!

[medlocke]

you could build a brand new stadium or three for some the wages in foosball

[Wes]

If Sam is on 300k Jodie it's over a year in football that figure is weekly!

I know, & IMO it is outrageous no one is worth that, especially Prima Donna pansies falling over if someone causes a gust of wind while running past them!

Haha couldn't put it better myself!!!

[DaveO]

I think this is a good move!

Sam as marquee costs us 100k on the cap anyone else costs us 200k on the cap so it actually frees up more cap space for further signings.

If the player is not home grown it's 175k not 200k or so I thought.

So let's do the maths. Using Sam as the marque player and assuming for the sake of argument he is on £300k means the total outlay would be £500k if IL spends all the £200k taken off the cap.

Total cap space used £300k, total outlay £500k.

If Sam wasn't the marquee player then total cap space used would be £475k. Total outlay would depend on how much more over the £175k was spent on the marquee. But it could be as high as we liked in theory and allow us to genuinely compete for top NRL talent.

So its a choice. Sam plus whatever £200k buys which isn't enough for a top nrl player.

Or Sam plus another genuine top player.

First option is £300k on the cap, second is £475k.

I think the latter is by far the better option.

[Kittwazzer]

Dave, you are very generous with someone else's money, Wigan is not a bottomless pit anymore, we learnt that lesson a long time ago.
In the early part of the interview, IL mentioned that last year's £500K operating loss came from his own pocket. He won't spend money which isn't there!