Harry Smith

[Gerrumonside]

+1 for me ddtftf!

I seem to view Harry as being the one player we can’t replace as we seem to have cover in other positions with players able to switch around, but Harry is one player that would be a huge miss.

[keptinthedarkfans]

Wigan should secure Harry Smith for a 4 year contract as the NRL will wait a year and get a free transfer and that would be crazy . Lets hope he is a Wigan player at heart and not go to the NRL

Agree completely. Although we have all seen contracts are not worth paper there wrote on. Only good side is there would be a good fee for him.

[Mike]

Wigan should secure Harry Smith for a 4 year contract as the NRL will wait a year and get a free transfer and that would be crazy . Lets hope he is a Wigan player at heart and not go to the NRL

Agree completely. Although we have all seen contracts are not worth paper there wrote on. Only good side is there would be a good fee for him.

We obviously (IMO) would want to tie Harry down longer term than just one season at this point, regardless of the NRL.

W.r.t. the NRL, a longer term contarct is, at least, a deterrent to potential suitors. But at the end of the day, contract or not, you can't stop these moves if the player wants to go. So I'd say contract it is and a good long one too. The club and the player will be criticized either way if the worst happens so let's get some form of compensation.

[DaveO]

Wigan should secure Harry Smith for a 4 year contract as the NRL will wait a year and get a free transfer and that would be crazy . Lets hope he is a Wigan player at heart and not go to the NRL

Agree completely. Although we have all seen contracts are not worth paper there wrote on. Only good side is there would be a good fee for him.

We obviously (IMO) would want to tie Harry down longer term than just one season at this point, regardless of the NRL.

W.r.t. the NRL, a longer term contarct is, at least, a deterrent to potential suitors. But at the end of the day, contract or not, you can't stop these moves if the player wants to go. So I'd say contract it is and a good long one too. The club and the player will be criticized either way if the worst happens so let's get some form of compensation.

Of course you can stop stop these moves. The club must agree to let a player exit his contract early. There is no automatic release clause unless one is built into the contract itself. That’s how it works in pro sport not just RL and players cannot just walk away and break contracts. The club must agree.

What do you expect the club to do if an NRL club comes calling and offers a transfer fee Wigan find unacceptable for a player? Just let him leave anyway because he fancies it and accept a paltry fee?

What happens if Wigan say “no” because the cash offer is nit enough and the NRL club walks away?

[DaveO]

Hope not but it again is the issues with Agents. I understand why they are needed but there constant push to get players to the NRL so they get big fees Is a uneeded drain.

Agents don’t make any more money unless players move clubs. That’s the issue. It is in the agents interest to engineer player transfers.

[ddtftf]

Its amazing how Stains keep their good players we are becoming a breeding ground for the NRL its so frustrating for the fans & I cannot believe that Welsby has not had an offer for the NRL .

[keptinthedarkfans]

Its amazing how Stains keep their good players we are becoming a breeding ground for the NRL its so frustrating for the fans & I cannot believe that Welsby has not had an offer for the NRL .

Sorry but I see that as good thing. Shows we are turning out the best talent in sl. You also answered your own question keep THERE GOOD players welsby to far up his own ar-e for Aussies

[Firestarter]

Its amazing how Stains keep their good players we are becoming a breeding ground for the NRL its so frustrating for the fans & I cannot believe that Welsby has not had an offer for the NRL .

Sorry but I see that as good thing. Shows we are turning out the best talent in sl. You also answered your own question keep THERE GOOD players welsby to far up his own ar-e for Aussies

Lets be fair they really arnt short of great fullbacks in the nrl.Not many he could replace

[lucky 13]

Yes plenty gone, Bateman's done the best especially first time, Williams and Tomkins are probably the two best halves the games produced over here in last decade or so, Tomkins was injured before he went and while he was there. Williams was OK but not settled I imagine they may scrape a 6/10 for performances at best.
Gildart again was injured before he went and I'm not sure he ever had the power for an outside back in the NRL, Sarge was same a great tryer but looking back he was looking for happiness the game couldn't provide. Joe Burgess went too soon and what could have been one of the best wingers we have produced as turned into a almost career. Sutton for me with less natural talent but better size as done well but not broke any pots.
If I was Wigan I would be highlighting this none have returned better with reputation dented.
Saints lost Graham at his peak and Thomson while Graham did well and most of the Wigans didn't the generation of players lost to us would have dominated the period upto Saints run and probably stopped most of it. Great SL players don't equate to good NRL players. The fact we lost Ashton, Joel Tomkins and Charnley to RY further stopped a dominant period, the monies spent trying to hang on to them and others also probably ruined what would have been a golden period, I can't think of any we would have chose to leave? If you add the players to the solid players from the period who have still been competitive it's a real shame a backline
With Tomkins Ashton Burgess Gildart Charnley Williams in it would have been decent.
Be interesting to sit down and get honest opinions I'm sure some would rather not have bothered. For some it will always be an itch that needs scratching but I suspect some of it is agents filling their bank books rather than what's best for the player.

[Charriots Offiah]

Its amazing how Stains keep their good players we are becoming a breeding ground for the NRL its so frustrating for the fans & I cannot believe that Welsby has not had an offer for the NRL .

Sorry but I see that as good thing. Shows we are turning out the best talent in sl. You also answered your own question keep THERE GOOD players welsby to far up his own ar-e for Aussies

That is undoubtedly true but also is the fact that Saints have been able to pack their trophy cabinet.