Morgan Smithies set for NRL move as Wigan Warriors forward heads down under

[Blackpool_Pie]

Well, I am not happy. It would be interesting to see the terms attached to this deal. I was hoping that we had turned a corner and players would have to see their contract out before going to the NRL.

Who are you unhappy with? The player or the club?

Both for me. Player breaks his contract, club lets him.

As Charriots said I was also hoping we’d turned a corner and players would have to see out their contracts.

I don’t know how many individual contracts Faz has signed since he’s been a Wigan player but if at the end of one of them he’d left for the NRL or another SL club I may have been disappointed but would have no complaint.

Dreamteam may not be bothered about Smithies leaving but it’s this still allowing players to break their contracts that is galling because in my opinion all it does is encourage others to do it.

We don't know the top and bottom of it but maybe him leaving now ensures the club a healthy wedge? It's part and parcel of sport selling players.

[Mike]

Same here but the club be the sport would be all over it for the publicity as if it was some major signing when in reality it would not be. Never played the game at senior level and as you say is 32.

He may also be cheap on the salary cap if there is dispensation for signing RU players but I’d rather have kept Smithies or go with what we have than sign Owen Farrell.

And the RL cap instantly nullifies any real benefit as any additional work or advertisement farrell does/brings then counts on the cap.

That’s if the player earns any money from his image rights himself so Farrell would not be able to earn money from endorsing products or whatever as clubs just don’t allow any players to do so because of that daft rule.

The sport and possibly the club would try and milk the publicity. How willing he’d be to be doing the PR for free when if he was in RU he’d get paid I have no idea but if that’s the plan I think they will have miscalculated. Within the game he would just be seen as coming for a last pay day like an older Aussie player. Outside of it, it might raise a few eyebrows. For about five minutes.

Salary cap dispensation would offset that. He won't count on the cap at all if reports were correct a few years ago. There's no risk to the club at all if our new owner is happy to bankroll this.

[EDINBURGH-WARRIOR]

If Farrell were to come he will have to learn to play the Rugby League game very quickly because with his tackle technique , attitude towards referee's and bad mouthing of opponents he will be sat on his arse for most of the season in more ways than one.

EW

[the pieman]

Sod off, told you before & just replied to a message from Rads saying the same thing. He sent me a picture of me & my friends from the game

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/10/ ... n-gallery/ Think we are either the 3rd or 4th picture

i know the young family sat in the row in front of you. Live on the same street as my mother in law. Kids are always out playing with rugby ball whenever we go down . Family of fanatics

[josie andrews]

Think I may put O’Loughlin 13 back on my shirt, at least I knew he wouldn’t leave me for the NRL

No need for these sorts of statements Josie. Smithies is an exceptional player and is/was my current favourite player. I love his all action play and he's really grown, in my mind, into a top class 13 and I'm absolutely gutted he's leaving. But you can't be annoyed at a young man wanting to see what else their is outside Wigan and outside this league. The NRL is a completely different kettle of fish. Not only for him financially, but in terms of quality, exposure and a completely different lifestyle.

It’s a tongue in cheek remark, a joke or could you not understand that? And why, if I didn’t like a player, would I put his name on my shirt?

Last year I had KPP on & then he told me he was going to the NRL.

This year I put Smithies on, I’ve followed him all his academy days at Wigan & I am friends with him. I was always telling him he would get the shirt when Lockers retired & I was thrilled when he did get the 13 shirt. He should have got it when Lockers retired instead of giving it to Bateman if truth be known!

So please, don’t try & make my comment into something more than it is, a joke!

[josie andrews]

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/10/ ... n-gallery/ Think we are either the 3rd or 4th picture

i know the young family sat in the row in front of you. Live on the same street as my mother in law. Kids are always out playing with rugby ball whenever we go down . Family of fanatics

Yes, I’m very good friends with Emma, Mike & the kids. They sit, Emma & the kids that is as Mike rarely gets to games because of his work, just further along from me in the East Stand I’ve been down to st Jude’s several times to watch them play & go to their awards night.

I was already in my seat when they came & sat down in front of me. We both looked at each other & said
"Is this an omen?" ….. They were sat in front of me at Tottenham

[Blackpool_Pie]

Think I may put O’Loughlin 13 back on my shirt, at least I knew he wouldn’t leave me for the NRL

No need for these sorts of statements Josie. Smithies is an exceptional player and is/was my current favourite player. I love his all action play and he's really grown, in my mind, into a top class 13 and I'm absolutely gutted he's leaving. But you can't be annoyed at a young man wanting to see what else their is outside Wigan and outside this league. The NRL is a completely different kettle of fish. Not only for him financially, but in terms of quality, exposure and a completely different lifestyle.

It’s a tongue in cheek remark, a joke or could you not understand that? And why, if I didn’t like a player, would I put his name on my shirt?

Last year I had KPP on & then he told me he was going to the NRL.

This year I put Smithies on, I’ve followed him all his academy days at Wigan & I am friends with him. I was always telling him he would get the shirt when Lockers retired & I was thrilled when he did get the 13 shirt. He should have got it when Lockers retired instead of giving it to Bateman if truth be known!

So please, don’t try & make my comment into something more than it is, a joke!

Apologies. No I didn't understand it was a joke.
Please do us all a favour next season

Please get someone's name on your shirt who we don't mind leaving for the NRL the season after

[nathan_rugby]

No need for these sorts of statements Josie. Smithies is an exceptional player and is/was my current favourite player. I love his all action play and he's really grown, in my mind, into a top class 13 and I'm absolutely gutted he's leaving. But you can't be annoyed at a young man wanting to see what else their is outside Wigan and outside this league. The NRL is a completely different kettle of fish. Not only for him financially, but in terms of quality, exposure and a completely different lifestyle.

He’s breaking his contract so we have every right to be annoyed. He’s only 22 and is contracted to the end of 2025. So he’d be 24 or just turned 25 still in in his prime. Breaking a contract shows a lack of integrity.

It’s the same old story. Players happy to sign long term deals which guarantees them a pay packet but if the grass looks greener elsewhere, then they want to break their contract. Cake and eat it and Wigan let them have it.

Got ambition to play in th NRL? Then don’t sign a long contract. Signed a contract with Wigan? See it out. I don’t think it is too much to ask.

KPP’ didn’t demand to go this year and saw his contract out. Why can’t Smithies? With the new owners we presumably don’t need the money from a transfer fee but what is most disappointing is the new ownership didn’t just say “no” and hold him to his contract meaning Wigan remain a soft touch for talented players still making any contract signed meaningless.

Not a player we need to kick up a fuss about. Collect the big transfer fee and move on. Oneil can more than match it he moves to 13. Can’t remember a player that I’ve been less bothered about moving to the nrl tbh.

Clearly don’t watch or understand rugby then if that’s your honest view.

[fozzieskem]

Sick and tired of players signing deals they've no real intention of seeing our,there are players who like KPP sign a deal and see it out that young man has done things the right way,left in the right way he's a credit to himself.

Then there are others who don't conduct themselves in that way and I mention no names here, but bugger off for the Aussie dollar, oh sorry "lifestyle" but who expect a swift return to the greatest club in the world of things goes tats up.

I know which type of player I prefer and again I make no mention of any specific player because it's happened to often in the Lenegan years.

As for Farrell I can't get my head round what he will bring to rugby league for me it's a Warrington type of signing publicity value for a few weeks and nothing more.

[WarriorWinger]

Maybe it was the club themselves being savvy signing Smithies on a long contract, knowing the NRL would eventually come knocking and therefore could/should demand a fee for releasing him from his contract.

I get it when people say they should honour their contracts and see them out and that the club are fools and always bend over backwards to let players go, but seriously there is also a human aspect to it.

Would you really say to someone who came to you and said they have been offered twice as much money (just a guess for dramatic purposes) to go and live in another country with great weather, and play in the best competition in the world in the job you love doing, would you seriously want to be the one who said 'no' your staying here I have a piece of paper that says you have to.