Agreed. If they are going to move out of the city they should share, it's bonkers wanting a new ground to themselves in their predicament.

Only one I'd seriously consider. but that would depend how serious langleys injury is. If langley is only out for a couple of weeks then I'd give addy/donaldson a go, and keep the quota spot free for someone more longterm as morro has already said he plans to retire after this year. would be a great quick fix but we need to give our young lads a chance too.

Agree, I was just saying that he's the only player I'd probably consider from Wakey and on a one year deal at best.

Much more of this and they'll struggle to get a 17 together.

I'd feel happier not being thought of as a vulture. Never forget what Leeds did to Keighley.

Looking at your squad the only position you look like you could need cover for is prop. So maybe Paul Johnson if you were going to go young and longer term or Paul King if you wanted an experienced squad fix for the rest of the season. King was wakeys most consistant prop last season and seems to have sorted himself out.

Could be ideal really if what I've heard about Langley is true. Going in for surgery this week apparently.

You must have felt terrible when you got Lynch, Platt & Hudson for nowt.

I personally felt terrible about Hudson a few months later.

Yeah, you do have to feel for Wakey.

It may be just me, and I understand there will be some interest in this kind of thing, but this thread is a bit like relatives picking over the deceased's possessions. Back in 63/64 when the old Northern club went bust, and according to the then chairman "didn't own so much as a bootlace", the Wakefield club (amongst others) were one of those who, far from picking over the players we had (fair enough, there might not have been any they actually fancied) actually [igave us[/i some of [itheir[/i players to set us up again.

Different times and different ways. Sad really.

To be fair, I don't think anyone is saying we WOULD go for these players, or saying we should. Simply "if we were going to", which players would be worth signing? I for one was taking it that way, and in no way do I actually want us to go and raid the players Wakefield still have.

Correct mate.

Heard Morro in an interview recently that he was going to retire at the end of the season anyway, to persue his coaching career

I would take him for a one year deal now! (at best) and only if we had nothing lined up plus Langers is out for a while.

I would not take him at the end of this season.

Hopefully that clears it up!

As it happened, I felt uneasy that a club being relegated has to ditch its expensive stars. Any club. But I did not feel terrible because relegation was part and parcel of the competition, everyone knew the rules and everyone knew the consequences. Cas would never have been able to hold onto all its stars in the lower division, and so it was understood that players would move on. Perhaps not least because, IIRC, contracts on SL terms become voidable once the club was no longer in SL. And the moves happened in close season not at the start of a season.

In Wakey's case, we have clubs circling a wounded club picking off some of the very bits that you might expect the club to need if it is to survice at this level. If, of course, it is all a set-up and prospective new owner WANTS the administrator to offload certain players, well that is a different ( and more disturbing) story. Howver, until or unless that is demonstrated, it is surely hard to escape the conclusion that the vultures are carrying away some of the best bits (and BJ) while they can?

Now, where were we regarding attempting to demonstrate hypocrisy?

i think george would be a better winger than raynor and millard a better centre than platt. Morrison would stop our brightest youngsters coming through. this is the year addy and donaldson need game time and even bateman may be knocking on the door so LF is the last position id look at. Plus we have Royston.

Millard was confirmed last night by Catalans.

Rumours that Jeffries is off to Harlequins too. They're barely gonna have a team left soon.

I have no sympathy for the club, as the reason these players are being sold is to pay off creditors that are owed money. Which is purely and simply the people running the club's fault for getting in the debt to not be able to pay them. If I couldn't afford my mortgage, I may have to sell my car in order to finance it.

I do have sympathy for the fans who have done nothing wrong and are seeing almost all their good players have to leave in order to sort out the mess.

Can it not be the case that follow Super league members are offering a fair price to take players off the wage bill to allow the administrator to keep Wakefield as a going concern until it's finally bought?

The administrator has no money so they have to make the cash they need from somewhere.

It's hard to see how they're going to compete this year at this rate.

One man's vulture is another man's organic material cleansing system...?

Both points of view are likely to be equally valid, to be honest - and I speak as someone who has done the kind of work O'Haras are doing. But if other clubs were not circling, there would not be a market for the players, and maybe - for the sake of a few days - the team could be kept together so a better price could be obtained from an imminent purchaser?

In fact, its that aspect that disturbs me, and makes me wonder very much whether - contrary to the public denials - the purchaser-apparent is actually wanting rid of quota players and some others to reduce the wage bill he inherits and to prepare the club for life in the lower Division? Or maybe (as the Administrator hints) there are not the firm offers on the table that have been elsewhere indicated?

Either way, the Wakey fans don't deserve this shìt.

The ones who have turned up and paid down the years certainly don't deserve it but one has to ask why a city of it's size and tradition have not drawn better crowds. A couple of seasons ago Kear put a credible team on the field with Brough at the helm I think crowds actually dropped.

Absolutely.

Have to be a bit careful though, since the same charge has been levelled at Bradford - most significantly, perhaps, by the former chairman after crowds dropped significantly from 2003 to 2004 despite us being masters of all we beheld in 2003.

Wakefield's next game is Catalans away, which isn't going to be a cheap trip, so it could be that the money free'd up from selling players is needed in order to ensure that the club actually survives in the immediate term?

Presumably there are rules on failing to honour fixtures, with associated points deductions and fines for this?

Having worked in Wakefield for a while I can tell you the apathy in the city is palpable. There is very little pride and a lack of cohesion and it's clearly in the shadow of Leeds. All the new housing has pretty much been snapped up by commuters who live there because it's cheaper but spend their time working, shopping and socialising 20 minutes up the M1. You'd have to wave £50 notes under people's noses to take an interest in the Wildcats. I would say Leeds United and the Rhinos are as big a draw.

The area hasn't been helped by the council either who prefer to invest heavily in arty farty projects like the Hepworth Gallery which is a massive waste of money.

It's very sad that a club with such tradition is being pillaged in this way. I feel genuinely sorry for the fans, must be absolutely gutting.

Another problem is it's just going to have a snowball effect on the club. They already have a really low figure on season tickets this year (from what I was told anyway), and selling all the best players certainly isn't going to convince any floating fans to pop along to whatever they call Belle Vue these days. Which means attendances will be even worse than they would have been anyway, which means less money, etc etc etc.

I wonder if it may be worth Widnes loaning Wakefield a few players to get them some Super League experience in preparation for next year?