Announced this morning on GMR that Ratchford is certain to go despite being offered a better contract at Salford - Looks sure to join Warrington although Wigan were interested.
Nothing we dont already know but it seemed allot more disapointing hearing it on the Radio

Guess what, MR I got up this morning!

As for turning out the lights ... the club's floodlights are very capable of doing that themselves.

Funding ... I have been told a recent post by Walkdenred is closer to the truth than we like.

Anyway I still hold that it is not the job of JW to dictate to any coach who plays and where they play.

This is all so indicative of Salford as a club-regardless of anything else you tie down promising young players well in advance.Look at the Nasri situation at Arsenal as well-it becomes disruptive and a side show that affects both the player and club/team.In addition a healthy transfer fee.Salford are and have been a shambles.

So much this. I was genuinely beginning to think I was the only person who isn't absolutely gutted by this news. Granted, Stef is a talent, no doubt about that, but I can count on one hand the number of times he's dragged us to victory with an absolutely outstanding display. This can obviously be attributed to previous management regimes, or the players he plays alongside not being up to scratch etc etc, however for all the potential I don't acutally think our starting 13 will be that much worse off without him.

As The Butcher said, I don't wish him any harm, but come on people this is just one player. We have a new coach, stadium and plenty of room to manoevre on the quota side of things, this is not the end of the world. The only thing that irks me is that we're getting absolutely naff all for him. At least with what's his face we got a nice pay cheque.

If we would have sold McRae earlier we'd only have been waiting for Matt Parish to arrive as he was still doing State of Origin.

Since when has Chairman or Director intervention on the playing side ever benefitted a team? It would have been ludicrous for Wilky to entrust the coaching side of things to McRae and then demand he should pick certain players in certain positions just because he's the owner/chairman. Wilky is a lot of things (good and bad) but he isn't an interferring Chairman, thankfully.

Welcome to Warrington Stefan.

As much as I like Ratchford as a player, I don't believe he is consistent enough to play regularly at half back for us. Similarly, I believe we can find better centres out there. Due to his versatility, he makes a very attractive proposition for the likes of Warrington and Wigan. He has received a very good offer from the club, one that he has considered for some time. He has made his decision to leave and he goes with my best wishes. It is important that we now identify quality replacements and continue to move onwards and upwards.

Agree with the consistency at half back,
Showed glimpses of class at fullback when he covered there !! probably be Hodgsons replacement at the scum !!

Oh well we can at least rule out Crusaders as his destination!!

must just be me that find Myler. Turner & now Ratchford feeling the need to ply their trade with other clubs worrying , correct non are the finished article , but have 35-40 tries between them this season, and all have their best years ahead of them.
and no it doesn't leave Salford in a better position , it just reinforces the belief that we are a good shop window for a year or two to get to another club . not exactly a receipe for making us a top club in SL.

a very clueless posting, Narsi has one year left and Arsenal are willing to let him sit out the remaining year of his contract and let hem go on a free, for the last 18 months Salford have been trying to get Stef to sign an extension to his current contract, his agent and Stef decided not too so the contract runs down. Warrington had no room (sic) on the salary cap to sign him last season, so they can get him on a free now, nothing to do with the club really apart from having a coach who didn't like Stef.

While I agree with you to a certain extent Middleman, it will always be the case while the Club still sleeps, hopefully to awake to become the giant we all want. We just have to accept, for the time being, that because we are not a side that is challenging the top 8 comfortably young players will be tempted away.

If we step-up the level we operate at both on and off the field in the next couple of years you will see a drop-off of young talent heading elsewhere. Youngsters want to make the most of themselves as quickly as possible and languishing in the lower half of SL will just make them look elsewhere.

Take it easy 35-40 tries haha
Between them they have scored 23 tries and the way warrington have ripped teams apart im sure the average joe number 7 playing in that team could score 15 tries

All i'm saying is they moved on and Salford have got better. Ratchford will move on and Salford will get better !!

just to compare dan holdsworth and myler


tries 15 to 6 in favour of myler
assists 23 to 9 in favour of Holdsworth !!!







i'd compare a centre to Jordan but i'd have to compare half the squad who have took turns there this year haha

My opinion has not changed at all.
Stefs a good utility player,promised more than he delivered when he played stand off and was not as good as the guys playing at half back.
Hope he does well wherever he goes.
The club moves on.
I suspect we'll sign a better player than Stef.

That's life Middleman isn't it. It all comes down to dosh at the end of the day. Salford in the late 60's early 70's buying success, Wigan in the 80's and 90's and Warrington over recent times flashing Mr Moran's cash. I was thinking to myself the other day about Wigan buying all Warrington's best kids a few years back. The teams come in cycles saying is true and it will be Salford's turn again some time in the future! Who would have thought Man City would be the richest club in world football 3 years ago?

City's owners richest not the club.

This cycle thing got me thinking, our success cycle is forty years, the 1930's 40 years after Rugby League Started, the 1970's 40 years after the 30's and now we find ourselves 40 years on from the 1970's so here goes, success is just around the corner.

Well you and I have never agreed about Ratch/S McRae.

However by not playing the lad and having him up to play in every other back position obviously upset young Stef and more to the point presumably SM then did not recommend to the Board that he was WORTH another contract thus protecting our `investment` in the player. It has cost us thousands by not doing so and for me there is only ONE person to blame.

don't think it's that easy eh

?

Myler Tries 15 in SL + 2 in CC Total 17
Ratchford 11 in SL + 3 in CC Total 14
J Turner 8 in SL + 5 in CC Total 13
so thats 34 in SL ,10 in CC making err 44 tries so far in 2011

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/14296075.stm?Confirmed Ratch to wire[/url

BigPev, there's a more worrying cycle:
dominated RL 1910-14 and 1936-39.

err, then something happened

Same thing if they are putting their money where their mouths are and bank rolling the club for a couple of a hundred million. I'd agree they are not the most profitable but they could potentially out spend any club.

then thank god life expectancy is on the rise , if it isn't the 2010's I don't fancy hitting my 80's to see if we get another go . Alzheimers will have kicked in by then

Never mind boys and girls it´s no disgrace being warrington´s feeder club.

You can always take there ageing players as well.!!!

Sorry don't buy the consistancy issue criticsm-how many games has Steff played in a row in his preferred position-too a certain extent your halfbacks are as good as your pack.Salford are somewhat inconsistant.Holdsworth has been inconsistant.Steff is an on the shoulder and creative type player ,sometimes of the cuff.I find Matty Smith a little sterile and not particularly creative-I know which type I'd rather have.Neither Holdsworth or Smith challenge the line enough for me-this is what Ratch brings to the party.I was only aware of negotiations/offers this season as soon as McCrea seemed destined to go-Steff being messed around last season is a big factor in his departure in my opinion.