I mentioned before that we allegedly loaded Clark the season ahead of Sandow...
I added to this by highlighting a potential flaw which could allow you to have 4 marquee signings for only 2 spots by alternately loading 2 up and the season after loading up the other 2.

You mentioned it, and you were told that you were wrong, you cant do that

And I remember it was you who told me you couldn't. I except that as I don't know better...however, the loading up of Clark pre Sandow was alleged done and perhaps done before any loophole was erased.

Matty Smith to Warrington? Just negotiated a release from Catalans with a rumoured opportunity at another Super League club on offer. The usual suspects have all signed scrum halves. Back to the Wire?

Maybe he'll move to prop. He's certainly slow enough, lacking in imagination and without ball skills these days so he's ticked most of the boxes.

I'd imagine he'd be perfect as a reserve team player who can cover the first team. I'd imagine that'll be his role if he's staying in SL as rumoured. I can't see a starting role for him anywhere.

I don’t know what has happened to Matty Smith but I can’t see him getting a full time playing gig next season...anywhere.

This would be pointless, he did nothing for us and seems to have lost all Skill. We have Widdop, Austin, patton etc and we need a Prop not a well past his sell by date scrum half.

Reserve grade would seem to be about his standard now (or Championship). Although we certainly need cover given the age and injury record of Widdop I think that we have adequate cover in Patton and Dean (although he'll miss the first half dozen matches of 2020 due to injury).

When a little bloke loses a bit of pace/zip it hits very hard. Big 'uns and those who never had it can last a bit longer.

He needs a Wane style team. One that plays on tram tracks, does the process well and consistently and is generally on the front foot.

Without that, he’s... Dec Patton.

From what I saw of him in his time with Wire last season, he is not as good as Dec Patton.

Everyone likes kicking Patten, but he's been the most successful hb since Briers....and did it in what can be said as a rookie starting a game regularly season and while still in his young 20s.

What've wooden clogs got to do with it?

come on... you're not on redvee now.

No but them vee's read it.

I thought about where Patton ranked, when I was doing that team of the 2010s. He'd have been behind Sandow and Gidley. I'm not sure its clear cut that he's ahead of Brown, GO'B or Roberts.

Matty Smith is 'staying' at Warrington in a player coach role according to the gossip tonight. Reserve coach, play when needed possibly?

Would be OK with me as a coach of young players.

If he played, though, his salary would count on the cap.

I don`t think that the Salary Cap differentiates for a player/coach role?

The RFL has a soft underbelly.
Anything can be got around.

Correct.

If he didnt play a first team game for us in 2020, he would never count on the cap he could coach and play reserves without troubling our cap. As soon as he played a first team game, and assuming he was paid more than £20k per year, he would cont on the cap.

There are no dispensations for being a player coach, as soon as he plays a first team game, his salary, along with any appearance fees, would count on the cap.

I suppose you could pay him a coach wage and pay as you play if that's still a thing to negate the salary cap?

I thought those outside the first team squad numbers were 'A team' players, and as such, did not count on the cap?

Here's a question though, If an 'A team' player does get given a run out in the first team, what number do they wear?

A reserve / A team player doesn’t count on the cap, if however at any point he plays first team, his coaching salary and any appearance fees count on the cap. I assume if he was brought in to the first team he would need to be registered as such with the RFL as part of our first team squad, at which point he would be given a first team player number.

In terms of appearance / win bonuses, this isn’t really a way of circumnavigating the cap. If a player has appearance fees or win bonuses as part of his pay the RFL will ‘calculate’ a minimum number of appearances or win bonuses they would likely make. I think they assume something like 18 appearances and 14 wins or something - I would have to check.

So if Matty Smith was paid £25k per year as a coach and played a bit of reserve grade for us, he wouldn’t count on the cap.

If Matty Smith was paid £25k as a coach and then agreed terms to play a game for the first team with a £1k per game appearance fee, he would count on the cap for £25k per year plus an additional £18k (£1k x 18 games appearance fee). So a total cap value of £43k.

Or do what Wigan did with Radlinski and say he'll play for nothing... cos they were cap max'd out so his money is cloaked as a different internal staff roll.