He has had a shocking season to date. I watch them every game and the last injury has left him with little or no pace. Candidly he isn't fit, he seems to have lost too much weight and his confidence is shot. If he has asked for a pay rise then its his own fault.
You cannot keep increasing pay to under performers in your team. This may sound harsh but he doesn't even deserve to be in the team. I really hope he gets back to full fitness, but he should be no where near the team at the moment. With the return of reserve grade rugby next year he may have been better advised to keep Mum, got back to full fitness in the reserves and if what has been said is true, then once he was back to his true form he then ask for a pay rise. Underperformers do not ask for pay rises.
Surely even if he had been made a promise by the club, you don't ask for something if you don't deserve it. I hate to say this because he is a good lad, but he simply has not performed and if a captain leads by example, he is no example to follow.

I haven't commented on his value for money - I'll leave that to Leeds fans, I presume you are one?

Its a difficult situation for the club and not an easy decision to have to make. Fact is though they promised him a pay rise, and now they are telling him he isn't getting one. Watkins will feel betrayed by that I'm sure and my comment really was around how that would affect the club in terms of the intangibles.

I think it could well work out well for Watkins in the long run, he strikes me as a player who needs to be in a good head space to perform well, similar to Tyrone Roberts for us last year I guess, so the move could do him some good.

I do agree with a lot of the comments on here, but once a centre loses any pace you start to become less important to the team. There was talk about him going in the back row but he is not big enough, and playing him centre its going to upset the young lad who is trying to take his place. He never has been the biggest of players, so to lose pace will not help him. If they promised him a pay rise common sense would have told him to keep Mum but taking the money and not performing would have only put more pressure on him. I do wish the lad well, but at the moment he would be hard pressed to hold down a place in the championship.

No doubt Watkins will still be in the Great Britain squad along with Currie.

Sometimes people just need a new challenge to get themselves going again.

To me he's clearly not fit or fully recovered, but if he does recover (and that is a big "if"!) then someone is going to get a bargain by the sounds of it. He's still young enough to make a full recover and even though he's been massively over-rated at times, he's still a very good player when fit.

I'd take him...if we could afford him.
Westwood Atkins and Goodwin contracts might cover his wage.

Theres only Wire Catalan and Toronto or the NRL with sure clout....
While out of them, only Wire have enough depth to take the risk and it not to have anything more than a graze upon that current campaign.

Today’s trade papers can’t remember which one it is in quotes KF has saying we not interested.

Huge difference in value when you compare what he was with what he is now. The gamble is what he could be in the future.

With unlimited funds and no cap then it’s purely a financial risk but with the salary cap it’s a much greater risk if the costs are close to marquee level

And that's why it's be a no for me if we were interested.

Having dead salary on the cap would cause big issues.

He is a massive gamble, no doubt he would be a good player for whoever he signs for but, he won't come on the cheap and so is a big salary cap gamble IMO.

Despite being one of Leeds best players they don't think it's worth the gamble. He has been very unlucky with injury but hasn't come back the same unfortunately. Watkins of 3 years ago would be a no brainer for any side.

I wouldn't say a massive gamble. The fella is playing again and recovering form.
I'd say without a transfer fee, there could be a bargain.

What I mean is its likely anybody would have to pay him what he was worth and not what he is currently worth. There is quite a big performance gap in that. It's a gamble that he will get back to what he was, from an England fan point of view I really hope he does. I wouldn't exactly put my house on it though.

If he got back to 85%-90% of his best for...he'd still be international material.

I agree but would he still be worth 100% of a near marquee wage? That's what Leeds seem to have decided against. That said they need a lot of cap space to rebuild.

Yes. I don't think any centre or props and 2nd rowers should be expending the marquee allowance.

Agree, they would have to be incredibly special players.

Sam Burgess or SBW level.

Hmmm I look back over sides that have been successful and they have always had one of the best centres in the league, connoly senior newlove lyons gleeson. I also do jot think it's a coincidense so I would not be unhappy if we were to spend big on a centre.

Well the centre would have to be exceptional...
Lyons or a Davis...but these guys were enigma backs that would play that position like a classy half back.
The nearest in recent times was Chris Bridge...no coincidence there that our right edge was lethal.

But there again, the marquee money is still going on a key back playing as an outside back...

I can't think of any out and out centre in SL who would be ahead of Austin Widdop Clark or Ratchford in the marquee stakes....Kallum Watkins is way behind those 4.

Agreed.

Half back or full back will generally be where the marquee allowance gets spent, due to the scarcity of quality available. A good centre can be your most potent attacking threat however, so I would have no problem spending marquee on a centre, assuming Full Back, Half Back and Hooker were already of a good enough quality.

Prop forward is a position that is stacked with talent, so I would be reluctant to spend it there, 2nd Row also whilst a key position isn't so much a problem to recruit towards. Wing also I dont see the point of a marquee spot.

Burrell is past it is he? You've just declared yourself a Leigh fan on the Wigan board - which is it?

Sorry - just realised you were quoting some miserable bugger!

I'm lookin forward to watching Burrell. He's a unit and if there is a draw and pass to his game...that makes Charnley favourite for top try scorer in 2020.
I don't see him playing left side and I think Toby is good to switch.