According to the media reports over the last few weeks, both Wiggin and Newcastle Knights have tabled their offers with Newcastle being the favourites to land him. If that is the case, what is taking so long for a deal to be finalised with the Knights?

Lee Brierley then comes out saying that Leigh would be out of business but for DB's money. Jealousy??
DB then tweets that there are a lot of green eyes looking at him and he knows who he has signed.

Could it just be that French is waiting to see if Leigh secure promotion before he commits anywhere?? Or am I in dreamland??

My speculation is that we put in a serious offer that was financially acceptable to Bevan, he knows Adrian Lam and was willing to come to the club and was feeling under appreciated / under valued by Wigan. However, Wigan eventually made a very strong offer which could have swayed things their way. If it is true that the Knights have come in for him then it's likely to be an offer far in excess of what he could receive in SL and he'd be daft not to accept it unless he really doesn't want to go back to Aus.

I think we were strongly in the running and may have won out vs a Wigan offer, but I suspect the NRL offer is too big and too good to refuse.

Was in The Egerton this evening with Hornets Neil and Pie Daz. Daz went to the Pies' awards ceremony as his nephew is their second string hooker (he will be playing in the GF - if they get there) and was in the players' lounge thereafter. Smith got Player of the Year but Daz opined that French would have got it had he not already signed for Newcastle Knights. He seemed definite (and disappointed) about that.

To back up your suppositions, Daz did say to Bongser some time ago that French had received a substantial offer from another English club, one that Wigan had since trumped. Looks like Knights had the ace of trumps, alack and alas.

According to news and tv over here it’s a done deal at the knights on a two year deal.

I'm going to keep my fingers crossed until it is officially announced one way or the other.

It has been reported that wigan's offer to bevan is a larger amount then Newcastle Knights are able to offer i assume due to salary cap constraints, and also that the reporting by the Newcastle media was pre-mature and no deal was yet finalised. I also would be surprised is bevan felt under-appreciated by the club after all the fully payed compassionate leave we have given him over the past couple of years and the general environment we seem to have created around the club in the last 12 months. We have reportedly even offered to bring some of his family over here and set them up with jobs and places to live.

Will be interesting to see where he ends up, i am expecting him to end up at newcastle if i am honest even on a lower offer just due to the pull of the NRL and being closer to family / friends. I a comfortable wigan seem to have done all they can to convince him to stay though, and that is all i can ask of my club really.

Good luck in your playoff games and if you do manage to sign french that would be a huge statement of intent! I have a feeling you will be quite competitive next year if you do get promoted, will make for an interesting season.

Great honest post BW.

One thing for sure if Bevan isn't a Leyther than someone of similar ilk will be coming in....

ALERT: Was in The Egerton tonight and Daz was backtracking. Brad has now told him that no one knows where French has or hasn't signed



Got an alarming call last night from Oirish Mick saying that the leaseholder, Noel was pulling the plug. Immediately rang Leyth Howard to purvey the disastrous news. Seems rumours of The Egerton's demise are only slightly exaggerated.

Praise be, where else would Bongser get his MISINFORMATION?

I would like to dispel any rumours re my recent visit to Uk and LSV.
I was not there to sign for next season.
I am however still available if Derek is interested, to sign as the lucky mascot. My recent last two games attended history is 2-0.
1 - present for the last SL win against Saints in 2017 (my previous last game attended)
2 - present for the record breaking century game v York.
(I was also present in 1987 for our previous highest score tally).
As for other rumours,
- yes, I did meet up with Bongser and Charlie C
- yes, I was present when Bongser sang opera in the Thomas Burke (you had to be there and he sang very well I may add)
- yes, before I came back, I did get boo’d at The Hawk Pub in Hawkley Hall, Wigan, when I sang karaoke, as Wigoon played live on the TV in the pub, and I proudly ended my rendition of “Never Gonna Give You Up” by saying “Up The Leythers !”

Other than that, Beven French, I have no idea but IF we tried I trust Derek and Co gave it all they could and I’m sure we have/or will, tempt some very good players to add to our known 2023 squad.

From my earlier post regarding his signing with the Knights, I have since read the plans for next season for the Knights. One is they are thinking of moving Kailyn Ponga into the halves which then sees them needing a full back, hence Bevan French, however it seems they are trying to lure Rueben Garrick from Manly to fill that void. There is now no mention of Bevan French signing and that they have not much room on the salary cap as they have invested heavily in there pack. So now it could be possible he has decided to either stay with Wigan, but play on the wing, which is not his preferred position or sign for us and play full back, if the rumours are true that Caleb is homesick and wants to return to Aus.

Good morning VL , I’m back on the Forum as my daughter has sorted my password, it was great meeting you a couple of weeks ago , I still recovering from Bongsers stint at being Pavarotti , although he was good , certainly made the pub silent .
Anyway getting back on thread , my opinion is French will. Move to Oz , though if there is half a chance Derek will put a bid in , and if we don’t sign him we will get someone just as good , I have faith in Derek and Lammy .Charlie knows .

Wey-Hey. Welcome back Charlie.
Putting faces to names was long overdue.
Leyther In NZ’s post certainly adds intrigue to this thread.

Nice to meet Vancouver Leyther and who knows as today news is french isn’t going newscastle knights

If he was coming to us it would only be if we got promoted so no announcement of French if true until after the GF if we make it that is

That certainly could explain why no update on his future yet.
The mystery continues ! (For now).

Sky have just announced that French has signed a new 2 year agreement with the Pies

Saves us a Million Quid we offered to now sign Luke Thomson as a marquee, or someone similar.

Bongser thinks he read somewhere lately that even marquee signings had a salary cap of £150K. Bongser is often wrong though!

.

They count as that on the cap. Homegrown 150K. Others I think is a little higher. But they can be paid any amount of a wage. So a Beven French would cost 175k on the club’s salary cap but could be paid 450k/unlimited.

Cheers Atomic. Hope you are well.

Thanks for asking Bongser. I’m still in recovery mode but have returned to work. Mr Beaumont did always say Marquee players wouldn’t be beneficial to the club. New era and possibly time for change. Or Lam and Chester are having an influence. French deal is history, never on the cards. But shows just how high the club have set the bar.

Hope you are well.

Think Degsy's mate Marwan was the first to moot Marquees. Initially dissed as an idea by SL chairmen/owners as they were scared of Kou's cash until it dawned on the dullards heading the big clubs that it might be a way to cling onto their hegemony.

As Ralph (the hitman) and her have gone, it can only be assumed that IMG have been brought in by the same few.

Gott hilf uns!

I believe clubs can have two marquess Bongser. Yes you are correct Marwan’s vision was correct. IMG will probably advice a similar route but at a cost to the lower tiers. IMG have a 12 year contract but already seem to be making inroads with the sudden departures.