Whilst I'm sure Jake is looking forward to his Australian venture, why does Jukes think he wasn't 100% committed to the cause? I guess, he means like a 'loan signing' will definitely be. But somebody who has played nearly a 100 games for the club, won't be. I can imagine the conversation: Jake: "Neil, I can't wait to get to Australia, and even though I can help us get into Super League, I'm not sure I will give 100% in every game" Neil Jukes: "Fair enough, you're fired !" WHAT A LOAD OF B*****s ! So out of the current squad, the ones who are speaking to Paul 'Toronto' Rowley, are they a 100% committed to the cause ? What's the difference between them & Jake.....the mind boggles !

Maybe he means with Jake not being 100% committed as he'll have to spend a lot of time organising & preparing to emigrate. Spending time looking for a club, a job and a house out there as well as sorting out all the other rigmarole meaning he won't be available for the training Jukes expects. Don't know if Jake has a child he wants to move during school holidays between terms which could limit his availability for us. I don't think Jukes would say Jake wouldn't give his all on the pitch for us, more likely Jake has said he won't be able to devote himself as much to training as Jukes would expect of our players.

Because Jake asked to leave? As in leave now, not at the end of the season.

If somebody wants to leave before the job is complete then that person clearly isn't 100% committed to the cause. It sounds as though we tried to persuade him to stay (we would be daft not to with Acton and Hock missing, Fuifui still recovering and Spencer out on loan) but if he was determined to leave then I guess we just had to let him go.

Whilst I am gutted that Jake is leaving now he has never given anything less than 100% on the field so good luck to him over in Aus.

You know FOR a fact he wanted to leave NOW ? What is so important it had to be NOW ! Somehow I doubt it very much. So we 'loaned out' Tom Spencer, knowing all this......the mind boggles !
Apparently Jake was 'released ?' in May anyway.....then officially announced weeks later. No sour grapes then !

Lowton Sparrow would believe the moon is made of green cheese if the club "tweeted" it.

Anyway back to life in the real world. Young Sam has been in great form again this campaign. I thought we missed him badly in the 8s last season so one would hope his injury is not as bad as first thought.

Keep your chin up Sam!

He hasn't been sacked, he has been released.

If he has been released it is by Jakes request and/or mutual agreement. If he wanted to play on to the end of the season I am sure he would have done so. We can't just release him without him wanting/agreeing to it, not without paying him off which would make no sense. Why would we pay a good player to leave instead of just paying him to play rugby?

It also mentions in the article that he is hoping to play in the 'feeder club system' which I presume would mean going back to being a part time player. Is it inconceivable that Jake has found/been offered a job in Aus that he wants to take up immediately?

"It got to the point where his desire to fulfil that ambition outweighed his desire to stay with us. In any team sport you need every player to be 100 percent committed and it's important that decisions like this are taken now rather than in the Middle 8s." Whatever that means in plain English who knows ? Sounds to me like we have released him NOW, rather than at the end of the season. Not sacked, but might as well have been. Surely if Jake had asked to be 'released early from his contract' why not just say that ?

Why are we trying to unpick this story so much with talk of sackings? Jake wanted to travel to Oz to follow his dream, why should we stop him?

I think it speaks volumes of the club to allow him to do this. He's asked to do this and the club have respected his decision to do so. Jake has gone about this the right way and so have the club.

Jukes is right. We need players giving 100% week in week out - this doesn't mean he's been sacked! Jake clearly has his mind on his new life in Oz and full time rugby may not be for him.

Yes we have loan players in at the club, who are giving their all. I didn't see Fash, Evans, Burns, Drinkwater take a backwards step at the weekend?

We have Higham and Hock to return after this week, plus Dixon in the wings. Spencer can be recalled if we need him.

The club and player as happy, so I wish him all the luck in Oz, and thanks for your years of service.

If Emmitt doesn't go now he won't get to play for a feeder club this year therefore lessening his chance to try to impress nrl clubs to give him a chance for next season,so Jake has gone about it right and fair play to the club for releasing to give him a fair shot at it.If Jake stayed till the end of our season he would have lost the chance to put himself in the shop window in Australia so it's logical he wants to go straight away,good luck to the lad I say and I wish fans would stop picking holes into every decision the club makes because deep down none of us knows what goes on behind the scenes

Unfortunately people will pick holes in news coming out of the club because the club have made it very difficult to take anything at face value.

Penky's knee, Rangi's hip, riddy's groin and the fact that platt is now lying somewhere under a carpet does make you wonder what it is that's being held back.

At the end of the day why does any of this matter. I think some people and I don'the mean opposition fans secretly want the club to fail so they can come on here and shout loudly 'I told you so'.

Despite this that and the other we are still top, unbeaten in 16 league games so IMO the club is doing more things right than wrong. Let's get on with supporting our club and forget about what/who has gone. The past is the past.

It's not about wanting the club to fail at all. It's frustration at the club shooting itself in the foot after doing so much right.

It's only little tweaks to communication that's needed

I don't care what the club tells or doesn't tell anyone, people believe what they want to believe and are naturally drawn to gossip and rumour anyway.

So long as we have a full squad and keep getting results then the club can continue as it is doing, right or wrong, information, or lack thereof is not a sign of disrespect to the fans.

The town is full of very bitter people who never go into their pockets to assist the club, for a few years they were very quiet but they had opportunities to rise like Lazarus this year and they took them. Hope the true fans, who dig deep and truly support our great club learn how to tell them to luvv off politely and not let them spoil their pleasure during the ride.

Really cant wait for the 8's

Let's not forget Sam Barlows bad back and Bobs knee op....

Ever heard the story of the boy who cried wolf....

Still if it's an official statement from the club it must be true.

That said we're not the only club putting out falsehoods half truths and lies. Just look at the leeds statement on hardaker and wigan on Bateman.

Easy there - you can't make any statements that resemble a criticism of the club on this public forum. You'll be outed as a hater of everything to do with Leigh. Shame on you!

and long may we protect the welfare of players and interests of the club, who wants to know the details and why?

Penky when he was going through a legal process I understand. Rangi when he was in rehab - absolutely. But to print Emmitt's release in the player stats before even releasing a statement - weeks after he'd left - is poor whichever way you dress it up. How was that looking after the players welfare or the clubs interests?

Ok. I knew about Emmitt before the programme was put out. However I am not sure how. It may have been in the Leigh Observer either from Derek's column or from a Neil Jukes. I honestly can't remember but it was in the public domain......I think.

Either way I don't care as I am not one to put the board of directors under the microscope every time a player comes or goes. Each to their own. If people with differing views and outlooks on life can't use a forum for fear of what they see as criticism (when it isn't) maybe we should just have two. We all know that whenever the club is going through a bad patch certain posters reappear which sort of backs up what Mo stated earlier.

Whatever the club has gone through this season, which has certainly been eventful, we are still 16 league games unbeaten. The real test is yet to come but the group of players that we now have are showing they will fight for each other (don't mean Swinton style) to keep the run going. What goes on behind the scenes and as pointed out players private lives etc sometimes need to protected and let's be honest is none of our business.

Good luck on Sunday, will be on mixlr from somewhere in North Yorkshire..... yes I know.

But no official statement Demon.

The club should either make an official statement as issues arise or say nothing at all. Some of the cack they have put out over the last 12 months has been ridiculous

Official statements are good I agree but if they don't because they or a player wishes not to or there is a shortage of staff to update the site then that's the way it has to be.

Take the Bateman incident, minimal information on the incident has been given by Wigan in their statement and as on here I am sure their are people asking why they have not given more information as to why it is 8 games and a £10000 fine. I say let the club get on with preparing for its assault on SL and let's hope the ride is not as bumpy as last season.

Does it protect the ingests of the club or damage its credibility?

I don't think anyone wants details just a bit of honesty (and integrity

) otherwise you get threads like this where plenty are doubting the credibility of what is probably a genuine statement.

My only point would be that there are ways of protecting the club and its players without inventing injuries and operations.

When a senior employee is asked to leave a job and an agreement is reached the email that goes out does not say " the company thinks bobs a useless winker and we offered him leave or be sacked so he left". It's nobody's business and protects both parties, how it should be. There will be people who know Bob and rumours will no doubt go around but the company will never comment any further.
In this instance Jakes gone so can't be selected, doesn't matter why unless it's to appease some tap room stirrers

Maurice, however you try to dress it up, the way Leigh have handled certain issues isn't the way most other professional sports clubs would have handled them.

Why some folk on here feel the need to get defensive about the slightest issue is beyond me

Just out of interest.Have the club kept his registration?