Quote ="Father Ted"I don't think IL has lied or misled us at all.
We all know Dean Bell and another Exec from the NZW were over here earlier in the year. I'm pretty sure they said they had a "shopping list" of players in whom they were interested. Sam was top of their list, the remainder probably weren't wanted if they got their top man.
Sam or his agent couldn't approach the NZW people, NZW couldn't approach Sam without the club's permission. Maybe, I don't know, NZW approached Sam/Agent without the club's permission. An unofficial approach or tapping up!
If, after an unofficial conversation, Sam's head was turned by the prospect of the NRL + Salary and then he told IL he wanted to go and where to and didn't want to play for the club from 2014 on, what could IL do about it?
Two choices, let him go and get the best possible deal he can or, tell Sam he's going nowhere and has to play for Wigan. Nothing like having your most expensive player totally turned off, not wanting to play for you and on your books.
IMO IL had no choice but to get the best possible deal, which he may have, and sign the best replacement available which he appears to have done.
Not ideal, it's pretty awful really but this is a RL Sport problem. We now can't keep our best players.
IL is getting slated for calling Bowen a "marquee" player. That description, I don't think, is meant for us Wigan fans at all. It's meant for the knuckledraggers and deadbeats who've voted down a salary cap exemption for each club's "marquee" player. They are the ones who are prepared to see our presence in the Captial disappear and open Catalans to the possibilty of relegation.
We used to talk about a vision for expansion and a strategy to acheive it.
Now they are going headlong into shrinkage and have voted for the strategy to acheive it.
[uAll in all, a bloody awful day day for British Rugby League[/u.'"
Agree with your sentiments .... the trouble is I cannot remember my enthusiasm for RL being so low.
There's little incentive to buy a season ticket as it is today with the league becoming nothing short of a farce but this continual talent drain has to impact on future attendances and the overall profile of the game in the country.
Speaking to one of the clubs higher profile sponsors the other day he said he was not renewing his sponsorship next season ... as far as he's concerned RL is finished in this country. Not necessarily my views but worrying when sponsors have that perception of the sport !
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