Just noticed, thread title is misspelt!! Should read "Whingers"...

Just checked they both have 47 nrl appearances. So not much in it really is there

Yes! Hastings was the best halfback in the Super League when we signed him, his NRL career before that would have been pretty much irrelevant in terms of his value. French was an NRL reserve when we signed him, that would have dictated his value.

Either way, there's not a chance they shared a £175k payrise between them (at cap value).

Especially considering Hastings was already a marquee player so any payrise would not count on the cap anyway.

Hastings wasn't a marquee (or he's been telling barefaced lies if he was). Ignoring the odd dispensation, we have £2.1m between our best 25 players. Take out the marquees and it's £1.8m between the other 23. So your average player is on £78k. Bearing that in mind I think the below sounds realistic

French from £75k to £150k (fringe player when he joined, one of the best players in the league when he signed his new deal)
Hastings from £125k to £150k (already well established but his stock did improve)
Havard from not counting on the cap to £50k (went from an academy player to regular in the 17).
Byrne from not counting on the cap to £50k (see Havard).
Field in for about £75k

Easy to see where the money could be swallowed

I didn't say that did I?

I saidnthey took a large part
Let's put it this way, it was about 2/3rds of that figure between them.
And they got similar rises

And I would be surprised of Hastings wa Marquee nominated, especially before the pay rise.