Okay, so you'd like him at Wigan but you basically admit that he wouldn't be worth the money he was demanding. Fair enough. I think many of us feel that. I certainly do.

Whether he would be worth it in due course is another matter, but given how much money we're talking about here, I feel he'd need to prove it in SL rather than in RU. And I'm sure he'd never agree to that.

I think you're being a little kind to him, pretending that his posing in another club's shirt while we were still in mid-season and he was still in effect a Wigan player, was unimportant. But I could get over that if he was prepared to come back in good form and on a reasonable deal.

Is that £140k figure correct? Thought that was dependent on various bonuses and that he went for a basic salary of around £60k?

Quote ="Woody_woody"Is that £140k figure correct? Thought that was dependent on various bonuses and that he went for a basic salary of around £60k?'" www.lep.co.uk/rugby/Ashton-wages ... 2183993.jp Didn't think I'd dreamt it.

Quote ="Woody_woody"Is that £140k figure correct? Thought that was dependent on various bonuses and that he went for a basic salary of around £60k?'" www.lep.co.uk/rugby/Ashton-wages ... 2183993.jp Didn't think I'd dreamt it.

It was Mo who said it was £140k - so it must be true.

For salary cap purposes though, the potential earned from bonuses is taken as if you'd been actually paid it on a basis defined in the rules or agreed with the Salary Cap co-ordinator. Under our rules it's quite possible that to match a potential pay offer from RU of say £120,000 (if all the bonuses are acheived) depending on structure it could cost as much as £120,000 on an RL club's salary cap even if the bonuses turned out not be acheived and the player only got paid say £60,000.

In fact, if you're an RU club looking to sign an RL player then the best way is to structure the offer in such a way as to have the most impact on the RFL Salary cap so their club struggles to match it.

That puts that one to bed. But even if had only been £60 grand, it's still a problem if you haven't got room under the cap.

Whichever way you look at it, RL has lost a talented player and RU has gained one.

Try and justfiy it all you like, with reference to "value" and the CC, but the reality is that it's a loss to Wigan.

Get a grip of yourself man!

He was 17 years old at the time!

Get down off your high horse and realise he was a year older than a school child!

If everyone was judged by the actions they make at that age I'm sure a lot I'd people would be screwed today.

There's nothing to justify. It happened, and the reasons why it happened have been given.

Whinge about it all you want. That won't change the reality that Wigan couldn't meet his demands.

If were all willing to forgive Hock and his drug antics, then Ashton prancing about in a RU shirt pales into insignificance.

We all make mistakes when young, some of us continue to make them as we get older.

Hang on a minute he was 10 days away from his 20th birthday (Chris Ashton, born 29 March 1987, On March 19, 2007 it was announced that Ashton had signed to play Rugby Union for Northampton). Regardless he was a professional Wigan RL player that commited the cardinal sin. Its like some 19 year old kid coming along a sh**ging your Maude then excusing him because he doesn't know any better. Utter nonsense!!

Even Maurice acknowledged he was being a tool (20 August 2007)......"Chris was anxious to commence his rugby union career with Northampton," said Wigan chairman Maurice Lindsay.

"It is pointless having a player whose mind is elsewhere."

Lindsay added: "We decided to terminate his contract with us and he will join Northampton immediately."

LovesToSpooge, who said we are ALL willing to give Hock another chance, do you speak for us ALL?

Jes we have hit rock bottom when we think its ok to welcome back players that have sh*t on the club from a great height.

We all know that Ashton will never come back to the club as RU has far more money floating about and I for one couldnt give a monkeys chuff.



Bye Bye Ashton Bye Bye

This.

Ashton was probably rail roaded into posing in that Northampton top and people on here wanted him hung from the gallows. Hock then gets found out to be taking cocaine and everyone is like "awwww but he deserves another chance".

Fact of the matter is, Ashton would walk into the wigan team in any of the back positions, hell he would probably walk into most SL clubs teams too, yet most wigan fans dont want him back because of that photo, or because as is claimed but never proved, he was a bad influence. Funny how the bad influence stories only came out once he had signed for Northampton.

He was a massive loss to rugby league and I for one, would welcome him back with open arms no matter which rugby league team he signed for.

Best post of 2009



It's not just the rah rah shirt thing, but his attitude off the pitch and the way he disrespected some of the senior players at the club at a time when everyone was pulling together to get us out of the .

Personally I would go for Phelps, more defensively sound and appears to have more heart.

I very much doubt that statement

That was the MAJOR reason. He has also had a few run ins with the coaches at Northhampton over the same "attitude"

He is talented player but was becoming a disruptive influence at Wigan, end of story I'm afraid.

Well you would because you are a wigan fan. Those that appreciate good rugby players would know he is better than any of your backs and by some distance.

[urlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/skills/4215328.stm[/url

He was not the greatest at this aspect of our game.

You tell them, unforgivable behaviour from Ashton.

Yeah, that's the ticket, pal. Ignore the Wigan fans who'd like him back.

And you haven't got an agenda, either.

I doubt you even remember Chris Ashton, much less know enough about rugby players in general to cast a worthwhile opinion.

You phoney ba****d.

Great response

He was lightning fast, could sniff out a half chance and had a 'feel' for who and when to back up.

However, he couldn't tackle to save his life and appeared to have a heart the size of a pea. My lasting memory of him isn't his try scoring but him actually running away from a Wakefield prop who had made a break and was one on one with him.

Good luck to him. He has everything that he needs to be an outside back in Union.

For Chris Ashton see Kevin Penny - RL is not just about speed - the lad couldn't defend to save his life when in a Wigan shirt and had no courage. Of Wigan's backline only a case for a place above Roberts could be made on last years performances and even in that context, I'd look at giving Ainscough a run first.

Now go and troll elsewhere

Lost a huge amount of respect for Ashton during one of the games of his last season. I forget who we were playing, but we were defending the North stand, about 40 out. They made a slight break on our left touchline and Ashton was covering. A quick PTB and they were passing the ball right across the width, making yards all the time. I watched Ashton and he walked - yes, the full-back walked - from left to right, watching the handling on display but making no effort to get over. They had an overlap, broke, and after a few offloads they eventually scored. It was only after they broke and it was clear he would be needed that Ashton broke into a jog, and he never got there in time.

Saying that, he's just scored for Northampton on the replay I'm watching (Xmas telly really is crap this year). Completely misjudged catching a kick and then backed up a nice break from Ben Foden to score. Sounds about right then.