Smithies won't be a huge loss anyway...I've just read a Sky article with combined XIII prior to the Grand Final and both Barrie & Wilkin have Benjamin Garcia as their 13.

I believe that Catalan have made an approach but that doesn’t mean that he will definitively be going.
I certainly hope that he remains until the end of his career.

New sponsors supporting the OF deal?

But this makes me also think there could be 1 or 2 departures (Field and Smithies would be the sickeners, Powell and Shorrocks ones that you could accept)

I think Smithies will go but not Field.

Sent you a pm.

Really interested to see how this plays out, if true we are taking one of the biggest names from Union (a couple of years ago was widely thought of as the best player in the world) so it’s a shot in the arm for the game but I think he will do well to hold his own in the sport let alone be worth 2/3 times the next highest paid player in the league, his game also doesn’t seem to suit League, it’s his kicking that’s his strong point and with Smith being so good kicking from hand and Keighran and Smith (last season) being fairly competent I don’t think it’s going to be a huge improvement and could affect Smith if Farrell takes the lions share of in play kicking duties. Would also think it would be announced after the World Cup rather than a day before an important quarter final, which would no doubt be a good excuse to blame as one of the reasons England have been so dismal when they get knocked out.

So what we saying - Morgan Smithies off to the NRL and Owen Farrell to Wigan as his replacement?

I love this forum. Surely not?

Looking at the other forum I think the account Rogues Gallery uses over there (No straw Damn us) has said that Smithies will go and we will have a replacement. That’s as good as sealed for me.

Well whoever is coming in needs to be none quota so that limits things.

To be fair I find this forum to be a great source of info/rumours and wouldn’t be surprised if this happens.

I agree with you.

I’m just taken back by it. Amazed no journalists are running the story/rumour.

I've seen a couple of mentions of Partington. Personally, I hope not & think it would be a step back.

Great rumour, no doubt!
It would suggest that O. Farrell would take Smithies 13 shirt.
The shirt his father wore for so many seasons.

It’s a brilliant, brilliant story.

Park how Owen Farrell would fair in league to one side, the drama of that transfer, the history in that surname, the almost poetic nature of it. It would be the biggest transfer in RL for this country for many many years.

Next year will mark 20 years since Andy Farrell left Wigan and Rugby League in the twilight of his career to move to Rugby Union. And now 20 years later his all conquering son, the lad from Wigan, returns to his boyhood club, his hometown to emulate his father and scratch that insatiable itch he has always had in his illustrious Rugby career - to fulfil the dream and step out onto the pitch as a Wigan RL player.

20 years later. A sight we thought we would never see… From the battle at Knowsley Road, to the broken nose at Leeds, from the trophies and the success. To the Grand Final of 98 to the Challenge Cup in 2002. A shirt, a number and a name synonymous with one another and steeped in Wigan legend…

Farrell 13 returns…

Good god our marketing team would have an absolute field day should it be true.

As a Wigan signing it doesn't do it for me I'm afraid. Feels an unnecessary risk. Maybe even a vanity signing?

As a rugby league signing - great. It will get headlines and attract attention which is something the sport desperately needs.

I agree. It would be great PR and an excellent signing commercially. It would be a huge risk on the field. He’s not played RL for about 20 years.

RL is in his DNA,am sure if it was to happen he will do ok.
PR wise doesnt get better than that,will put more bums on seats,will certainly put Wigan back at the top (where they belong) relegate Saints to just a throw away line (where they belong).

Dont forget Wigan are looking very strong even without OF,he wont make much difference on the playing front everywhere else massive just massive.Captain of the Kick & Clap brigade coming home brilliant.

The RU press would frame it that he was the reason that watching England RU is so mind numbingly dull and that he had been holding their game back

For the experience he bring alone will be massive to players and coaches.

The major downside as to why this move could or is being linked to happening though is due to the loss of Smithies.

I’m guessing Thompson will be first choice 13 even if he doesn’t wear the number should Farrell come but either way it will be a downgrade on Smithies and whilst you can’t fault the lad for going it’s frustrating he is leaving.

Completely agree. He has been a key player for us last season and even more so this season. Its sad to see him leave, as i think he would be next in line to be captain when Farrell retires. Nothing is certain and we certainly can't be over confident, but with the signings we've made there is a window of opportunity where we could very successful over the next few seasons and its a shame that he wont be part of that.

As for Owen Farrell, I'm quite cautious about him coming. We've got a big pack already next season and i just hope it doesn't unsettle the squad because we're trying to fit an expensive union player into our side. I understand the sentiment and the magnitude of signing him but its one we should be cautious about.

As good as Smithies has been a fully fit Luke Thompson at this moment in time is better.

There seems to be an acceptance on here that he is going to come back a shadow of himself. The foot injury is fully healed now and he has a point to prove. I think we're going to get a peak Thompson who will do well for us.

When his 4 years is up and Smithies has filled his bank balance with aussie dollars he can come back and replace him.

You'd have thought the RU press would be all over this, a lot of them don't want him in the team anyway and he'd be the perfect scapegoat if England get beat.

Smithies will be a huge loss. For me he's easily the best 13 in the league and seems to get better week on week. He'll be the starting 13 for England and will only continue to kick on from there.

Personally though, I think he's jumping the gun by a couple of years. It's obvious to anyone that there's a good feel around the club. I can't believe a player who's gone through some of the bad days, would leave when things look to be turning. We could be in for a special period here and he'd be right in the middle of it too.