Cheeky!









I also heard we enquired about stocking St Helens bitter in the stadium bars but didnt have enough room for it

French will be fantastic in the NRL. No doubt about it for me. Manly need a new half. An argument could be made for West Tigers and and Canberra too. He will have plenty of admirers. The nonsense posts about him not handling the physicality is just that. He clearly wants the challenge of the NRL and he deserves it too. Showed us loyalty staying for a couple more seasons and winning every trophy available along with the Man of Steel. He goes down as one of the best overseas signings we've ever made for me.

Saw a few comments today from NRL supporters that French was not taken seriously over there due him being scragged around like a rag doll on impact and taken back ten yards and that it would likely happen again if he ever came back.

Mysteriously, that didn't happen last Saturday, but never mind. They've always had this gift of the short memory in the NRL.

But hey, suits us. Let him stay.

Playing on the wing is very different to stand off in terms of carrying the ball up from your own line.

It might if he's played on the wing as he was for most of the time in his last stint. In fairness, I also remember one instance when French was heavily criticised for only making a single carry for the whole game (he may have been struggling with injury from memory).

Could be a decent fit, you would want to pair him with a controlling half so it works perfect. I always thought French and Field wouldn’t return to the NRL unless there was some big issues at home and they took a back up utility back role as full back is so stacked over there but now French has moved into the halves I think he could get a starting gig, halves is looking a little weak over there currently.

Depends on what they (Field & French) want to do with their careers

a. Be small fish in a big pond but on very decent money
or
b. Be club legends and multiple cup/championship winners in an 'inferior' league on less money (albeit it still more than most can dream of earning) but with more medals to look back on when they retire

I know what I would pick and I wish them well when they go back to the NRL

As much as the NRL is awash with money and a salary cap three times higher than ours, I’m not sure they would get more money over there than here. There is an arrogance to these Aussie clubs that would likely think either should be happy enough with squad player money and a spot fighting for a match day 17 place. I’d hazard a guess both would need to take a pay cut to go back.

I get the impression not many in Australia are even aware that SL has a marquee player rule.

I would agree with you I would be amazed if either found a deal that comes anywhere near what they must be on now, sometimes the grass isn't greener on the other side.

I don’t think Field would due to the endless numbers of top class fullbacks they have over there and seem to be able to produce year in year out.

If French continues to go well in the 5/8th role they will pay big money as they are struggling for depth across the NRL in comparison with most other positions.

The Aussies salary cap continues to grow but the playing personnel remains similar = more money going to the same players.

It was ever thus. The more money there is, the more everyone wants. It's human nature.

It would be the same over here if we raised our own salary cap, though it might keep a few more players in the British game, instead of seeing them automatically head overseas (or to Union) for the bigger payday.

Talk of the NRL expanding by a club or two in the near future. Perth & Christchurch mentioned, so there is that. Let's hope so.

I've always wondered why they don't expand to Hobart in Tasmania

We should expand to Tasmania given that many of our countrymen resided there in the penal colony.

New sides mean more of our young players being targetted

Interesting note from the head of RL commercial that there are apparently 20 marquee players in SL. Seems very high to me - wouldn't have thought many clubs could afford them.

I’m not surprised, if you have a federation trained player on more than 100k (which every team will have bar maybe London) you might aswell set them as marquee to save £50k on the cap.

Made no sense when the likes of Saints claimed to not have marquee players, just gets you more value out of the cap.

Exactly
And even if the club doesn't spend up to the cap you would still claim it for the 1/2/3 players that eat up most of your cap whether they choose to use that Space or not

Surely this is against the spirit of the game (heard that somewhere else)

Well, there's that, but also, they are Aussies, after all. Australia is home, with friends and family. Can't blame them for getting homesick in time. As posters have said, neither owe us anything, considering their achievements at Wigan. I think French's departure from Parra was not the happiest, and quite simply, he is a much better player now that the one who first arrived in England. And he wasn't too shabby then!

Andrew Johns and Brad Fittler were both calling for Field and French to get NRL gigs next year hopefully we can stagger their departures so we dont lose both at once if they do go home

Looks like the most likely scenario currently is French leaves at the end of this year and Field at the end of next. Both will have done around 5 years at Wigan in their prime - we can have no complaints.

If this is the last year they play together at Wigan then hopefully they both stay fit and the fans enjoy it as much as possible.