Yes they did

But & trying not to sound rude, it amazes me how people just through the wages around of people leaving and think we can just bring in X players to replace them.

Those players were all known about leaving mid season and the next years salary cap with Bateman's return, Field coming, players incremental wage rises for the younger players, improved contracts for Havard etc. were all accounted for with regards to the 2021 season by August or so last year.

If Hastings & French Left (And it was very much a real possibility) then we would have had those wages to play with, when Burgess's leaving was known about (I would say Early Oct) it allowed negotiations to take place to retain the 2 players.
Not my place to say the number I was told (I may have mentioned it previously though) but lets say it was a 20/25% increase on their original 2021 contracts.

I wonder if either French or Hastings got allocated a marquee space then.

Hastings is already marquee I think? And Bateman took Burgess'.

Depends if either rof them are the Top 2 earners salary cap wise.

Its hard to explain but if your a club trained player allocated Marquee then I think only 75k (or whatever it is, but the point stands) counts on the cap
So a Farrell could on 175k and only 75k would count saving us 100k on the cap

However

Jackson Hastings could be in 225 for example but the first 150 counts meaning we only save 75k on the cap if we allocate it to him

So in that scenario it makes sense to allocate it to Farrell although he is on less money.

As I say, its complicated, but do t think that the top 2 earners are necessarily the Marquee

Also, once again, dont believe the BS from other clubs and fans saying we don't have 2 Marquee etc.
Because unless they haven't got 2 x club trained players on over 75k or 2 x non club trained players on over 150k then it would make sense for all clubs to nominate any 2.players who were over that figure so as to gain dispensation should they need it.

Whether they use that or want to use it is up to the ambition/personal circumstances of each club.

That's kinda down the lines of what I was thinking.

A proportion of GB's salary might have gone, but if we're holding back the marquee spot to see who becomes available then it gives us wiggle room. Even if that means bumping an existing player into the slot to free up extra cash.

French was a nobody when he signed his first deal, and the best attacking player in the league when he signed his new deal. I don't think there is any 'if true' about that one. Hastings was more established when he signed for us, but not yet the man of Steel he became later in the 19 season, so I would have expected his market value to increase too (albeit not as much as French's).

he was a nobody if you didnt watch the NRL he was far more of a somebody than Hastings, im not bagging you but I was well excited when we signed him as ive watched him for years

Not sure how you can quantity that he was more of a somebody than Hastings? Both are the same age & played around the same amount of NRL games, but Hastings also played U20s SOO and Aussie rep at that level too.

French had been dropped to the reserves in the NRL and was used off the bench here in the important games in his first year. His market rate would have been that of a fringe player. Fast forward to his current deal and he was starting every week, our main attacking threat, and one of the best players in the league. Clearly his stock massively improved.

When Hastings signed for us he was already starting every week as the main man at Salford. His market rate would have been that of a starting key player. Not yet the Man of Steel he went on to become afterwards though. His stock improved but not as much as French's did.

Makes our salary cap spend top heavy - as I mentioned on another thread if it was a choice at the end of last year between keeping Hastings/French or sacrificing one of them to make room for a prop and winger I'm not sure which way I'd go. Particularly when you have Zak to move to fullback and Field/Leuluai/Smith as halfback options (obviously Field's injury couldn't have been forseen).

I love Bevan and Jackson as players and we're definitely a far better team with them in it but managing the salary cap is sometimes about giving up some individual quality for a greater spread of quality across the squad.

French played in the all stars game at a senior level

Hastings also was demoted to reserve grade in the NRL.....

Bring realistic neither were stars and if they were they wouldn’t be playing in SL it’s not that difficult a concept to grasp is it.

French was considered too small and lacking impact despite the highlight reel he has managed to put together in 16 (or so games). The NRL uses wingers as meter makers and he couldn’t get a spot at 1.

Hastings was a mercurial talent as a youth with quality in his blood line. He also carried the reputation of being a trouble causer.

Both players were thrown a lifeline to come to the UK and play in SL.

If their stock was valued in the NRL they would never have come to SL.

Both will leave us with an opportunity to restart their NRL careers. Will both manage it? I have my doubts.

Interesting to read from some of the legends of the game that Hastings is being hailed as a potential saviour of West’s but they regard him as a big risk with a lot to prove. I think the lack of depth at 6 and 7 guarantees him a reasonable crack at it.

French I think may struggle. Most of the NRL teams like monsters and meter makers in the back 3 and whilst I am sure he will get an opportunity I’m not sure his style compliments the NRL.

I’ve said it a few times I genuinely believe some less than top notch SL players would have a half decent career in the NRL because their game is suited to it much in the same way some bang average NRL players are probably more suited to SL.

You only need to look at Luke Burgess as an example of a fairly average SL prop who made a much bigger impact than most would think in the NRL.

I always said Williams had a style that suited the NRL over SL.

If Manfredi could have stayed fit he’d have made a good go of it.

Watkins goes over and is at best average.

One I thought would have done better in the NRL was Sarg.

Back to the original point though. If either French or Hastings had stock in the NRL they would never have left and both owe SL a debt of thanks for reigniting their careers.

No idea how that is relevant. Hastings was Salford's starting halfback when we signed him to start at halfback for us, what he did in the NRL before that is irrelevant. He went on to have a brilliant year with Salford, and a decent year for us, so I can see how his value would have improved, but not by loads, as he was already performing consistently well at SL level before the deal was signed.

French, on the other hand, was an NRL reserve when we signed him as a squad player. Realistically I think hopes would have been for him to nail down a starting spot. No one predicted that he would light up the way he did. His value would have rocketed inbetween the two deals.

Mad thing is that Hastings played most his nrl at 9. He was a massive up and coming superstar over there and made a few poor choices. As for the signings, the problem was that we signed Field as French made it clear to the club he was returning home. Then there was a u-turn which led to French staying. Also what people need to calculate is that some of our players last year are running about in grand finals being paid absolue peanuts, less than stacking shelves at Tesco. Somatbsome point they get better deals, they might go from 15k to 45k but that 30 has to come from somewhere and obviously counts on the cap.its only when you sitbdown and punch the numbers in as imhave done before you think bloody hell this salary cap money doesn’t spread massively well over 25 shirts.

so Hastings being dropped to reserve grade is irrelevant but French being dropped there is?

Have you even taken the time to read what he said?

Hastings signed a deal with Wigan from a position of power i.e half way through his MOS season

French signed for a deal with Wigan from a position of playing reserve grade NRL.

Whether Hastings had previously played reserve grade is irrelevant to what he's trying to say.

what im saying is and have from the start is that French wasnt a nobody when we signed him far from it

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.