Any News On Stuart? Will he even play again for wigan? If not. are we still paying his wages?
If we are, isn't he eating a chunk out of our salary cap?

Of course we're paying his wages. He's got a contract with us.

His wages won't count on the cap until he plays will they?

Jeff Lima's departure offers Stuart Fielden a huge lifeline re a new contract if he can get himself fit this season.

They will count towards the cap. He's playing staff.

big contracts for 2 years.

they do as he is a named player in the 25 man 1st team squad same as Amos

This would be great news if he could motivate himself and step up to the mark.

But i have got to ask the question, why are we keeping players on the books, for me i havent even heard on interview saying "Can't Wait To Get Back". Just feels like to just flogging all the money he can without any effort. I May be wrong but i think he needs to step up or step out.

Totally agree.

If he can get fit and get some games under his belt this season, even if it's just for the u20's I'd be offering him some sort of deal.

If what you're saying is that we should sack him because he's injured, I think you'd find that would be a legal minefield.

The alternative is to sell him mid-contract, but who will pay for a prop who's been injured for so long, seemingly with no end to it in sight? They wouldn't even take him on a give-away, as they'd still have to cough up his wages.

We could try to persuade him to retire, a la Amos, but he doesn't have to do that if he doesn't want to.

I agree that it's a frustrating situation, having so good a player doing nothing but eating up wages, but I don't think we can just wriggle out of it as easily as you suggest.

Yeah it seemed to come across as easy as that.
You would of thought he would of retired. Be great to see him back and play in his final few years.

Fustrating situation indeed

It's would HAVE, HAVE, HAVE...not bloody OF....!!!

My mistake. Thought a player actually had to play a game before their wages counted.

I thought you could deregister a player from your first team in the event of a long term injury so you could draft in somone else without hitting cap problems. Have a hazy memory we may have done that with Carney and didn't Hull KR court controversy with Dobson?

Of course it could all have changed, not sure I fully understand, or ever will for that matter the ins and outs of the cap!

and we were refused.

Dobson - Mason was due to overseas quota....both still counted on cap though

He said on twitter a couple of weeks ago he'd be playing again in August. I won't hold my breath though.

I do think a loan move when he gets back would be more beneficial than u20s games and aim to get him up to a good level of playing fitness so he would be an option for the play-offs.

Calm Down, Calm Down.

Be Nice, im new here

I suppose we will just have to wait and see

As always what you say makes perfect sense.

I would add that I have spoken to Stuart briefly on a couple of occasions over the last year or so and I certainly didn't get the impression that he was happy to be sitting on the sidelines - far from it, he sounded very frustrated.

He seems to attract more criticism than any player in British RL (other than Sam), much of it very unfair IMO.

Or maybe would've?

I'm

Swot.

to go from Lima the best prop in the league to giving Fielden an injury ridden has been a new contract is a massive step backwards and i hope it really doesn't happen, Widnes should be talked into signing him, there are better props to be had out there, surely with all the loses this season we have enough money to bring in a rough and tumble prop from the islands