I used Liam Kay as an example but it’s not him I am referring to , it just seems strange to me that when one of our own accepts which were challenging terms based on appearance money (prepared to back and gamble on his ability) not a bank busting monthly contract it is suddenly not acted on . especially when RFAs openly saying we need outside backs

Hard to comment if we don't know who you mean.

The reason Kay hasn't signed for us is probably down to his agent, a certain Mr Shuttleworth, being a as usual.

Liam Kay had been on 8 grand for at least 3/yes cmon you can't blame his agent for trying to get him more especially when big money was obviously paid to the players we've had to sell off,don't know if you went to the meeting victor mel drew was talking about pop tart but I'm pretty sure the player he's talking about was jordan grayston

If you are referring to Jordan Grayson, I made enquiries after the meeting with RA. RA Rang Jordan straight away, who admitted that there had been no contract offer! So I'm not quite sure where you get your info.

The offer was made verbally after a meeting with Richard agar and Jordan's agent, the message was sent to jordanwho accepted it although not a lot he wanted to prove his worth as a local lad for his home town team he turned down a offer with a leading championshipclubbecause of ambition to play super league full time now most teams have got their squads together how have I got this information ,I am th e horses mouth

I think I've got you Sussed.
One poster implies your from Normy, you've played rugby in the distant past, and you've had input to youngsters!
Got ya!

Knock the Normy bit off ., but I don't see who I am makes any difference , what I've said is truth,you believe want you want old lad

I tend to agree with vasty - without knowing all the details of course - but going to play lower league suggests a startling lack of ambition; for a lad so young looking to make a name for himself, a SL berth on a lower than hoped for salary would be better than playing for Leigh?

Train and play your guts out and either earn an improved contract from WTW, or put yourself in the shop window for other SL coaches.

You haven't a clue bren orr vastly 400quid a week apposed to 160 at wakey working in the community what happened to Chris hill impress with Leigh and your back in super league quick time

liam kaye going to leigh on decent money plus a job and bonuses..it's his choice! he will probably be on about 30k a year now, there is only so long that parents can support you, good luck to the kid

It needs looking into, we can't have the young players having to move away because we aren't canny enough to adjust their income to allow them to move up the ranks,
it's ok saying that they should knuckle down and work harder but it costing them far more than the usual lad of his age just in eating the correct diet

I'm stuck in two camps on this. You want a young player to show ambition and guts to want to push for a place and better contract, but they can't live on determination and faith in a coach to see something in them. I think I'd see being offered 8k as a snub and an offer that the club felt it had to make. I'd go for the money and work my off to get noticed.

He'd have to get a well-paid job then!

8k a year for someone who did not have a game in SL sounds right to me, equally 20k sounds right for someone in their first contract with everything to prove and given an opportunity to do it.
Whether that is at Leigh or at Wakefield is up to him, and the club.

8k a year for a full time professional rugby league player in his 20s who has played for the first team and seen as a squad player is absolute rubbish. He'd get more stacking shelves at Aldi for 40 hours per week. He should be on more than that especially when he was being talked about as a short term replacement for Cockayne and a future stand off for the team only a few months ago.

Something wrong with the game when a championship club is more financially attractive to a player than an opportunity at playing at the top level in the game.

I think the issue is a game wide one - especially outside the 'rich' clubs. £8k per annum may not be much reward, but then here is the gamble - and the reason so many accept this - if they really think they can make it in the game then the rewards can be substantial - not necessarily for all - but a good number of them earn a lot more than I do after 30 years in my trade as a senior manager - for playing sport!

Each player needs to work out the best way for themselves - for some it is full time RL, for others it is part time RL and something else - each to their own I guess.

I feel that, based on what I understand we offered, we have done what we can in the circumstances and, whilst disappointed to see Liam leave, I would wish him well in his venture - as we all do. However, we can only make a judgement on his worth to our club and that doesn't seem to be enough at this point!

=#FF0000EDITED
Uncalled for, you totally undermine the rest of your post with the childish namecalling.

No I'm not clues and I'm fully aware that 8k is a poor return for 3-4 years in the game. And yes it's even more insulting when you consider what Mellors was robbing us for - but wasn't it ever thus, Lions led by Donkey's.

If you'd bothered to read my post I made it very clear that if Liam was in it just for the cash Leigh is a decent move - I can't blame him.

However that wasn't the point, I wanted him to stick two fingers up to Agar and MC (mean that in a nice way) and prove to them he's the dogs doo dahs and make them pay him the kind of money we were wasting on Mellors - wouldn't that be great?

As for Chris Hill he started at Leigh, he didn't drop a division as you suggest and come back. A better example is Danny Brough. However all I can say is thats a risky gamble and a hard slog compared to producing one half decent SL season and getting a fat contract that way - just my theory and far from clueless.

Frustrating isn't old boy when you know your right

How many of them earn more than you do after playing RL for 30 years though Phil.

That's a rely poor argument, if he wants to stack shelves at Aldi then who's stopping him?

No one is owed a living and Kay has far from proved himself so an increase on 8k however modest is fair IMO. It's a chance to back himself what more can any of us ask- worthy though it is as a job shelf stacking at Aldi is it's abject surrender compared to having a real go at becoming a top RL Pro - something most of us can only dream of.

My son who is the same age lives on about 8K a year doing a job he doesn't love while he works hard on the side pursuing his real interest - so excuse me if I don't weep for Liam getting the same for playing a game!

Another example was Jamie Ellis, who left Saints for Leigh, had a storming season and signed for Cas. I suspect the jury is still out on Jamie though, as he still has it all to prove - but at least on a decent wage, after his 12 month 'drop in status' at Leigh.

Wherever Liam ends up this season, I'm willing to bet that he definitely sees his future in Sooper Dooper League. Of course, at least technically, that could still be at somewhere like Fev, Fax, or Leigh.

Yeah but they have had the pleasure of earning a good living from what is basically a hobby - there is no such thing as a free meal and they are no more entitled to it than me. Enjoy it whilst it lasts and prepare to join the real world when it ends. I know it's different in a few other sports but RL is not one of them sadly - they know that when they start.

Sorry to be harsh, but there is an undeserved sense of entitlement in the game of RL where players are concerned. In reality it's always been a case that only the very best make a lifetimes living from the game.

The point i was making was that for where he was up to the end of this contract, which was not a part of the first team squad really (one good performance against Cas does not make him an automatic first teamer) £8K was probably his value.
I would definately say he was worth more now, but he has got to have the desire to cut it in SL and he is worth more without a doubt, if that is a £20k contract and the club can afford it that is fine.

I think what mellors was earning having anything to do with what anyone else was earning is irrelevent, as common sense left the building when his and some other contracts were handed out.
The rest i wholly agree with.

None - and I begrudge them nothing at all - but it's the choice they make and I suspect many of us would have loved to have had that choice - to be a full time sportsman - for a while at least.

The clever ones are the ones who get themselves a skill or trade alongside their RL career.