Might be wrong here but he signed in the final year of his Wakefield contract if that was before the May deadline to resign which I believe it was there could be a clause which would have allowed him to sign a deal with the Roosters so that he could secure it. In effect Wakefield will have allowed him to sign prior to May.

Your definitely correct, pretty much how i remember it, he certainly signed while under contract with Wakefield, at that point he would have had a live contract with the club (if i remember rightly he was out long term injured at the time).

As regards Wakefield having first option that was how is agent reported it at the time (not that makes it 100% ), he's roughly same age as jack croft and isaac shaw so would have also been covered by the same transfer protocols they were.

Its all a bit hypothetical as at minute no sign of him going anywhere although it was only a 2 year deal which expires in 2025 so who knows

There are no protocols between the competitions. If there were, we'd have received compensation for all three of them. The only way that clause would exist is if Murphy asked for it, but surely he'd just speak to us first anyway in that case?

What about what happened with Shaw and Croft?

We offered them a contract and due to being under 24 years of age couldn’t sign for a UK based team unless we got a fee.

Would the same not apply to Murphy in this scenario if we offered him a deal but he elected to go overseas?

I suspect that could be the case.

Regardless, if Murphy is available I’m sure we would be in the market for him.

That's my point. They all went overseas because there's no protocols between the various competitions so we've no control over what happens with their contract. Wigan did it with Bateman because he was still under contract and included it as part of the deal.

Also, the age is 22. Even if he comes back we've missed the deadline for compensation as well.

I guess it will all come down to value.

I do think we need 3 front line wingers as firstly it’s a very important position in the modern game due to the work they get through in the backfield but also to provide cover for TJ given his history.

It’s like our current situation with Jerry, Olpherts has been a great pick up and will probably get more game time than Jerry come the end of the season.

We have to get the cap balance right though too. Murphy has had a big contract upgrade so it’s dependent on many other things and pieces of the jigsaw falling into place.

I’m not sure Powell is 100% convinced by Walmsley yet so maybe he is looking at other options.

I personally wouldn’t be gutted to see TJ, Walmsley and Olpherts retained as I think he will do a job for another year providing competition on the edges.

We only have 2 wingers for next season so far in TJ and Walmsley. Unless Delaney is signed.

We will most likely be losing McGillvray and Olpherts and Franco. I’d happily have Murphy to replace a couple of those.

Not sure on Walmsley vs Murphy. Don’t think Walmsley has been done fairly recent weeks. Always played left all season and at Wembley and scored for fun and played well but Olpherts who’d mainly right wing seems a favourite of Powells and has been Shoehorned into the left spot (not that he hasn’t done well).

We only have 2 wingers for next season so far in TJ and Walmsley. Unless Delaney is signed.

We will most likely be losing McGillvray and Olpherts and Franco. I’d happily have Murphy to replace a couple of those.

Not sure on Walmsley vs Murphy. Don’t think Walmsley has been done fairly recent weeks. Always played left all season and at Wembley and scored for fun and played well but Olpherts who’d mainly right wing seems a favourite of Powells and has been Shoehorned into the left spot (not that he hasn’t done well).

Russell as well if rumours are to be believed.

If Walmsley is playing next season he needs to learn how to play right as TJ is nailed on left.

If you look at the recent stats, Olpherts is playing left on merit.
He has mistakes in his game but he gets us off our line far better that Walmsley.

Never liked Olpherts but got to say he has earnt an extension

Johnstone, Russell, Walmsley and Olpherts wouldn't be a bad quartet for next season.

Not keep on Russell and Olpherts is at the back end of his career and imo found his level which he is doing very well at.

That may be the reason he’s playing right.

Olpherts is playing left on preference or the reason above trying Walmsley on the left. Walmsley had 20 + try’s and a try at Wembley in the final on the left. You can’t get much more merit than that can you? He carries well too.

Olpherts has been on the left ever since which was a strange and unexpected switch. Yes he’s played well but almost all have been walk ins off the back of Jowitt and Gale. Something Walmsley also finished. Unfortunately the quality ball on the left is like a legendary pokemon sighting on the right as it only has the short ball crash to Griffin or a chip behind the line.

Olpherts offered exactly the same back line carries on the right wing also.

Perhaps you nailed it with Walmsley getting accustomed to the right as TJ will have left sewn up in 2025.

As for Olpherts, when a number of fans didn’t appear keen early on I was happy with him as since day 1 he’s carried very well and I could see that clearly despite the odd error. His mistakes seem to have lessened a bit lately too which is good to see.

He’s great for where we are now and with McGillvray looking like he’s in the wars and patched up I think it will be Olpherts and Walmsley for most of remaining games.

I don’t think he’s SL level tbh even though I think he’s playing well. It does depend who is available though.

I think that rumour just sprang from someone not realising it was Oliver Russel we were chasing. Salford were similarly linked with Lewis Murphy just prior to signing Loghan Lewis.

That’s what I put it down to aswell. Before the Matty Russell rumour came out the Ollie Russell rumour had come out.

At the point in which we signed Olpherts McGilvery was injured and we were struggling for metres out of our 20. Olpherts came in and gave us some great carries out of the back field, then McGivery was available and DP had a tough choice to make. If I remember correctly, Walmsley was also under a slight injury cloud so Olpherts went to the left wing to accommodate McGilvery, to give Walmsley a rest and to maintain the yardage from our outside backs. Unfortunately for Walmsley Olpherts has done a superb job and is scoring try’s like they’re going out of fashion.
I don’t think there’s anything more to it than that

If it’s that Olpherts is scoring try’s out of fashion then didn’t Walmsley do the same on the left?

So not much between them in the try scoring yet Olpherts gets more yards from back field? I agree.

I'm told that both Russell's have signed for next season and that Matty knows he is only coming as back up

If he's only coming as back up why would we want him.
We need people who want to fight to be no.1 in their position.

Pretty sure he will fight for a spot, he covers full back and wing

Indeed. But that's not what FIL said.

It will be similar to Olpherts coming in this season, he would have known that he was coming as back-up to Walmsley and Jerry but has obviously had the opportunity to play more games due to Jerry's injuries.
I am sure that Russell will get his opportunities next season if Tom or Lachy get injured