Reading the comments on the official Wigan site, it looks like we had agree to cancel the dual contract before Ainscough could go to Cas. Obviously we could have said no, but if we had, then no doubt Wigan would have recalled Ainscough, Davies and Farrell. Wigan basically had us bent over and we didn't have the balls to say thanks but no thanks. We should have said no on principle. Cas shouldn't have asked Wigan and Wigan certainly shouldn't have put us such as position where we couldn't say no. When Wigan agreed to the dual contract, they were perfectly happy that he would either play for them or us - why the change of heart now? Every SL club is going to lose players over the next weeks and months, but Wigan seem to now want to play the good samaritan towards Cas and screw us over in the process. Wigan should have had more respect for Widnes and not asked for Ainscough back as a matter of principle - do Wigan not value agreements or contracts? Or is that a silly question.

If we would have said no we might have lost the services of Farrell and Davies and it would have tied up 2 dual contract deals, but it would have also sent a message that SL clubs can't enter into agreements and then back out just a few weeks later. Ainscough, Davies and Farrell would then probably have been left to play in Wigan's reserves with little or no chance of breaking into the 1st team.

The speed of it all and the short term of the loan deal is what really is the problem here , If W1g4n had approached Widnes and requested that Ainscough be released in 3/4 weeks as Cas wanted to take him on a 6 month loan then that would give Widnes a few weeks to arrange another deal either with w1g4n or another club

But to basically pull him back at a days notice to loan to another club for 1 month is just a mockery of the system

You mean you did before?

I honestly am not trolling or gloating but I knew it would bite you on the ar*e having Ainscough on Dual reg. Why can't your BoD and coaches make do with what you have signed on ? You have ticked the box and providing you don't have some highly unlikely major collapse then you are going to be accepted into SL. Lets be seeing this wonderful youth set-up you say Widnes have, instead of borrowing players that will ultimatley drop you in the crap.

Ford, Flynn & Gaskell injured... leaving us with one first team winger... Gardner! Pop at Widnes youth? lol, Nice! Yacca and Grady already will be in the side!

The problem is Gary that we do have something of an injury problem here at the moment in that one position. The natural choices for that spot (including one of the academy lads) are all injured at the moment leaving us short of options. I'm fairly confident that Thompson may be called up there or they might do some re-arranging and move Yates to the wing so we will fill the gap from within.
The upset isn't directed at losing Ainscough.. it's more that he's been recalled to be loaned out to someone else.
The bigger issue here is that there is a massive gap here in what the dual system is supposed to provide and what it actually does?
It's not surprising seeing as this is an organisation that imposes 'eligibility' criteria for players being able to play in certain cup competitions but doesn't know what it should do if a player or a club breaks those eligibility rules!!!

Out of the 3 lads Wigan loaned to Widnes only one in Ainscough had played first team superleague rugby and proved he was good enough for that level. The other 2 lads haven't made their Wigan debuts yet so National league is a good level for them and a level they'll be hugely tested at and be happy to play at.

Ainscough on the other hand has proved himself at superleague level and probably wanted to play there himself. It seems to make sense from our point of view to let him play superleague on a regular basis and if he wanted the move I can't see Wigan or Widnes turning him down. The timing of Cas wanting him is a shame because you guys start your season this weekend and it probably would have been better if they'd have took him on before the Widnes move but I suppose they didn't know about the Richard Owen injury then.

I wouldn't be suprised(if Widnes are allowed to take another dual registered player on) if the 2 clubs come together again and discuss the possibility of another loan or dual contract move for a replacment outside back. We have a winger called Josh Charnley who is meant to be a blinder and has been praised to the hilt by Maguire and Kris Radlinski. Rouges Gallery who posts on the Wigan forum reckons he's a better long term prospect then Ainscough and i'm sure the move would benefit both clubs. He'd be very very unlikely to be called back aswell as are Farrell and Ben Davies.

That was always likely to be the case though wheather it be because of injury to another Wigan winger or because of a situation like this.

It's a shame and I think Wigan made an error in the first place letting a lad thats quite cleary capable of playing superleague out on a dual contract. I was suprised when it first happened because i'd have thought a club like Cas, Salford, Quins etc would have already jumped at the chance of having a guy like Ainscough in their side.

These dual contracts should be used for up and coming players like Farrell and Davies who are still unproven at superleague level not a lad like Ainscough who ripped it up for half a season last year.

I hope Wigan try to come to some arrangment with Widnes over a replacment if thats what Widnes want because there has been abit of a balls up on this one.

Mate i think it is just upsetting to our fans because he is a good player.We are disappointed in the way it has been done,and we had no choice really. We could not upset wigan and say no.As it is so close to the season and we have 3 backs injured already,it is sad.If gaskell,flynn and ford where not injured it would be less of a blow.Anyway it is done now,and hopefully we can keep farrell and davies for the season.If josh charnley any good then i be happy to have him on board, but on a long term loan.

I'd also be p*ssed off and like I say I think it was a little silly of Wigan putting a lad of Ainscough's pedigree on one of these dual contracts.

I'm sure the other 2 will be at Widnes for the full terms(and possibly longer) of their deals and if the clubs sort anything else out then great. If a lad like Charnley goes out on loan it would be a long term one I reckon. He's a huge outsider to get any games at Wigan this year but is meant to be a really exciting player.

We'll see.

Surely the point of the dual contract system is to develop plays by giving them a higher grade of "reserve" rugby? The reserve league isnt the best so this helps that.

It cant be in the players interest to chop and change like this? Two clubs systems is a challenge but worth it as the system would work. To then loan him to a 3rd party is a nonsense?

The system should stay as it is and for instance Cas should have players who they then dual contract with say Featherstone. Then when such an occurance happens they call players back from that club.

Yes, its good for Cas to call on a player of this quality, but surely not for Ainscough, not for Widnes and certainly not for the system.

RL has a habit of messing up its own good ideas!

what he said

What he said, about saying what he said.

A move to a superleague club can only be a good thing for Ainscough surely?

I agree it's not good for Widnes and it looks shabby in terms of the system but I blame Wigan for that. They shouldn't have put a lad thats quite clearly of superleague standard out on a dual contract to start with.

The dual contract system should be used with a view to building young lads games up to enabale them to play superleague but in Ainscoughs case he's proved he's already upto standard.

At least Widnes got a thank you from Michael McGuire on the official Wigan site for agreeing to terminate the dual reg deal. Can't find a similar courtesy from the Castleford club.

Got to admit that was very nice of him, and shows we have a good bond with wigan.Hopefully we can now keep the other two players for the season.

what you said about what he said about what he was saying.

i suppose we could say this is just the teething problems of a new initiative but i cant help thinking you've been bitch slapped & put in your place & as a leyther im not happy about this cos if we're not carefull it could happen to us & later in the season that could be very costly

The link up between the 2 clubs seems to be pretty strong. I'd probably out that down to Terry O'Connor and Kris Radlinski who'll know each other very well from their time at Wigan. O'Connor is very well thought of at Wigan and i'm sure Wigan are happy to help out him and Widnes were they can.

One thing i can say is that the Wigan fans seem very geniuine, and i have not come across an idiot yet.Hopefully come 2012, we can join you in superleague.Hopefully Wigan win superleague and Widnes the championship.

You'll be at each other's throats by 2013

Or married? one of the two

I'm pretty sure every Wigan fan would love to see Widnes back in superleague and for that matter 99.9% of rugbyleague fans would love to see the same.

I was brought up on great Wigan and Widnes games in the late 80's/early 90's and would love to see us get that fixture back to that level. It may seem a way off at the minute but teams like HKR have shown how quickly things can snowball so you never know. I bet they thought a decent Hull derby seemed a million years off 5 years back.

All the best for the season.

Thanks Nicky. Genuinely. I grew up hating Wigan but you can't help respecting a town who has a premier league team but remains fervantly and defiantly a rugby league town, and a good relationship between the clubs can be beneficial. Can't say I agree with the loan to castleford but we'll be okay. As I've said elsewhere, I think our club was fairly intelligent with the dual contracts in one respect, they are not in positions we will be relying on them. If we lost them all tomorrow we wont be in the lurch. Our pack could dominate this season. I looked at the squad vs Barrow and we still had loads to come back. We will be okay.

scored already for cas