Contracted to end-2012.

A club can demand a fee if the player is under 24, I think!
Over that age they can leave free at the end of their contract under the Bosman rule. Hence you got a fee for Westerman but not Shenton.

The only way you could keep your players if the RFL/SL adopted the system being trialed by the Aussies next year which they hope to replace the salary cap. It's a points based system with a team 17 allowed no more than say 100 points. The Aussies haven't worked out the full details themselves yet!
It's runs something like, a home grown player who is an International (Shenton) will have a maximum of four points.
An International at a club who is not home grown will be nine points, Shenton at Saints.
A lad like Milner on his debut maybe would be one point until he's been f/t pro for two years, then two points. If he moved to another club he'd be far more.

This maybe would work here but RL/SL have a problem with a club like yours who continually bring players through but can't keep the best of them. Perhaps when you get your new stadium and far larger crowds plus new revenue streams then you will be better fixed to keep your lads.

It really doesn't work in anyone's favour when clubs can bring lads through and can't keep them. As a Wigan fan, we had seven lads in the U18s academy team that beat the Aussies. Most if not all will stay at Wigan, although Sale RU are always on the prowl. Milner has impressed everyone who saw the game, a real talent. What are the chances of him staying with you though? At present not much. If you could up your revenue and have a chance of winning things then he'd probably stay.
I wish you the best of luck with that one.

Actually, the reason we got a fee for Westerman but not Shenton is that one was contracted for 2011 and one wasn't.

That is probably the case.
It wouldn't have mattered that Shenton was out of contract, if he was under 24 then a fee could still have been demanded.

Now I know why Netherton was let go so easily to us when, at the time this board seemed to rate him.

From what I hear Milner is a cracking player, and I hope for the sake of rugby league he decides to stay at Cas for a while yet.

You've hit the nail squarely on the head there.

I've heard many people of Cas (fans and non-fans alike) ask why we really need to move to a new stadium (aside from the SL franchise criteria) - well this is why!

Whilever we remain at Wheldon Rd with the limited revenue streams associated with it we will only ever be a feeder club to the top sides in SL. With a move to a new stadium and all that encompasses, over time we can start to compete on a more equal footing with the top sides and look to build a side that can realistically compete for honours, not just be happy to scrape into the top 8.

But didn't you "pinch" Milner from Wakefield?

No

HTH

I don't think Cas have ever [upinched[/u a player from anyone have they.

Didn't he start his junior career at Wakefield?

He had a scholarship with them, many young cas scholarship lads have moved to other clubs academies and we have no credit for them (ie brett ferres) so you cant have it both ways.

Edit- just read that two of the players from the england youth sqaud, are workington scholarship players that have just been signed up by the wigan academy, if they come through your academy system and end up playing first team will you except no credit for developing them and tell everyone you just pinched them from workington?