Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:08 pm  

christopher wrote:

Toronto are currently based in Manchester aren’t they?

They are indeed currently and I can see the immediate appeal of that but that is just because of the current climate. Normally they rotate their time across the UK and Toronto. It just brings me back to the view that compassionate leave would have achieved the same short term outcome if the Titans wanted him. Seems pretty clear they don't and we're happy to wave him off.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Wed Apr 22, 2020 9:26 pm  

And if it wasn't for the current situation Watkins' dad wouldn't be so ill and Watkins may well still be in the NRL.
He had a good pre-season and was in great condition at the start of the season. If they didn't want him he wouldn't have started all the pre-season games and the NRL games.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Apr 23, 2020 4:11 pm  

Charlie Sheen wrote:

And if it wasn't for the current situation Watkins' dad wouldn't be so ill and Watkins may well still be in the NRL.
He had a good pre-season and was in great condition at the start of the season. If they didn't want him he wouldn't have started all the pre-season games and the NRL games.

I had heard he was back in good shape though never saw any of the titans in the first two rounds. To me this just makes it more puzzling and brings me back to if they wanted him why not give compassionate leave and if it was Watkins who wanted to come home Toronto is an odd choice, though perhaps it was his only one.

It's a mute point really now but it's a pet peev that everything, even sport, is so politically spun these days.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Apr 23, 2020 6:43 pm  

Fallon wrote:

I had heard he was back in good shape though never saw any of the titans in the first two rounds. To me this just makes it more puzzling and brings me back to if they wanted him why not give compassionate leave and if it was Watkins who wanted to come home Toronto is an odd choice, though perhaps it was his only one.

It's a mute point really now but it's a pet peev that everything, even sport, is so politically spun these days.

How do they give him compassionate leave? Coming back here, he isn’t returning in the next six months, so that would be the season out of the window. Better to cut your losses than compassionate leave.

[Frosties.]

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Thu Apr 23, 2020 7:40 pm  

Toronto isn’t an odd choice one bit in my eyes, plus any club that was up to the salary cap, won’t be up to the salary cap anymore with the pay cuts.

Plus, it’s highly likely that no games will take place in Toronto this season due to the simple fact that we will have a number of mid week games.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Apr 24, 2020 8:34 am  

Frosties. wrote:

Toronto isn’t an odd choice one bit in my eyes, plus any club that was up to the salary cap, won’t be up to the salary cap anymore with the pay cuts.

Plus, it’s highly likely that no games will take place in Toronto this season due to the simple fact that we will have a number of mid week games.

Under normal circumstances it would be the least obvious choice from a wanting to be close to home view but I fully accept these are not normal circumstances and being based in Manchester will be a plus. We will have to see what happens with this season and then next when he should be based half in the UK half in Canada.

Cap space and willingness to take a risk on a player who has struggled to come back from a nasty injury will have been factors in the options open to him for sure.

I wish him well but remain unconvinced by the move. I'm sure he won't be losing sleep over that.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:04 pm  

Reckon playing for Brian McD will have played a big part in Watkins choosing Toronto. In 2015, Kallum played some great stuff and was apparently having mental health issues for most of the season.
Both parties know and I think respect each other.
Wigan always sounded unlikely to me as understand he is not a big fan of ZH.
Guess Stanley or leutele or even SBW will be on way out shortly to reduce cap and outgoings.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:10 pm  

SBW part owns Toronto doesn't he now? I doubt he'll be going anywhere.
They had problems getting a visa for Stanley didn't they? He'll probably be the one to make way.

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Fri Apr 24, 2020 5:32 pm  

If they replace Chase Stanley with Kallum Watkins they will be able to sign another overseas player (if they can find room on the salary cap)

Re: Transfer Talk / Rumour Thread V3 : Sat Apr 25, 2020 9:21 am  

Charlie Sheen wrote:

SBW part owns Toronto doesn't he now? I doubt he'll be going anywhere.
They had problems getting a visa for Stanley didn't they? He'll probably be the one to make way.

I reckon SBW could easily leave by mutual agreement. Thus far it appears that his value to TWP rests more with his image than his playing standard. And it strikes me that his publicity value to paying fans and sponsors is very limited if TWP are unable to play in Canada.