Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 12:35 pm  

Tricky Dicky wrote:

So back on topic ...

Next season has so many unanswered squad questions:

Hastings - Does he stay or does he go
Tommy - Same
Lockers - Retire?
Budgy - Salford?
Hank - resign or release?
French - Stay or go?
Gildart - NRL or Stay?

Batty to return
JAI Field also signed?

Lachlan Lam is still unsigned at the roosters - Is he heading to SL?

Looks to be so many unanswered questions

Still looks like lots of cap movement available

I predict:

Hastings, French and Gildart to the NRL. Maybe half a chance of keeping Gildart for one last year due to COVID maybe making him less likely to leave immediately.

Lockers - retire. I think he's said this already

Leuluai - I wouldn't want to keep him but I think they will for one more year, hopefully not him and Smith as our two main halfbacks but I wouldn't rule it out.

Burgess to Salford.

Flower I think will leave.

Hankinson I think may end up getting another year due to Marshall's injury. Might just see him get some gametime with Bibby on the wing.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 1:56 pm  

I just can't see how Hastings is going to the NRL.

He had a NRL get out clause in his contract and that clause needed to be activated by a certain date. I have no idea what that date was, but it surely has to have passed by now?

There's been almost zero chatter from the usual sources that he's been picked up by an NRL club, so how's it going to happen?

Has Hastings told the club that he intends to leave for the NRL, without agreeing a deal with an NRL side? If so that's a huge gamble as he's got a 12 month deal with us sewn up already.

Also worth pointing out that, based off the info given by the club, it's just an NRL release clause too. That means if he wants to go to anyone else in SL or RU, then they'd be paying a fee for him.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 4:48 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

The reason Wigan didn't get any World Cup games was they insisted that the only games they would host were England games!!

I do not recall hearing that when the venues were announced and the Leader of the Council together with the Wigan MP were expressing disappointment in the media about the decision not to include the town of Wigan as a venue for any of the games.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that Wigan Council would throw away the chance to get visitors coming into the town and spending money by insisting on England games only.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:00 pm  

Ruddy Duck wrote:

I do not recall hearing that when the venues were announced and the Leader of the Council together with the Wigan MP were expressing disappointment in the media about the decision not to include the town of Wigan as a venue for any of the games.

Personally, I find it hard to believe that Wigan Council would throw away the chance to get visitors coming into the town and spending money by insisting on England games only.

What has this got to do with signings / signing rumours?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:06 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

I just can't see how Hastings is going to the NRL.

He had a NRL get out clause in his contract and that clause needed to be activated by a certain date. I have no idea what that date was, but it surely has to have passed by now?

There's been almost zero chatter from the usual sources that he's been picked up by an NRL club, so how's it going to happen?

Has Hastings told the club that he intends to leave for the NRL, without agreeing a deal with an NRL side? If so that's a huge gamble as he's got a 12 month deal with us sewn up already.

Also worth pointing out that, based off the info given by the club, it's just an NRL release clause too. That means if he wants to go to anyone else in SL or RU, then they'd be paying a fee for him.

I can’t recall the exact wording of it but during the Messi free transfer saga and more recently the Fury v Wilder rematch clause there is a legal term which means during unprecedented situations such as Covid which had a statutory change to competition then that clause can still be activated at the end of a certain time period extended over and above the original date.

Given the Grand Final will not long since have been played I would expect regardless any such clause to still be live as per the original agreement anyway.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 5:21 pm  

jonh wrote:

I can’t recall the exact wording of it but during the Messi free transfer saga and more recently the Fury v Wilder rematch clause there is a legal term which means during unprecedented situations such as Covid which had a statutory change to competition then that clause can still be activated at the end of a certain time period extended over and above the original date.

Given the Grand Final will not long since have been played I would expect regardless any such clause to still be live as per the original agreement anyway.

It's probably logical to think that the date would "slide" with the season i.e if JH needed to inform the club 3 months from the end of the season, then that 3 month window would slide to fit in with the revised calendar.

It would be almost negligent by the club, if they'd allows it to be open ended, or even open to discussion after the season had wrapped up. The club themselves need time to find a suitable replacement. I'm a big IL supporter btw and I doubt he'd ever let that happen.

We're almost exactly one calendar month off the end of the season and with there being very little talk of any NRL interest, I can't see him joining an NRL side for free.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 8:10 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

It's probably logical to think that the date would "slide" with the season i.e if JH needed to inform the club 3 months from the end of the season, then that 3 month window would slide to fit in with the revised calendar.

It would be almost negligent by the club, if they'd allows it to be open ended, or even open to discussion after the season had wrapped up. The club themselves need time to find a suitable replacement. I'm a big IL supporter btw and I doubt he'd ever let that happen.

We're almost exactly one calendar month off the end of the season and with there being very little talk of any NRL interest, I can't see him joining an NRL side for free.

It could have all been sorted months ago and just not made public, or negotiations could be ongoing. I wouldn't be surprised if they were leaving an announcement until a replacement is sorted or the season is done.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 8:14 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

It could have all been sorted months ago and just not made public, or negotiations could be ongoing. I wouldn't be surprised if they were leaving an announcement until a replacement is sorted or the season is done.

If he'd signed for anyone else (especially the NRL) we'd have gotten wind of it imo.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 8:27 pm  

sergeant pepper wrote:

If he'd signed for anyone else (especially the NRL) we'd have gotten wind of it imo.

You could be right. I'm trying not to get my hopes up because of how many we have lost over the last few years.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Oct 28, 2020 8:33 pm  

Grimmy wrote:

You could be right. I'm trying not to get my hopes up because of how many we have lost over the last few years.

Agreed, but I'm still hoping this is one will go our way. There's plenty of positive signs to pin some hopes on (no matter how small).