Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:25 am  

HairyDrewPeecock wrote: Wire, Brett hodgson is retiring or considering joining another club probably Salford http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... _the_move/ Paving the way for Sam Topmkins to join his boyhood club

HairyDrewPeecock wrote: Wire, Brett hodgson is retiring or considering joining another club probably Salford http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/spo ... _the_move/ Paving the way for Sam Topmkins to join his boyhood club

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:07 am  

[Gareth] wrote:

Paving the way for Sam Topmkins to join his boyhood club

Hope that is just a joke on your part Gareth!

[DaveO]

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:32 am  

Finfin wrote:

I don't like the look of this:
"The 31-year-old's future in rugby league had been in doubt, with persistent knee problems plaguing his 13th season with the Cowboys.
However the elusive fullback - who is off contract at the end of the year - is yet to decide what he will do in 2014, with a move to England's Super League giants Wigan still being negotiated."

The only reason he would be leaving the Cowboys is if their medics decided he was too much of a risk. It appears that is the conclusion they have come to. One club man, club legend and all parties wanted him to stay IF he was deemed up to it.

If our medics disagree his career is over that is a very big call.

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:35 am  

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote: He is retiring from the NRL http://www.cowboys.com.au/news-display/ ... owen/83268 Which club could it be? London? Salford? Toulouse? Or Wigan? 'Retiring from the NRL' is misleading. He wasn't offered a new deal. That isn't the same as retiring.

JEAN CAPDOUZE wrote: He is retiring from the NRL http://www.cowboys.com.au/news-display/ ... owen/83268 Which club could it be? London? Salford? Toulouse? Or Wigan? 'Retiring from the NRL' is misleading. He wasn't offered a new deal. That isn't the same as retiring.

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:36 am  

DaveO wrote:

The only reason he would be leaving the Cowboys is if their medics decided he was too much of a risk. It appears that is the conclusion they have come to. One club man, club legend and all parties wanted him to stay IF he was deemed up to it.

If our medics disagree his career is over that is a very big call.

It could work if Wigan used him sparingly for a year or two to help develop Tierney or Hampshire. Bowen is still a very good player despite his injury problems.

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:50 am  

DaveO wrote:

The only reason he would be leaving the Cowboys is if their medics decided he was too much of a risk. It appears that is the conclusion they have come to. One club man, club legend and all parties wanted him to stay IF he was deemed up to it.

If our medics disagree his career is over that is a very big call.

They're faced with a different choice to us though. For them it's keep Bowen or sign another top NRL full back, for us it's sign Bowen, sign a bog standard SL full back (can't see Lomax, Hardaker or Ratchford going anywhere) or give Hampshire/Tierney the #1 shirt. So it's riskier for them to retain him than it is for us to sign him basically, because they have better options and we don't.

Having said that I'd hope our medics are confident he has a reasonable chance of his knees holding out for 15-20 games a season and the coaches would use him sparingly, giving Tierney a run against the weaker sides (I'd use Hampshire off the bench at 6)

[DaveO]

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 9:57 am  

Grimmy wrote:

They're faced with a different choice to us though. For them it's keep Bowen or sign another top NRL full back, for us it's sign Bowen, sign a bog standard SL full back (can't see Lomax, Hardaker or Ratchford going anywhere) or give Hampshire/Tierney the #1 shirt. So it's riskier for them to retain him than it is for us to sign him basically, because they have better options and we don't.

It is not quite as you imply. They wanted to keep Bowen but decided they couldn't risk it. They were under no pressure to do otherwise.

You are also missing the obvious option for us. Not sell "guaranteed to be here for three seasons" Sam.

Having said that I'd hope our medics are confident he has a reasonable chance of his knees holding out for 15-20 games a season and the coaches would use him sparingly, giving Tierney a run against the weaker sides (I'd use Hampshire off the bench at 6)

He'd be first choice full back and to sign a player as 1st choice you have to treat like bone China is a sad thing for Wigan to be doing. It is of our own stupid making if we have to do so though.

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:21 am  

DaveO wrote:

It is not quite as you imply. They wanted to keep Bowen but decided they couldn't risk it. They were under no pressure to do otherwise.

You are also missing the obvious option for us. Not sell "guaranteed to be here for three seasons" Sam.

He'd be first choice full back and to sign a player as 1st choice you have to treat like bone China is a sad thing for Wigan to be doing. It is of our own stupid making if we have to do so though.

So what would you do? Bearing in mind Sam would likely play half heartedly next season then leave soon after anyway if we forced him to stay against his will.

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 10:58 am  

Grimmy wrote:

So what would you do? Bearing in mind Sam would likely play half heartedly next season then leave soon after anyway if we forced him to stay against his will.

Grimmy: dont waste your time, you wont 'win'

Re: Matt Bowen retiring from NRL, negotiating with Wigan? : Fri Aug 30, 2013 11:09 am  

I'm not sure why people would think that Sam would play 'half hearted' - he seems a driven, intelligent, articulate young man. He was happy to sign a contract at the time for five years making him the highest paid player in the league - deservedly so. If there was a 'don't talk to any other club clause' (which would be nigh on impossible to enforce) it would no doubt have cost the club extra to insert. He may well be miffed but I think his will to win and desire to have more experiences like that at the weekend would soon over ride any lingering resentment.