I was reading that the top end Union players are now earning £1m a year from their club and international salaries combined plus sponsorship on top. We clearly can't compete.

Regardless Cas still need to be paid well for the guys services. They've clearly got the cash so why they would feel the need to use gutter tactics like this is a mystery!

On a side note with Solomona he said he would never turn out for the English Rugby League side because he's not English. I bet the lad changes his tune on playing for the Union side though ££££££££!

If we are still 'in partnership' (or whatever they called it) with Sale that needs to stop yesterday in light of this. It's one thing paying transfer fees to poach our players, at least that means money coming into the sport, but setting a precedent that they don't have to even pay is bloody dangerous! As an aside, I wonder whether we could have at least kept him in SL if the salary cap was higher, even if it still meant him leaving Cas.

I blame the agent.....

Re "gutter tactics" it's rumoured that Sale offered Cas £300k. If Cas (stupidly IMO) chose to turn this down then they are in a situation that is partly (admittedly a very small part) of their own making. Owners of RL clubs need to wise up fast, accept the fact that player migration is unstoppable at present and make the best of it. Cas could have done a lot with £300k. Finally, they could have done a Wigan in terms of keeping the door open should he fail at RU - not an entirely unreasonable scenario as we all know.

Is it unreasonable to expect a player to see out his contract now? How can they build a trophy winning side if every time they develop a star player, he leaves the following season, whether contracted or not? We regularly criticise the likes of Wakey for showing a lack of ambition and dragging standards down. Cas are showing ambition IMO by fighting to keep their best players rather than taking the easy money. It's different for the likes of us who are able to attract players by virtue of our big name and the likelihood our players will play in finals and win trophies. We also tend to have a Manfredi in reserve to replace a Burgess etc so it doesn't hit us that hard. Cas don't have that luxury.

Who owns the ground that they share with Salford?

I believe it is Peel Holdings Koucash wanted to buy the ground but they declined his offer.

Yes. A contract is nothing more than a gentlemans' agreement and isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Not much point fighting a fight you can't win Grimmy.

So Cas are partially to blame as they turned down an offer?? Are you for real? You are basically saying any offer should be accepted before this happens. Solomona is to blame for this, In no way is it Cas. Not even partially.

Where did I say "any offer should be accepted"? IMO £300k for Solomona - or any player who wants to leave any club - is a very good offer when you consider the consequences of rejecting that offer. You're now left with no player and no money so please tell me how Solomona is to blame for the fact that Cas are now, in effect, £300k poorer?
Don't get me wrong here. Solomona deserves all the criticism in the world for his actions if he has indeed walked out, but that's no defence for Cas acting like King Canute. Accept the situation as it exists between RL & RU and take the money or stand on you principles. Either choice is Cas's to make and they appear to have chosen the latter. Unless you're claiming Solomona made that decision too?

£300k for an import? Cas should have taken the money and ran. After the season he's just had it was quite clear that he was never going to stay with them for too long. Reminds me of when Tuigamala went back to Union from us, we were never going to have the funds to keep him. Imports don't bother me so much, more so when it's young lads through our development and have been lured away (Sam, Joe Burgess, Charnley, rumours on Williams.....etc).

This 300k you keep referring to is rubbish. Cas have net recieved an offer from Sale as yet. Please explain how Cas have acted wrong in anyway? Solomona turns up at Sale when he should be at Cas training.... Cas get Lawyers involved as player is under contract to Cas?? Cas have done the right thing instead of allowing him to leave.

I have to step in here. Are people really criticizing Castleford for rejecting advances on their star player. Saying they should have accepted the offer is ridiculous. Cas were good enough to offer the man a very healthy wage and now they are villified for upholding their end of the bargain. Cas have tried to build a team around players like Solomona and because they have done it under contract and were willing to let him leave next year for free shows their ambition. There are 3 parties at blame for this outrageous shame on our sport and none of them are Castleford's fault.

Thank you my good man/woman.

They may have had Solomona sulking and not worth putting in the 17 as a result, but it would send a strong message to the rest of the players that there's no point talking to RU/NRL clubs until their contract is coming to an end. Likewise, RU/NRL clubs may stay away from Cas players. Of course that needs to be weighed up against players potentially being less likely to sign long contracts for Cas in the first place if they know they can't use them as a stepping stone after a big year.

Solomona was signed from London Broncos by Cas who put their faith in him and offered him a good contract. He's just had an unbelievably good season and his market value has soared as a consequence. In sport sometimes you only get one chance. Who is to say that he won't get injured playing the first game of the season at Cas? Who is to say that he won't end next season out of the first 17 at Cas due to poor form.

This is his chance to make big money for himself and his family.

Have Cas been badly treated - yes. But I would give short odds on him coming back to them within a year, tail between his legs. Cas should take the money (if it has been offered) and spend it on a decent winger (McGilvary?). There are plenty around. The presence or absence of Denny Solomona won't make or break Cas's season. A winger is pretty peripheral to that outcome. His 40 tries are the result of good play by others, maybe he shouldn't forget that, maybe he will learn. But you can't blame him for wanting to cash in. It really is a short career.

Maybe - but there are ways of doing things. If he had returned to the club for pre-season but asked for a transfer (and Sale then made a formal substantial offer) surely that would have given him more chance of getting what he wanted? Better than doing a no-show and upsetting everyone at Cas and creating a confrontational situation which now looks like going through the courts and costing everyone a lot of time and money. Sadly it looks like a case where no one really wins.

Yes I agree he has gone about it all wrong. As I said in my post Cas have been treated badly.

The antics of Solomona, Sandow and now Segayaro rightly have their clubs frothing at the mouth.

For years we have wondered how Leeds have been able to keep their players happy whilst Wigan seem to let players go if they just ask nicely. The boot seems to be on the other foot just now. Leeds currently have no full back or hooker - just to add to last season's woes.

Looks as though the marquee signing thing is starting to bite clubs on the . Lets just scrap the salary cap

I think that only Wigan and Hull actually paid a Marquee player last season, and though neither turned out to be a success the other ten clubs weren't affected. So I don't understand your point. The presence of a Marquee Player rule gives clubs a way around the Salary Cap, which most clubs haven't been able to apply.

Because of the poor exchange rate on the pound and the poor quality of Super League, getting players to come and play here is proving hard. We only get players who are having disciplinary problems who can't get a gig in the NRL at the time. The fact that Koucash agitated for the Marquee rule then couldn't apply it proves that the Salary Cap isn't the issue really.

There are probably ways of getting Sam Tomkins salary under the cap were we to need the money to pay George Williams for example.

They have received an offer.

So now solomona has decided retire from rugby league. What a pr*ck!

I don't see anyone saying Cas have played a part in shaming the sport but please feel free to continue with the misrepresentation. Cas were placed in a situation they didn't deserve due to the atrocious actions of Solomona. Having then decided to go to court they have played a part in the situation as it now stands. You say accepting the offer (according to their Chief Executive 3 approaches have been rejected) is ridiculous. I say throwing money at lawyers to take Solomona to court is a poor use of whatever resources the club has. What do they expect to achieve, and at what price?

I actually applaud cas for having abit of a backbone over this. He was/is under contract so they were well within their rights to reject any offer for a player they didnt want to sell.
Weather this will make other players think again if they suddenly decide they want to walk out on agreed contract i dont know but like leeds and the hooker from penrith who's name i cant spell, least it shows some clubs wont just roll over and let a player take the out of them.