Or recruit astutely

Well you've certainly bit here, twice in fact

I know I'm looking through black and amber specs but I'd put Jake Trueman right up there as well and I've seen a lot of him this season. He's the main reason we're in 3rd despite being without Gale for most of the season. Future international and it will be a struggle to keep him unless we can consistently win silverware. Should be an interesting match up on Friday and I'm looking forward to it.

I think the club looking for a new 7 is the way - is that all we need to take the extra step?

but who is available - good and in our price range????????

is Hampshire the best and we just re sign him

If it's any consolation I think Ryan is a tremendous prospect who for whatever reason hasn't progressed as quick as some. That said Belly's description of him is way OTT as are most of his comments, he's a wind up merchant on here to a degree, I know this because when I chat to him in person his views are far more reasoned.

I totally understand the issues from both sides. However MC has a responsibility to 28 players not just one and considering how many of our best players have been secured recently it's not hard to see why there is no money.

He's probably been offered less than he's worth because of this and I have no doubt that some players at the club who aren't as good are on better deals, but that's how it goes. We are a team not a collection of stars and to do what 'Get them onside' suggests and get rid of said players would simply destroy that ethos overnight and MC and CC know that. It's bad luck for Ryan but he chose Wigan and as such we owe him no special loyalty in a way we do owe Crowther or Jowitt. How would they and all the other young Academy players feel if that happened? Also not forgetting that these are people with families and rights which GTO seems to forget. Ruin all that on still speculative theory that this lad is the second comimg.

I suspect you agree with most of what I say.

There is as we all know only one other answer and that's for people like Belly or more to the point the sort of people he knows to cough up. If say another 10k could do the deal then if 10 people for example contributed 1k a year for say three years to his wage then hey job done. 1k a year is a lot to you and me but for some it's just one less option on their new BMW and I reckon we have 10 people in Wakefield who could do that easily if they were persuaded well enough.

I know it's messy and not ideal but clearly MC won't put in any more and why should he, nor can the club aford it. Sometimes supporters have to be just that and support the club, rather than just being fans. If I could afford to give the club 1k a year I would but I can't. I just hope that somewhere out there, there may be people who will as I'd love Ryan to stay at the club and actually get on with his career and stop chasing the money so to speak.

I thought about this in a similar way to the old extra £1 for Nigel Wright type thing. Problem is, it might get the extra finance but it still upsets the team ideals of MC and CC as it gives more to RH than the "club" can afford.

Plus: If I have a spare £1k or £2k it may be more useful and worthwhile to go towards any future fight against Box and crew.

Its all speculation so far but just for the fun of it, here is a thought.

There is a popular view that we want Ryan but are unwilling to reach his financial demands. We also think we just need to go a little bit higher to close the deal.


Well lets say we are 10K per year short and Hampshire is turning us down for that, then if so the kid must be crazy.


By the time you take tax, NI, agents % out of the 10 K it is considerably less. Then you have to consider where he will play, and west yorks is not an option so he has travelling time and expense to consider. Then will his new contract give him a first choice pick at No 7 ?


So if he is sticking out for a few quid more it seems unlikely and I would suggest the amount extra he wants is quite considerable.


ALL SPECULATION OF COURSE!!!

Sounds from reading the full story there's some wiggle room, would just be nice to have the 7 sorted heading in to the close season so everyone can go on holiday happy. I'm a realist unfortunately the good folk of Wakefield don't seem to want to turn up in the 5k plus MC needs to move us on at the moment so we're in the boat we are in. Frustrating as it is.

TBF I just used 10k as an example and I too suspect the difference is a bit more or as you say he'd crackers which I don't think he is.

However the point is that whatever the difference it will have to come from somewhere else if we are to keep him. Go on Prince cough up

Right while we're playing silly beggars and speculating here's my two pennorth. Apparently at Leigh Ryan was on a very good contract, rumoured to be around £100K, he went public and suggested he'd come to Trinity for a third of what he was on at Leigh, so could quite possibly be on £30K at this moment, not a great amount for what is a short career. I've absolutely no idea what we pay as a club but would suggest he's worth a fair bit more than £30K.

It's not his worth that the issue in my eyes, that's between him and the club. The issue is whether the club can bridge the gap between what he might accept and where we are now.

The more I think about this the more I think that both the club and the player are victims of circumstance and if Rocky is to stay he looks like being the one who will have to give the most. This is unfortunate for him but as we all know he's a free agent so if he can get more elsewhere I wish him all the best and I'll have to live with the disapointment.

In the words of the Stones 'you can't always get what you but sometimes you just might find you get what you need' and that applies to all parties. Or to be less cryptic, you can't win them all.

If only a club was showing some interest in another one of your players!


Are wakey well stocked in any positions less important than halfback? Say centre for example

I suppose Arundel started out there so why not.

Oh, and if said club are showing interest then they at least will have to make contact with the players current employer, which they don't seem to have done.

And if they've contacted the player before his employer they are breaking RFL rules. I'm sure those nice people over the common wouldn't do that.

As a guess from when we signed him & not really knowing he'd take over at halfback, his value to the club will be more and the offer this time around I imagine will be better. But it sounds as though it's not what he or his agent thinks he's worth.

As others have said he's a bit unlucky that he's come at a time that we've got a few good players on our books that have had recent extensions. ATEOTD we just don't know what amount would keep him here, it may be that if we had some spare money that the Club may think he's asking too much or conversely another £10 grand or so they'd be prepared to pay if we had it.
We could go round in circles on this one.

I wonder if/when he tests the market and maybe doesn't get a better all around offer, what happens? He excepts ours and we move on to next year?

I rate Hampshire but there are also a few other good halves looking for clubs. One being Drinkwater and if I had the choice in my opinion Drinkwater would be a better fit into our team. Only my opinion of course.

It's quite an interesting situation with rocky and i feel he is starting to come across a bit of a mercenary

I can't help but feel him dragging this out will not endear him to the fans or the players either

I appreciate he's wants paying what he wants paying but it seems to me the answer is simple. As yet he has proved only that he is worth a shot as our starting SH and nothing else

If he believed in him self so much, sign the contract
BUT for a year and put prove you are worth what you think you are worth

As things stand at the minute he's looked good in a handful of matches and 'could' do a good job for us at SH next season
The rest of what we know about him is that he's being an ok utility player at Leigh / Wigan

quota full.

This is my opinion also
Drinkwater is exactly what we need but unless some one comes of quota I can't see it

Rumours are drinkwater is going to leeds
Leeds have already signed lolohea

Could myler be on his way out at leeds? The fans not happy with him

I think we benefit massively from the pace Hampshire and Miller have at half. It just puts that extra doubt in defence which opens up opportunities. I haven't seem much of Drinkwater but he has never struck me as a speedster.

I think it's generally accepted on here we need some one to run the plays and to bring a strong kicking game

Both those two factors are more important than speed to this team (IMO)
We have class stand off with pace to burn in Jacob miller already

Indeed but I think Hampshire has those two traits but with the benefit of having pace in his locker. Could Drinkwater have scored the try Hampshire did last Friday (granted he may have nailed the 4 conversions that were missed but Hampshire has been good with the boot before then)?

Better still we have pace right across the backline that a smart H/B could really get moving.

Truth is we could do with both Drinkwater and Hampshire but I can't see that being on.

Last year we ended up in roughly the same position as this year with the slowest HB in SL history so I'm not convinced on that argument to be honest.

If I had to guess I think he'll sign on for next year, hard to imagine there is another SL club that can offer him a starting spot at halfback next year and I imagine he and his agent knows that. I hope they are just holding out for Trinity's best offer which you can't really blame them for.

I think most people would be happy with Rocky as starting 7 next year and I hope the offer we have made reflects that. Factoring in that he is not at his peak (yet) and there is room for improvement and also that as a club we don't pay the full cap.