,
I'm afraid that point hasn't sunk in for some. OK we'll save his wage bill, whatever that is, but it's for a world class player who you simply will not replace for less money.
If he's willing I say keep him!

Yep I didn’t say I didn’t know him I said I’m not him there is a staggering difference there. Seriously?

At the moment Wakefield do not need world class wingers.

There are far bigger issues with the squad.

If Tom goes we still have 4 SL standard wingers at the club next year in Murphy, Lineham, Kay and Kershaw.

The money that we could save could (and should in my opinion) be used to strengthen elsewhere.

You can have teams competing at the top end of the table without having top class wingers. You can’t compete without a decent forward pack.

It’s a decision which is tough to make and the emotion could distract people from the bigger issue.

If we could get Tom on reduced terms reflecting the issues he has had during this contract then fantastic, sign him up, if not it’s all the best and good luck in my opinion.

All the above however depends on who else we can bring in, in the pack particularly. If there is no quality we can attract we may as well throw the kitchen sink at Tom and enjoy him
In 2023 as he will be leaving in 2024 as we will be relegated without significant investment in the pack.

You're making a huge assumption here.

You're assuming that plans are not already in place to strengthen the squad AND keep TJ.

This is clearly a transitional year.

By next season more funds will hopefully be online whilst other players will be OOC, most notably Bill and Fifita who are both huge earners. Freeing up Bill alone will give us a quality overseas place free.

There are many players who I'd let go before TJ.

I think Tom has proved that a world class winger isn't just a finisher. Everyone needs good wingers.
It is proved by the amount of grief Senior got when he couldn't get us off our line. In the clear he is faster than all but the daftest in super league. But that's not his only job.
And two of the 4 wingers you name have long term injuries, and the other is needed as hooker. So we have all the pressure on a kid in his debut season.
Let's keep Tom and Murphy as our strike weapons and work out a different way to get another prop.

The issues lay in my opinion run much deeper than just the props.

We need 2/3 props a 9 and 2 second row forwards.

It’s a bit ironic talking about long term injuries to wingers on a thread about TJ.

If there is the need to bring in another winger (I don’t think there is) then we can go to the market.

It all depends on what TJ’s salary expectations are though ultimately. We don’t know what he is on or what he is expecting and if we can make the signings we clearly need and retain him fantastic. If it’s a case of him or any of the above then in my opinion we sacrifice him.

I certainly would not upgrade his contact on what he is currently on.

I don’t like the tag “world class” because I don’t think he or any other players in SL at the moment are worthy of that tag.

He is a very good SL player and would we be weaker on the edges if he were to go? Yes.

IF that cap space can be used to improve out pack though it’s a no brainier in my opinion.

We also need to consider it isn’t just TJ that is out of contract so some big decisions to be made by the club as well as TJ himself on his and others futures.

I genuinely think we can survive this year by not being the worst team in the comp. Unless we improve in the areas above I don’t think we will be able to rely on others being worse than us in 2023, even with TJ in a Trinity shirt.

I can think of many players over the years who have awful bad luck with injuries like Tom but in the mid and later stages of there careers being pretty injury free

If that happened with Tom it would be immense for him and us
I don’t know Tom but he strikes me as a guy who really wears the shirt with real pride, I think it would take a lot to get him to leave

V much hope we can keep him, on his day and with the right ball he can beat teams on his own

I do think our main issue is purely lack of prop go forward and offload from our props and to a lesser degree movement from hooker

I think our backs are as good as we’ve ever had in sl but just get very little room to work

I'm sure you know what you mean, but for the benefit of those that aren't so sure, could you explain in simple terms.

Absolutely agree.
If we have to sell or, cant afford to keep our better players, we really are screwed, not least because of the message it sends to other SL clubs.
Every time we get a half decent player, other clubs (usually Leeds) would be sniffing round at the first opportunity..

TJ and Fifita are rare commodities in SL, they are box office and that is something we desperately need plus if they stay it may encourage others to join the squad (money permitting).

Non of us know what Tom is on although given when he was in demand and playing well when he signed his last deal it is likely he is one of our higher earners.

We don’t know his salary expectations moving forward for his next contract.

Personally we’re he to re sign with Trinity I would hope it would be on reduced terms given the injury issues he has had during his current contract and our financial challenges.

If we could get him on a reduced contract definitely sign him back up. If he is expecting an upgrade then personally I wouldn’t sign him back up.

Why would he accept reduced terms because he was injured in the past. That's a ridiculous suggestion.

Ridiculous? Really? Plenty do and have done over the years.

It all depends on the market though and his own feelings towards the club and wider ambitions.

It’s supply and demand. If he is in demand and his market value is pushed up and he chooses to go for the money fair play.

We don’t know the facts in relation to his salary so it’s pure speculation but you have to take into account his injury record, his ongoing issues and off set that against performance when making the decision.

Jonny Lomax took reduced terms at Saints after a couple of years of bad injuries a few years ago. Bevan French took reduced terms for 22 as he felt he owed it to the club after they supported him through his injury and issues in 21.

There is risk in every signing and contract renewal. To increase TJ’s wage is a higher risk than others given his history. If we had money to spend up to cap then of course we renew him. Another year on reduced terms with a view to extending on better terms in 24 would be an ideal solution.

In the situation we are in we can’t tie up significant cap space for it to be sat in the stands.

Even if the outcome turned out to be signing a cheaper, less good winger? Or are you presuming any saving would be invested elsewhere?

I got the exact same message and also still have it

Quite literally hillarious considering how vile a human being he is

Vastman at his most desperate and that is really saying something

If TJ was to go I don’t believe a replacement winger would be a priority given the lads we currently have at the club.

If we had money left over once we prioritised the pack and secured the signings we needed then we could look at outside backs.

With the emergence of Murphy I’d be comfortable with him and Lineham as our starting wingers in 2023 as Lind as we made the necessary improvements in the pack.

According to reports circulating in the media he is close to signing with Catalans.

I wonder if we are trying to negotiate a swap? We will loose him for nowt at end of season. Did I read Gil Dudson was out of contract?

I don’t think it works like that. If we were to swap it could only be for this season while he’s under contract. Unless we sign him to another deal he is going for nothing.

TJ and Dudson are still free to sign for anybody they choose. We would be absolutely bonkers if we short term swapped one of our match winners for Dudson with the precarious position in the league we are in.

This is how wild rumours start. As it stands anyone can talk to TJ so it’s no surprise there’s interest.

Should tom go will people wish luck or be a littke narked, im on the fence think the money we pay tom could be better spent and we have young lewis coming through, but there part if me that annoyed we have payed him for so long while he been injured for him to simply leave with out us getting anything would pee me off.i know he is out of contract and its how it works but ufff

He's more than paid his due when he has played and won many games on his own. Injuries are part and parcel of the game, sometimes your lucky, other times your not. Ultimately he owes the club nothing.

He came for free, he leaves for free, he got serious injuries playing for the club, the club payed him for his services which he provided very well, he's not gone yet but if he goes he's more than payed his way with his performances and his loyalty, good luck to him whatever he chooses.

Apparently Catalan have made an approach for Tom good luck to what ever decision he agrees

But is the alleged approach to his agent or the club?