Couldn't see anyone of any quality wanting to come to SL. For me if he goes might as well be for a large wedge of cash and give the shirt to the next man. He won't be the first or last to be tempted, can see alot of our you g talent going to Aus

As in life there is always a deal of some sort or another,

Just to add these aussie teams also have their own Acadamys and they aren't too shabby either so i don't expect them to be here year after year throwing big $$$$$$ at all the english prospects.

Sorry should have said I doubt there would be an part ex player of quality offered

I think they certainly will be here year after year taking the cream of the crop, or at least trying to

If this is true that it would be more difficult for Watkins to turn down any offer than to accept it.

Assuming that GH is prepared to let one of the brightest and exciting players we've seen for some time go (Tomkins excluded) why would he not want to leave?

Better pay, better playing conditions, better weather, stiffer competition - he's young with no commitments, why the Hell would he want to stay?

I'm with G1 and tvoc with this. There's no much we can do to stop our young talent getting poached by the NRL so bite the bullet, wish them all the best and hope that the next in line can prove to be as good as their predecessor.

He'll still leave a very big hole to fill though.

on the thought of club mergers, the question really has to be asked: where the hell do you think Fev & Cas are going to get crowds from? They're not easy to get to, both holes with crap grounds and very few fans. Wakey are the nearest team that could become big, and doing so would be at the expense of Cas, not as well as them.

A merger would have to be done in as sensitive a way as possible. White, Red & Blue for a home kit, Orange & Black away kit, keep all thee parts of the name in as 'Wakefield-Castleford Rovers'. Keep Featherstone going as an effective development side, sell off both Belle Vue and Wheldon Road and build a ground worthy of a Super League side.

Shockingly, you also get a side that would be more succesful in the league than either of the present two (see putative backline of Rangi Chase, Tim Smith, Ben Cockayne, Jake Webster, Michael Shenton, Lee Smith & Richie Mathers) and that would be more able to attract sponsorship & marketing as it covers the entirety of the Wakefield district.

having a 3 week old baby is a bit of commitment and may be enough 4 him to turn down a move to the nrl lets hope

If only there was a memorable name that could be used for a Wakefield-area club made up of three different parts...

Let's hope so but in all honesty, if it were me, I'd be there in a heartbeat with the missus and young-un in tow.

Wakeford Wildrovers?

Why does having a three week old baby make it easier for him to stay in Leeds?

Surely it would be the perfect time to go, before the nipper starts school?

Featherfield Wildtigers.

I don't agree with talk of mergers or see the need to even attempt to create any.

The RFL should instead introduce three year licenses and only award them to clubs who meet a clearly defined set of criteria.

No, mergers would be the action of a progressively thinking organisation and one that would like to create a competitive future competition.

Sticking as is, would be signing a death warrant with the likelyhood that some of the teams would go to the wall anyway.

Mergers should have been enforced years ago, and a competition that becomes more competitive with a larger player pool in relation to the number of teams looking to utilize them.

Wakefield-Cas, was always a no brainer, Huddersfield-Halifax should also follow the same pather, Workington-Whitehaven, Doncaster-Sheffield, Wigan-Saints .