Who is Smith's agent?
This is likely to be a shot across the bows in his contract negotiations.
Rumours are good fun though, they always stimulate debate on here at least.

I'm not sure but david howe's likes to entice players away from leeds!
I.e Calderwood,walker and scruton come to mind.

That's why I asked - hell hath no fury like an agent scorned.
We all know the history between GH and Mr Howes.
Incidentally, I didn't know that Congreve the author of the original quote was born in Bardsey. Isn't wikipaedia excellent?

shhhhhhh

If one club (Wasps) can win so many trophies year on year then the level of opposition must be really crap....or is Uncle Mo in charge there now.

Tried to watch one of those "fantastic" European Cup games once..Yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnn lasted about 5 minutes.

fair comment

Possibly so, although Ashton seems to be making a fist of it at Northampton & he was probably at a similar stage in his career. Then again, they weren't a top div side when he signed.

I bet wigan are glad they let Ashton go so they could sign Ritchie Mathers.
Their record of letting players go is absolutely outstanding.
Uncle Mo isn't on the board of any banks as well is he?

He may be an exception. However, I'm not sure he was at a similar stage in his career. Hadn't Ashton only had one and a bit seasons in Wigan's first team? Smith has been around a while now, has scored in and won 2 GFs, picked up a Harry Sunderland trophy and is a full international.

I would think the time in the lower league was certainly a bonus for Ashton. Gave him time to learn in a less pressurised environment.

Actually, Noble brought Withers to Wigan (which was surely instrumental in Ashton's decision to go).

It was when Withers finally gave in to being a crock that they signed Mathers.

That was more to do with Noble predilection for veteran players than promising juniors than Uncle Mo.

So, you're saying Uncle Mo likes promising youngsters?

i'm sure the massive pay rise northampton gave him didn't do any harm either

I uinderstood that Ashton wanted an increased contract, hence Wigan showing him the door. Bit like us & Calderwood I guess.
However, my general premise still stands i.e. that for a long time under Lindsay Wigan have preferred to try to buy instant success by bringing in expensive overseas or second-rate journeymen imports at the expense of encouraging their own academy products. The names are too many to mention.
cf Robinson and Brown with Burrow and McGuire. Who knows how the former pair could have developed given time & I'm not saying that those 2 are as good as Burrow & McGuire but I'm sure you get my drift.
Look at the success of us & the Saints both of whom have a policy of developing and managing the introduction of their younger players.
Wigan's academey squad has been generally strong throughout the Superleague era but they haven't made it to the 1st team squad and stayed there.
I hope they do for the sake of the competition and for British RL because the Wigan area is still a hotbed of Rugby league.

The salary cap in RU might be a lot higher than RL, but squad sizes are also bigger - usually in excess of 40.

The top paid player in English rugby is thought to be Carl Hayman the All Black prop at Newcastle at £350k per year. Hardly average Premiership wages. Young internationals like Cipriani and Haskell are currently on £70k but are looking to double that in new contracts.

Of course pay in France, where there is no salary cap is a lot higher, hence Dan Carter could have earnt £650k for seven months if he hadn't got injured.