Not really d where he goes, worst kept secret that he is leaving the Wigan club. If its the NRL then good on him and if its the RFU then good on him.

Will be a loss to SL yes and will be a loss for England if he goes to Union but there'll be another.

Rumour is that Joel is coming back to League with Wigan. I can see it now, a season or two at the Goons, put himself back in the shop window and then hop on a flight down under for mega bucks now that their salary cap make RU look small time. Is it too obvious???? SBW was strung up for less.

I can't wait to see Minnichiello rip up SL.........

Auckland to have all the Tomkinses like SS collected the Burgesses?

As you know Minichello won't come to SL and won't rip it up.
I think there's a far better chance of Ryan Hampshire ripping it up given a couple of years.

There's an even better chance Hampshire will be in yawnion or the NRL.

It can't be long before Josh Charnley leaves for the NRL. Very, very short odds so I've been told.

or Wigan to have all three Tomkins next year?? Its what is being banded around at the moment.

But not to worry I'm sure wigan will put a clause (lol) in his contract that will give them first option for when he's over 30 and wants to come back. They may also use the announcement to share the positive news that they managed to sign Shane Williams as his replacement

I can see them offering stupid money for him to stay. I mean, they're screwed without him.

Just going back to the player drain to the NRL.
If, in a couple of years, the majority of the England team is made up of guys -laying in the NRL, do you think people would become more or less excited about an England fixture?
Would the fact that the majority of the stars are a little removed, so we don't see them every week and, to a degree, have the SL club ties erased mean we'd be more excited by the chance to see them play?

A good question , if that is the case I'd expect there to be more interest from fans in Aus and the risk would be for more internationals to be played over there. It could go either way interest wise , for me the big risk would be aus poaching our players to play for them like they do with NZ