you would have to wait until 2013 to pay them off unless you have cap space left for 2012......payments made in 2012 would count as they have played in 2012

There are no guarantees - but you can certainly play the probabilities game knowing you stand a very good chance of making the right investment. I mean, sure - one chance out of ten Shenton might prove more effective than Jamie Lyon (who gets squashed flat by a falling piano whilst out for a run) for the same money. But that's a risk I'm sure most people would be willing to take.

Yup, it would have to be at the end of the season.

Of course Shenton will be on £120k (at least). Saints were in competition with a number of clubs for his signature - when players are in that position they tend to negotiate contracts that contain a premium, if you pay transfer fees you can avoid this.


I would be interested to hear which players you consider to be higher earners at Saints than Shenton and how that all balances out for a 25 man squad equalling the salary cap.

Agree completely Mugwump - probabilty has to play a part or else nobody would sign anyone. Trouble is though that I think 'probability' is estimated on the basis of who the Chairman likes rather than a Chi-Square test. I am just not sure Shenton's pre-Saints potential actually warranted the 'guarantee' that his alleged salary would indicate he had.

On a broader note, if my reading of the situation and any of these Turner/Manu/Shenton/Hohaia/Perry/Laffranchi rumours are true then I applaud the shift in attitude towards players deemed not to be the right fit and hope it doesn't stop there as per some of the comments made in your other post. I also hope and trust that Nathan Brown is at the heart of it - it may take him 2 or 3 years but I read it that he's a coach that gets what he wants.

Hope the tea leaves are right.

i think a wire fan mentioning the salary cap a bit rich

Shenton is halfway through a three-year contract at St Helens but is thought to have been given permission to talk to other clubs and Hull and Hull KR could both rival the Tigers for his signature. "We're in the market for any good centres and obviously he comes into that category but we're not advanced in any talks with Michael," said Millward. "Our priority is to sign two centres and we're very active in the market place." www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... w-recruits

Shenton is halfway through a three-year contract at St Helens but is thought to have been given permission to talk to other clubs and Hull and Hull KR could both rival the Tigers for his signature. "We're in the market for any good centres and obviously he comes into that category but we're not advanced in any talks with Michael," said Millward. "Our priority is to sign two centres and we're very active in the market place." www1.skysports.com/rugby-league/ ... w-recruits

I'd imagine our highest earners are probably some of our poorest performers, but I have no sneaky talks in the pub to back this up.

ie Perry, Lance, Shenton, LMS, (Roby, TP, Sia)

Getting the first 3 off the cap at the end of the year would do us a world of good certainly provided we can get another prop and centre from somewhere who can do a job and be a bit more VFM. I would imagine that LMS is on less than any of those other names (and LeFrank) and has looked really good in flashes - he might come good yet.

The ones in brackets are because I don't rate them as under performing. LMS I'm still not certain on, sometimes is barn storming other times is annonymous, so I'm fair to middling on LMS

Maybe that is what is meant by McManus telling Brown he will open his chequebook. He will pay off the contracts of all the duff signings we've made over the last few seasons.

I don't think we'll shift anyone out who is on contract unless they get a deal lined up somewhere else.

Agree with most of what you are saying, but he hasn't looked good in attack - probably because as you say, we won't pass to the right. Our HBs' arms don't seem capable of being able to pass in any other direction than left. It was especially obvious last week - even JD mentioned it.

Not convinced Turner would offer anything better and he won't be able to prove whether he is any good or not because we won't pass that way so he will see no ball.

Get Turner playing at left centre and he will make a real difference. When he's played there for us he's scored some great tries and Tom Briscoe has had some good service, which he doesn't always get from Yeaman.