The point is he didn't need hindsight. He and others called it right 3 years ago while the board and their apostles on here called it catastrophically wrong. To use your analogy Ferdinand Magellan didn't judge the earth to be round solely upon his return by some fortune. He made the call and is in the history books because he was correct.

Then of course you had your image rights....

Shad was part-time at Halifax. Think his age put SL clubs off signing him earlier as he was 24 when Fax got him from Donny. he looked good in a poor Donny side but only started to really started to stand out when he joined Fax and was a stand out performer in a top championship side.

I think the advantage he's got over Briggs is the fact he featured briefly for Cronulla before coming to England so already has experience of the full time set up and the standards required making it easier for him to adjust than it is for Briggs.

I guess that must have been the same for me. It didn't apply at my level, of course, though I did know a bloke who got a contract.............

No idea - I guess earnings will depend on wins and appearances - but in Superleague playing and training is your main source of income. Briggs was a plasterer as well as earning money from playing.

The Salary cap has been reduced in the Championships over the last couple of years so there won't be the same sort of money available.