No, its not, sadly.

If you have a wealthy owner, there are plenty of ways that you can drive a coach and horses through the salary cap. Plenty. I bloody well could. Some of them are even legal and within the rules - image rights paid by an "unconnected" third party, or the guy's spouse/partner being employed by a mate of the owner, to name but two.

Not a pop at Wigan btw - not at all. Never had any problems at all with Wigan fans (bar the odd latecomer glory supporter, like we've all had)) - they were always fine and totally reasonable even in that period when Wigan were pants by their own standards. And hell, I even used to be a mod on a Wigan unofficial forum once, and it was as sensible RL discussion as you could find on the whole internet. Its a pop at the system. Look at the squads; look at where the money is; and go figure?

And yes, this IS sour grapes by a fan of a club that does not have a wealthy owner and whose club is therefore permanently handicapped relative to those clubs that do. The very sourest. Excruciatingly sour. And if the fans of clubs like Cas and Wakey say tough tìttie, welcome to the real world, their argument is totally irrefutable, because they are right.

Because weve got the RFL and the UK border agency in our back pocket. Did you not know?

Your now also saying this player hasnt played any NRL games that you know of yet earlier in the thread you quite clearly labelled him as an NRL centre? Make your mind up Or did you just call him an NRL centre to strengthen your earlier argument?

Saddened does make a valid point though.... which seems to be being ignored.

How does he qualify for a work permit?

And you and Saddened are both missing a valid point, he hasn't signed yet. He might not get a work permit.

On another note though, he's from the Cook Islands, doesn't that make Visa's easier?

oh fair enough....I thought he had signed.

So anybody who has been in Wigans system at a level below the first team playing centre is a super league centre?

Dont be such a fool and stop making up crap to support your arguments.

I think the point being made is; Why did Wigan have to go the RFL for a special dispensation to increase the SC to keep a player, when, by signing more players (and being in discussion with at least one other) AFTER that dispensation was granted, this proves they clearly already had cap space left so therefore did not actually need the dispensation in the first place?

Probably because they'd just lost a player to Union, it was an issue that needed dealing with anyway, and it's not special dispensation at all, it's applied to all clubs who have players that represent England at international level.

I agree that Tomkins needed to kept in the sport but, Wigan's recruitment post this special dispensation suggests they didn't need it anyway.

Surely if we got the rules changed for all the clubs, without needing it ourselves, that's got to be a good thing?

It is a special dispensation as Wigan had it shoehorned through to suit them at a time they wanted it. They wanted it, not to keep Tomkins, but to sign the 5 players they've subsequently signed. It's also a bit of a concern than none of Wigan's signings for next season are eligible for England.

We lost something like 6 players end of last season. Using that money on the cap for Sam Tomkins new deal means we would be 6 players down. We could of just said bye Sam go to union and then England would be a lot worse off.

The extra money that has been dispensated will all be going to Tomkins and the rest of the signings will fit under the cap as normal.

Im sure Lauaki can switch to England if he wants.

Wigan just re-signed Josh Charnley on an improved contract.
Which country does he play for if its not England?