On the original point, I am very happy to see Ratchford in the squad, and it will be interesting to see if he gets a runout in the Wales game, and see him in a team that is on the front foot, no disrespect to Salford, but a lot of the time he is playing in a losing team. Like Myler, I haven;t seen enough of him, and this could be the making of him.

As for your comments about Myler, the club did make a big effort,as we keep getting told, they offered him the highest ever contract for a Salford player. That looks like a pretty big effort to me.

Warrington P27 W12 D0 [uL15[/u 649 705 -56 24

probably feel like home from home then

Token effort mate.
They knew he was going, offered him a contract which they knew he would turn down and then raked in the money.
You have one greedy selfish basrstool on your books now.
Wonder how the older experienced players will react to a 19yr old being on more money than them ?
Anyway good luck to Richie as I have said in the past.
I still think we have the better player

From the 2 games I saw Wigan play you in this year, I felt Ratchford was the better player. Good to see him called up to the squad, and hopefully you can build a team around him over the next few years.

Really pleased for Stefan and also Alan Hunte our academy coach! It's encouraging to see a player come through our academy and make the England squad, the news must have given all our other academy lads some hope for the future.

As for Ratchford being a better player than Myler? They are two completely different kinds of half backs. Ratchford is a more creative player with better hands, better kicking game and stronger defensively. Myler is very quick, backs up the play very well, right place right time and capable of scoring plenty tries.

Basically Ratchford is a similar kind of halfback to Lee Briers and Myler is like a Danny McGuire!

The future, first off, WELL DONE Stef for getting this far from our poor club, but now the problem, what if he gets to be waterboy for all matches, and Noble/Coley style, Smith says to him, "if only another club rather than Salford things might have been different." But again Smith is a Noble man so I doubt he would use such tactics.

Fair enough but if we both now the final squad will consist of mostly the players from the big 4 and warrington which puts the wrong message across to other players that without playing for the big four club or warrington who's coach is the england coach who has bags of cash you wont get a look in.

i suspect Rachford will be a waterboy and will get his ear chewed by mr smith about his future.

Unfortunately if Tony Smith wanted to do this then there isn't a great deal anyone could do to stop this happening. Tony Smith abviously rates Ratchford and thinks he's got potential by selecting him for the England squad. Personally I think IF Smith wanted Ratchford I would think it unlikely that he would want him until this time next year at the earliest due to Warrington's other contract commitments. But for all we know Smith may rate Ratchford but have no plans to sign him. For instance Smith may prefer a more experienced halfback to partner Myler in the future?

The predicament for Salford with Ratchford's England selection is IF he was 'sounded out' then he could become unsettled for next year and not have his heart in it anymore just like Myler. I just don't think it's right that Tony Smith should be allowed to work for another Superleague club when he's the National team boss. The dual role is just wide open to speculation of using his England position for self-interest at club level.

Ratchford's contract with Salford runs for another two years so I think it's up to Salford to offer an improved contract extension. Hopefully Ratchford would sign it but if he rejected it then unfortunatly I think the club would have no option but to transfer list the player and cash in rather than allowing him to leave on virtually a free in 2 years like Jordan Turner.

Isn't that a bit like blackmail? Stefan has only just signed the extension to comit him to 3 years at the club - how many players at any clubs have contracts much longer than that?

I totally agree with the points about the Britain Manager should not also be managing an SL club - the conflict of interest is there for all to see, but then it's run by the RFL - what do you expect, we have the greatest sport in the world run by the most cack handed administration

I was under the impression Stefan's contract was for another 2 years. Are you absolutely sure he is contracted for another 3 years?

I understand what your getting at but assuming a player won't commit his future to a club and wants to play elsewhere then is that club not entitled to get as much for the player as they can? (Especially a player that they have developed through their own academy)

And surely any club would be acting irresponsibly by letting a talented young International player leave for just a small compensation fee rather than a larger transfer fee?

Im sure its 3 too.

Perhaps smith will bide his time and snatch him in a year or two

Yes - I mean't he signed last year to extend to 3, which does mean that he has two left.

But to threaten a player that "if you don't sign an extension you're on the transfer list" is what I was saying is wrong - ultimately the relationship has to be one where both sides trust each other and feel that they have a common future together - It when the agents of this world get involved who see a way of generating cash that it all goes tits up

which means if we dont get our fanchise he'll walk, which is fine because he'll be too good to play 2nd divison rugby and he'll have given us good service and we wont be able to match his ambition.
But When we do get it, our stadium will be up and built and he could be a legend in the waiting.

I'm not saying threaten a player with an ultimatum but if a player won't sign and see's his future elsewhere then a club has a duty to it's shareholders to consider it's best options.

It's not a disgrace or a punishment for a player to be transfer listed. All it's saying to other clubs is this player is still in contract to us and available to buy. It's completly hypothetical but I doubt any transfer listed players are made common knowledge to the fans these days. And by being transfer listed it wouldn't prevent a player from playing because surely the selling club would want the player in the shop window.

To be honest, there are a lot of libellous comments knocking around here about Smith, obviously you guys have your facts before making statements about Smith.

National Team coach in picking very promising youngster for National Team shock



Some people seriously need to get a grip here...he's also picked Louis McCarthy-Scarsbrook and Tony Clubb of Harlequins - no doubt he'll be "tapping" them up won't he???



Smith cannot win in this situation - pick the same old players from the top 2/3 sides and he's not willing to be inventive or try anything new...pick players from lower/lesser clubs and he's only doing it so they will sign for Warrington.

You are absolutely right but the RFL and the Myler fiasco has created this speculation. He should not be able to manage a club and country. The conflict of interest is clear for everyone to see. In the interests of everyone (inlcuding for his own reputation which has obviously been damaged) he should step down from one or the other at the end of the season.

How on earth has Tony Smith's reputation been damaged???? By a few Salford fans moaning on a fans forum??
No-one has any concrete evidence that Tony Smith or Warrington have done anything wrong at all it's all just mindless speculation that he may have had a word in his ear - it's still up to Myler to decide where he wants to play at the end of the day.

And as for not coaching a club side and the national team argument - didn't seem to do Australia and/or Brisbane Broncos any harm when they had Wayne Bennett coaching them both did it??? Or was he "tapping up" players from other sides as well???

the facts are twice our best player has broken into the international scene making big waves which would take our club to the next level and be able to start building a team to win stuff and twice they have ask for a transfer when they came back to club rugby and ended up working their way out of our club damaging it and ended up playing for the same team the international coach coaches who gave them the chance.

It will happen again if rachford also sets the world alight, perhaps not smith but who takes over

club comes before country even for the coach unfortunately.

I understand where you are coming from!

Like it or not this dual coaching role that Tony Smith undertakes is bound to generate unwanted speculation. Some of the claims may be complete rubbish but you won't stop some people being sceptical after whats gone before..

Example:

Salford Fan - Makes you wonder if this is why Luke Adamson hasn't been selected for the squad? One of the best young back row forwards in the game . . but wait a minute he's just signed a new contract with Salford?

Since Myler played for England and all the speculation regarding Warrington started he has not performed for Salford. This may be a complete coinidence and if you read my posts on the subject I have never actually said that Smith has tapped up anyone. There are however many people who have and this in anyones mind cannot have enhanced his reputation can it (deserved or not). My point is that if the conflict of interest is not there this specualtion cannot happen. I don't think this is rocket science. Obviously it is for some.

Ever the 'Optimist' here's one for you.

Maybe the players in question,just want coaching properly.

Didn't a certain Mr R Paul quote this at the last fans/players meeting.

Ok well here is a idea all these players who think they know a bit and and want to be coached properly put their medals they have won on the table and we'll compair it to what mcrae has won in the game .

That is what is wrong with our club at the core, winners breed winners, run with it and we'll see where we go, it seems some players are unhappy with some of his methods and just drag their feet and dont want to make it work.

Both Rachford and Myler have recieved international recognition with Mcrae in charge with a limited budget, we won promotion with a treble winning season, we beat both of the challenge cup finalists, leeds away, hull away and also got a healthy amount of points which would have been more had we won say with a bit more luck half we lost by 6 or less.

This club is in a position where it could sky rocket into the playoffs easily, its just down to the attitude of each individual player and what they are willing to do to achieve.

I've not got the stats on me but im sure somebody has what was harrisons record during this period of his reign 2 1/2 years in, win/loss ratio points, position and games we lost by less than 6 was it simular or better than mcraes now?

I think Robbie Paul wins that contest hands down.

end of the day who cares if warrington, smith , myler , offiah etc have done wrong whats done is done.

myler is gone we got some money for him which we can use to strenghten up are departing team which is in need of more than out of contract players and mylers money will help us more now. to raise us to the next level.

you want players who love to play for salford myler lost interest end off.