I've read all this thread and I'm genuninely intrigued as to why you seem so obsessed with Wigans financial situation? how could you possibly beleive that wigan have no financial clout?? Wigan have been the best supported club for several years, have a very favourable ground deal (no upkeep costs etc) and are backed by a very wealthy owner. Wigans last 4 or 5 signings have all included transfer fees and a very vocal owner keeps reminding us he has no qualms whatsoever in dipping into his pockets for more, not to mention that we are currently operating well under the cap. Players like Tomkins don't come cheap but find it odd that you cite finances as the reason you believe he'll end up at Wire before Wigan.

Each year teams release there annual profits. Wigan often make a tiny profit above breaking even, but last season made a big profit, coincidently through the sale of Sam!
Owning a stadium with rights to match day extra sales is the reason for this.
I expect Saints to soon be joining the financial clout of Leeds followed by Warrington.

I am sure Wigan's minimal profit was a triumph for the club's accountants & kept all parties happy including HMRC.

For any interested parties on this site page 19 on the sam tomkins transfer saga on the wigan forum there is a NZ radio interview where he states he wont be pulling on a wigan jersey until next febuary thats around minute 6 of the interview although it might only be for a few years as he aint ruled yawnion out

So he's slipped up and said he was putting on a Wigan jersey? Whoopie doo. Everyone in RL knew he was going back there anyway, so who cares.

Wigan or Salford it is then...........probably Wigan.....

[urlhttp://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sport/12884692.Sam_Tomkins_not_coming_to_Warrington_Wolves/?ref=mr[/url

Everyone knew he was joining Wigan.. he is just engineering himself the biggest pay check possible..

I'm sorry, Gents, but I just don't buy this "Wigan can't afford him on their salary cap" business. I've just looked at their squad and imo you've got

mega bucks
SO'L
Bowen (laughably)
Tomkins J
Matty Smith (possibly)

decent amount
the rest of the "starting XIII" plus Bateman

OKish amounts
the remainder

They've lost, in the last couple of years
Pat Richards
Tomkins S
Blake Green
Bottomhole Hock
All of these will have been on mega bucks
and to some extent Harrison Hansen

I think they've still got a lot of spending power

Correct! (Apart from Matty Smith who I can't see being on a great amount).

Wigan fans have been asking for years where the salaries of the high earning leavers is going. We have a deep squad but not a raft of players you'd think must be earning top whack.

Add in the likely departures of Bowen, Patrick, Burgess and possibly Hughes, Burke and Hopkins as well as Pettybourne who's already left and it's not hard to see how we'll fit him in.

Will Wigan have to pay any money back to NZ Warriors as Sam has come back early ,that is providing he goes to Wigan & could that be avoided if he went through a third party club?

No. He is released. I think VW have struggled with depth because of his salary.
Once Sam has an injury they are knackered.