https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/07/06/10/ ... warrington Channel 9 reporting “glamour club” Wire are set to sign Blake Austin on a “long term deal”. Our offer for the long term deal seems to have fended off Parramatta for his signature who want him but on a shorter contract. https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/06/27/par ... placement/ Also in LRL: https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/re ... on-wolves/

https://wwos.nine.com.au/2018/07/06/10/ ... warrington Channel 9 reporting “glamour club” Wire are set to sign Blake Austin on a “long term deal”. Our offer for the long term deal seems to have fended off Parramatta for his signature who want him but on a shorter contract. https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/06/27/par ... placement/ Also in LRL: https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/re ... on-wolves/

It says St Helens in the video on the final link.

Does anyone else get the feeling that these days, English clubs like us are just used as a "back up plan" by Aussie players' agents, to leverage negotiation power when they are shopping around for NRL clubs, when the players don't particularly want to come and in the back of their minds know that if as a last resort they have to go to England, it's easy enough to get out of the contract and go home if an NRL option appears the next year?

Back in the winter rugby days, when the Aussie and English seasons were at different times, you got top players like Meninga and Blake coming over in their off seasons.

Then in the early days of SL, it became more something that Aussie players would do at the end of their career, to extend their career by a couple of years when they wouldn't be able to get a gig in the NRL any more.

Then for a while in the mid 2000s, when the pound had a very strong exchange rate against the Aussie dollar, SL clubs had financial power relative to the NRL and so for a while England became a credible destination for top Aussie players mid way through their careers, with the likes of Lyon, De Vere, King, Monaghan, Barrett coming over.

But now the value of the pound has dropped, the NRL salary cap is much bigger, we're just a back up option.

The quality of NRL signing has fallen in the past few years but also so has the quality of attitude. Who knows what Blake Austin would be like, he might be great, but when you read these articles in the Aussie press it doesn't exactly fill you with confidence that they are coming for the "glamour" of Warrington, but just one iron in the fire of an agent shopping their client around and if all else fails they can park them over here for a year.

Just seen him in the Raiders v Bulldogs game. 15 minute cameo that was pure class. Completely changed the game.

Long-term for Aussies these days is 12 months!

apparently he knocked back a four year £335k per year deal from Canberra....

I'm sure we can more than match that and tag another year on......

We can more than match it. We can out bid any aussie team...twice!

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/07/mir ... ting-side/

https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/07/mir ... ting-side/

Austin suggesting there will be an announcement this week https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/08/bla ... a-raiders/ Doesn’t say who, but seems unlikely it will be with the Raiders, Eels, us and Saints mentioned.

Austin suggesting there will be an announcement this week https://www.nrl.com/news/2018/07/08/bla ... a-raiders/ Doesn’t say who, but seems unlikely it will be with the Raiders, Eels, us and Saints mentioned.

And Leeds. But at £335k a year I doubt we would pay that unless Ryan Hall moves on and we have some spare cap towards his salary.

I would expect a late improvement of the offer from Parra after yesterday’s game but I guess we’ll see. I think we are just being used again. Can live in hope though. I don’t think he offers us as much of a half backs game as Roberts *should* have done, but would still be an asset considering the small pickings available...

Moley saying it's a "done deal"
Austin to Wire.

Done deal. Announcement tomorrow/Tuesday.

Fantastic signing. Top class player.

I did tell you lot the other day on the Eastmond thread but got shot down and one of your lot had never even heard of him. You have got a class player. Man of Steel in 2019

Please don’t show us a video montage of his performances, as not really worked out as that.