Maybe but he'll still return to Wigan.

Narrr

Perhaps. If he did fair play to him turning our offer down.

I just can't see Wigan giving up their first refusal clause and see him play elsewhere.

He’s done it before I think? Pretty sure we offered him marquee money before only for him to stay at Wigan. Maybe a kid on the way will make him think twice, but Wigan will be offering him a good package I’m sure - just not as much as us.

Im not sure Wigan could match our offer - isn’t a first refusal option usually only if the club can match the best other offer?

I’m not 100% sure what ‘first refusal’ means in this case

This ‘first refusal’ isn’t that at all.
It can only be a gentleman argument to talk with each other first, and GW doesn’t have to if he didn’t want, but that’s not in his interest.
There can’t be a contract with GW, he was sold for £150k.
Lets be wider minded, his agent would have been all over Fitzy like a 70s porno already.

I'm not sure the whole Leeds, Bradford, Harris saga supports that opinion - clearly it was a few years ago, but it cost Bradford big.

It’s not worth the paper it probably isn’t written on. Nothing more than a line to try and appease the fans when these lads are leaving.

It’ll just come down to how strong his desire to go back to Wigan is. I don’t think it’s arrogant to say he’d sign for us if the offers were of the same value but that sounds unlikely.

I suppose it would depend on the specifics of the ‘first refusal’ clause. If that isn’t a defined standard for all first refusal clauses then there may be some scope for us signing him.

I don’t think it would stand up in court if you tried to get away with paying someone 3 times less than they’re worth because they agreed to play for you a few years back. As stated they were compensated for Williams by Canberra which suggests they didn’t lose out when he left.

I’ll bet there would be some legal argument for restricting earnings etc. Then again this is an ultra capitalist world we live in. Amazon fulfilment will probably step in and loan Wigan their lawyers

I should add I still think he’d opt for Wigan. I think he’s a Wigan lad at heart and would probably prosper there more than anywhere.

No argument with that. Almost nice to see these days, even if it’s a rival club.

If he was that proud of his heritage, he wouldn’t have left Wigan in the first place.
He’s money driven, he has a family and money if far more important than a diet of a pie from the corner shop, when a pasty, sausage roll and cream bun is offered from a shop at the other end of the street.

I think a club closer to Wigan would fit that statement.

So just had a look at Leeds forum, Austin and Trueman to them and Williams to us.

Mr Rusty will be cranking up the old Magic Roundabout, by the sound of it.