Clark isn't going anywhere, he'll see out his contract with us

So on Sky that an announcement is coming on Monday of who he's going to play for next season, but he might not be playing for that club this season.

Doesn't really narrow it down any. But I suspect if it was Wigan they would have been able to release Hastings early to accomodate him.

Strange one that if true. You would imagine Wigan could afford him now under the returning talent allowance, especially losing Burgess. Why not take him now?

Realistically, he’s Wigan’s to lose. I’d be surprised if he went elsewhere.

returning talent is only for rah rah, is it not (like charnley)

Yep, more likely it would be the home grown dispensation ( but I’m only going off what I’ve read elsewhere).

you know, part of me thinks that shouldn't be allowed in this instance, (or similar instances across the board) the 50% cap hit was for home grown players, retaining home grown players, however wigan sold him, pocketed and transfer fee and he's coming back, on super higher wages now.

Seems a little unfair if he's developed and got better elsewhere.

I said on here a few weeks ago that we've made him a great offer (almost to good to turn down) and if he has turned that down in order to go back to Wigan for much much less money than what we've offered then fair play to him. Because of our lucrative offer I'm quietly hopeful that he'll be our player next year.

The trueman rumours seem to have ground to a halt recently.

I'm not sure which of the two i would prefer, next year is an uncertain blank slate so its hard to decide or predict how we will go or what the thought process is.

Williams, more or less the finished article, coming into his peak, nrl background.

Trueman, 22, still developing, would cost less, possibly have him for 10 years, also possibly have the same situation we've got with clark about him going to the nrl if he gets better.

Maybe in the fine print they can’t apply it which may cause Wigan some difficulty?

I agree that Wigan have a few things going in their favour, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that he's theirs to lose.

Wigan had the right to speak to him first (which was the extent of the 'first call'). They didn't sign him at that stage so that advantage is now passed.

He wants to come back to the uk for family and it has been said that he prefers the North West. That's Wigan, Saints, Warrington, Salford and Leigh who all fit the bill.

He knows the setup at Wigan and some of the players / staff, that may or may not be an advantage. He moved to the NRL and made a success of things. He's returning of off field reasons.

Like all pro sportsmen he's a competitor, he'll want to win things. That's going to come down to Wigan's track record vs. our ambition as a club.

Coaches? I don't know how he feels about the different coaches.

He'll want to be playing in SL ahead of the World Cup. Whether that means at his 2022 club or a temporary arrangement who knows.

So that means it will come down to money. If two or more clubs can tick the required boxes then it's a bonus-malus situation. The club that is most attractive to him needs to offer the least money but a second or third choice club can still secure his signature if they offer enough money. I don't think that Wigan have such a lead that they can't be outbid. I'm sure that all the competing clubs will have put forward potential solutions as to how he can play this year, it's now about who wants him most / has the deepest pockets.

All good points.

Don't forget as well a deal for Williams to sign for us for next year was all but done before Canberra released him.

He could take a few years of big money from us and then sign for Wigan after that if he wants to win another Grand Final, like Gleeson.

He has agreed terms with the Wire

He’s no doubt agreed terms with all the clubs interested bar Wigan, who will still be trying to get him on the lowest salary they can. He’ll still probably end up there as everything is in their favour cap-wise and and circumstance-wise.

I doubt anything is even close to being sorted with regards to Warrington. Hopefully we have other irons in the fire.

That isn’t how I understand “agreed terms”. You don’t do that with a number of parties and then decide. The process is discuss, negotiate, agree, sign.
Discuss and negotiate can be with any number of parties but would be major bad faith to agree then sign with someone else.
I’m only talking generalities here, I have no knowledge of th GW situation.