Got to question this: between the cash injection from sky that nobody was expecting, and the cup final they weren't expecting there's probably 800k of money floating around castleford nobody expected to have: surely if it were the case he wanted to uturn on any deal, some of that cash could be put towards a refund?

That's not the bit I doubt (well it's all speculation until 1 club announces it, but that's another story.) tbh the sooner this rumour comes to conclusion the better for all! It's dragged on way too long! It's turning into Sculthorpe to Warrington on Boxing Day all over again

I just don't see, given the year cas have had this year, how, if the player did do a u-turn cas wouldn't be able to accommodate it.

We signed him for £180k. It is true that he has had a change of heart and does want to stay at Cas, so we have asked Cas for £300k to have him back. Negotiations are still on going.
On top of this DC's agent has asked for more money in his pay packet.

Good bit of business if they do this.

No matter how good he is I would only want players here who want to fully commit to the Wire.

Unless you have seen the contract, how can you say that with such certainty?

if this is true, they can have him back. He might be quality but if he's willing to back out of a deal because his current club have had a good season, I don't want him in the P&B.

Lots of Cas fans at the game yesterday were saying they need to win the cup now because they'll be nowhere near it for a a long time, the expect a lot of the players they have to get a gig elsewhere next season.

...and there we have it, in a nutshell

If the lad is anything like 50/50 about wanting to be here next season, then I want him nowhere near our club.
Let him stay at Cas, if he thinks the grass will be greener, there.
After all, Cas may turn out to be a one season wonder (even though I do, and always have, rated Powell as a coach).

If rumours are to be believed, WE hold his contract for next year. If he wants to wriggle out of it, Cas'll have to pay us more than what we bought him for. More dosh for us, which will help us in future, as many are up in arms in the Wire accounts thread. I dare say we'll cope next year with Higham and Dwyer as hookers, and there'd still be a chance of getting cover elsewhere (NRL, Championships, out of contracts)

He's coming. Forget this nonsense that he doesn't want to. He's got to let the cas faithful know he doesn't really want to leave but he knows it makes sense for his career. He will leave with a heavy heart but we've got an absolute gem and a bargain.

Let's hope so.

Having been on the receiving end of it as a Wire, as I'm sure most of us have, Cas' main responsibility is to ensure the survival of the club and the odd Wembley appearance isn't going to change that I'm afraid, so the tangible assets are all fair game.

Of course, at the risk of sounding condescending, as one door closes another opens. When Andy Greg left us most people of a P&B persuasion thought the oceans would boil and the planet would fall off it's axis, then along came a lovely fella called Keith Holden who could also play a bit and we all moved on.

The fact Keith sufferred a career-ending injury all too soon is another reason on top of the 180,000 others we know of as to why Cas have done the right thing to cash in their chips.

I remember Keith Holden, plucked from the Pie reserves as recall. I was at there at Swinton, the old Station Road, when he ran around the blind side of the scrum and just collapsed as though he had fallen in a pot hole. Never really truly recovered but what a player we had, albeit it too briefly.

Didn't his lad play for one of our our junior sides for a spell?

I remember watching Sculthrope and Harris go and thinking the world just ended (I was just a kid then) I hated them both forever after that but when you realise that the fees received for these players kept our great club going then its easier to take.

Cas were close to going out of business and now all looks rosy, I like to think that we helped them out but fear they may feel the same way I did as a kid. They have a great coach and a really good team I really hope they kick on from here and improve year on year and hopefully finally get their new stadium!