If you look at the facts though, he’s at the best club, with the best team, with the international coach working there, winning routinely… he’s not looking for a new challenge a few miles down the road, the NRL would take a punt at his price.

So we’re paying more, or he’s not wanted. If we pay him more, no problem if he returns on the investment, if not we lose more ground. But his best years are ahead of him, he’s really experienced, and an experienced winner, and we have a convincing coach who seems to connect well with players.

I’m really struggling to find anything negative in the (potential) signing of Byrne. Don’t think he will be Vaughan’s replacement but that will become clearer as time passes. As for Wigan not offering him a better deal, see G Williams and M Nicholson.

We literally outbid them on both. And the Nicholson one is a good example actually, if we take Bryne and Hill has a clear path in the first team in the same way Nsemba has in the absence of Nicholson, they win. They get more, for less. And their rival pay more, for less. And as much as I like Nicholson, Nsemba was more effective last year.

In a salary cap sport (for those in the mix, although I think the salary cap deserves its own discussion), you need to get return on the money you pay, we need to find something to close the gap and overpaying for players isn’t the way.

I’m not being negative about it, I just think we need to get to the bottom of why he is available. If we’re rolling together the Crowther and Wood money and think Byrne will do the job of both, great. Completely understand that. But if we’re using 70-80% or more of Vaughan money on Byrne, there’s not enough money remaining to add enough to see that our pack doesn’t regress. Because you know, you just KNOW that Wigan have another Byrne, and another Hill and a Smithies, a Partington etc etc etc waiting in the wings being paid peanuts to do the same or better job. It’s up to us to make him deliver on the investment, or the gap opens wider. Not just that, but it blocks the path of Thomas, Green, Whitehead… Prudent recruitment would be to wait until May time and challenge those kids to kick the door down and make the Byrne deal seem unnecessary, but the November 1st negotiation date makes that difficult, as you’d be beaten to the signature.

I think you are probably correct. A good signing for you.

I think I'd rather have Burgess nurture our young props than Chris Hill. You can't compare abilities or achievements.

Byrne is a positive signing for you.

He’s huge, has a big engine (can play 60+ minutes).

Aggressive (sometimes too much).

Held his own against Fisher Harris and Leota in the WCC.

Won’t give you too much with the ball but a very good defender.

He’s 10 times the player Bullock is.

He becomes a starter for you instantly.

If Wigan weren’t in an insanely good position with props they’d be keeping him. As has been pointed out there will be another gem in the academy on low wages who will be promoted.

Byrne will be on a good salary as non-quota props are hot commodities.

Few whispers round Hull that you're looking at Deon Cross from Salford. Anyone heard anything?

Quote mwindass="mwindass"Few whispers round Hull that you're looking at Deon Cross from Salford. Anyone heard anything?'" The latest official statement from Wire about the Salford situation. Deon Cross is a good player but we have adequate cover already for the positions he can play IMHO. https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... ent-update

Quote mwindass="mwindass"Few whispers round Hull that you're looking at Deon Cross from Salford. Anyone heard anything?'" The latest official statement from Wire about the Salford situation. Deon Cross is a good player but we have adequate cover already for the positions he can play IMHO. https://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/sp ... ent-update

It's all very well for other teams to be feeding off the Salford position but it will leave Salford in a worse situation than they are already in terms of playing strength & probably not deserving a place in SL.

He’s worth more to us than to them. That is how the market works.

John Davidson says Wire are in for Sneyd?
Can he play prop?

Has Hayes picked up another injury?
According to Davidson he’s injured.
Latest was he was in training.

Correct, but he needs to deliver more if we are to close the gap. You can only spend a pound once. For what it’s worth, I like Byrne. But it’s a rare day that Wigan lose a good one that they want to keep, so I just hope we have done our due diligence.