So imagine one of your first team squad who plays in a key position, and who's only back up is injured, suddenly says he wants to leave. You wouldn't be disappointed in him and the club that has unsettled him........I don't think so.

Adds a bit of spice to the CC game (micky won't be playing)

TF, if Smith had respected Mickey with a decent contract I dont think this thread would exist.

Tony Smith usually keeps things close to his chest in house if you like, unusual for him to comment publicly on such matters so it seems to him something is awry, sure Smith will be miffed Mickey was in his plans and it's caused a major disruption, personally I wish he'd seen out his contract but it was not to be,all water under the bridge now.

All the very best to Mickey and his family for the future, see you all at the HJ.

Why are they pathetic?.... Higham bailed out on a contract, having his head turned illegally by Leigh (Remember, you can negotiate for next season, but not for the present season unless you have the permission of the player's present club), so Smith is well within his rights to question the player's conduct .

For those who will undoubtedly question me suggesting it was good old fashioned poaching, do you really think 50 grand for a player in his mid 30's is good value, or do you actually think the excessive fee is probably a sweetener to Wire to stop this rumbling on and ending up in a court?

Watch Paul Rowley interview on Boots n All tonight , it's very good and very enlightening,Paul is a very articulate young man who puts forward some very interesting points on the said subject,then make your mind up.For me BOTH Mickey and Leigh have behaved in a very professional manner, listen to Paul final sentence.

Fifty grand might seem a lot,but if you look at the bigger picture it is a small price to pay if it gets us to Super league,with even bigger attendances and playing in the top league.Welcome back Mickey,and well done to all involved for getting him here.

Correct...

To be fair, nobody from Leigh is going to come out and openly admit an illegal approach for Higham - However, you would have to be a tad naïve to believe the transfer was done all by the book.

For it to be 100% legal, Leigh would have had to approach Wire in the first instance, with Higham having absolutely NO knowledge of their interest in wanting him for the remainder of this season - This obviously wasn't the case.

Quite legally, Leigh would have offered Higham his deal for 2016 and beyond, but to even suggest an immediate move would put their approach into the realms of shady.

I don't think you have to be a genius to see what has gone on... Higham got offered what he felt was an insulting contract offer from Wire for 2016, he rightly went looking for a better offer, gets one from Leigh, who plant the seed in his head that they would be interested in him joining immediately, Leigh make offer, while Higham throws strop demanding he be released early.... Personally, I don't have anything against Higham trying to do what is right for him and his family, but let's not think that everything was above board on this.

I think Tony Smith's ill-advised comments are all the evidence you need that things were not straight-forward.

OK, if Leigh are in the wrong the RFL will act. Oh and if anyone libels anyone on here we do have a lawyer on board

All it takes is a 'word/email/text' to the player or agent..doesn't it ? Gordon Strachan once said if he was in the company of a footie player that he wanted to sign, he'd say to him "do you wanna come and play for me ?"
Who's to know ????

Having just lost Sean Penkywicz (a key player in our squad) to a serious knee injury we have for the past month been operating with just one experienced hooker (Bob Beswick) in what is a make or break season for Leigh.
I happen to believe that Mickey Higham could well make a vital difference in our ambition to achieve Super League status. If my belief turns out to be correct then the negotiated release deal including a fee of £50k will be the best £50k ever spent in the history of the Leigh club. It will, I understand, give us access to £1.8M in Sky money just for starters. If this move does not pay off then it will have been a gamble very well worth taking.
It seems that the Warrington owner, Simon Moran, has perhaps a little more business acumen and commercial awareness than the coach. It would appear that he has allowed a negotiation to be conducted and agreement reached to the satisfaction of both clubs.
Referring to some of the comment on this thread - I would be embarrassed to accuse Mickey Higham of bailing out or for his coach to infer that he is not committed after what he has given to the Warrington club.
It was common knowledge to everyone outside the Warrington club, never mind those within the club, that Mickey Higham's contract was up at the end of this season and that he was completely within his rights to speak to other clubs. If Smith was so apparently keen to keep Mickey Higham then he should have offered him a decent new contract - months ago. Instead he decided to throw all his teddies out of the pram when one of his most committed players decided he must look to secure the future for himself and his family.

I repeat - welcome home Mickey and rest assured your efforts will be fully appreciated by everyone in Leigh.

I've waited 44 years to 'pinch' a player off Warrington and, if any of your fans are annoyed he's left, good!
In 1971 following Leigh's CC triumph at Wembley, our Talisman leader Murph joined Wire quickly followed by Kevin Ashcroft, Dave Chisnall and Geoff Clarkson ! this ripped the heart out of our team and inspired a rapid demise in our playing strength, players were signed then to a club not on contracts, like today i'm sure there were no irregularities then
I hope the deal to sign Micky was so low, it was down a Coal Mine!
Tony Smith is an arrogant, sarcastic person who I have despised since the days when he Parachuted Huddersfield down to the lower division. Thanks to their Millionaire owner they were able to retain much of their SL team on a full time basis and, Smith never gave Leigh or the other clubs much credit with his arrogance !
Chris Hill signed for (quite legally) Wire midway through our season and, whilst Leigh fans were naturally upset to see Chris go we wished him the best because it was the right move for him and his family at that time! I'm sure Chris never gave less than his best for Leigh but, the fact he was leaving must have had affected his mindset?
This move is the right move now for Micky and his family and Smith's comments about not knowing someone properly have, only increased my despise for him!
I would advise Tony Smith to try a Dummy, it seems to work for Babies

With Leigh losing Penky and needing a quality hooker immediately I would hazard a guess that after Smith told him he wasnt wanted by the contract offer, Highams agent was tasked with finding him a job with Leigh his preferred choice. Leigh probably explained that they would love Mickey but due to Penkys injury needed a replacement NOW and that they were talking to other players with that in mind.

I wonder if the truth will ever come out, but we have got a great player who may lead us to the promised land

So us there no truth in the rumour that Micky was given a letter a few weeks ago that said he was free to talk to other clubs.........

Been one of the club's big stars for years, out of contract, coming to the end of an excellent career which he's always wanted to finish at his home town club who are on the rise and made him a very good offer. And Tony Smith doesn't have a good word to say about him! Is a bit pathetic. Still, we've got a top quality player in a position we need, who'll bring knowledge and experience of playing against SL teams, who'll help develop our young up and coming players AND we've annoyed Tony Smith! The arrogant sod. Can't ask for more than that.