So how is it even relevant towards our cap?

Wire quin, I know it is hard for you to ever write more than one line, because you are only able to do one-line quips, snide remarks and put-downs, but don't ever say anything that could be perceived as an actual viewpoint, so if you can stretch yourself beyond a text message, perhaps you can explain how you think how the cash is distributed?

My source knows David Hughes personally.

You are right Dave, I think Andy Ellis was hoping for a better offer (whether it came from Quins or someone else) but wasn't expecting the Quins offer to disappear without further contact. A sorry mess.

Yes that's right. Karl Pryce went to RU for big money, then came back to the high-spending Wigan, that is what his salary is. I'm not sure what proportion we are paying, but it will be significant.

Dear Irish Quin,

You have to remember that players have a 'market value' that will be established when they both have the opportunity to negotiate and ideally for them at the high point in their career and it is unlikely that they move for a big decrease.

To give context, players like Sean Long in his prime at St Helens and Matt King were on over £200k per annum. Look now at St Helens players outside the top 15 it is all youngsters, no senior reserve squad members at all!

Let's imagine that our junior players, whom mainly share houses to save money, generally numbered 18-25 are on a mix of salaries between the £25k minimum and and £30k, this would be no more than £200k for these players.

This would give about £1.2 million to be shared amongst the 17 first team players, so simple maths gives you £65k-£70k as an average.

Now let's look at the situations of each of the players and where they have previously negotiated.

Karl Temata - over £80k - signed as a world cup player from New Zealand Warriors - has had at least two contract extensions, so at least three career negotiations, in his prime a tremendous defender, would have been able to move which would have increased his salary

Danny Ward - between £80k & £100k - a former GB international and Leeds/Hull KR regular, he would easily be on a salary that exceeds £80k

Rob Purdham - over £100k - a former England international and world cup player who has re-signed for Quins when out of contract and a current world cup international, he'd be justifiably the highest earner

David Howell - over £100k - a former St George and Canberra Raiders first choice player under contract when signed (which pushes up the price) and when he was scoring close to a try a game and there were rumours Wigan wanted him, he was re-signed at his peak value

Karl Pryce - over £100k - a former Bradford, Wigan and Rugby Union player - has already had at least two very lucrative renegotiations in his career, not sure how much we pay him, but lucky for Wigan they got Charnley and Goulding through and we were desperate

Luke Dorn - over £100k - one of the highest scorers in Super League with over 100 tries since 2005, would have had many contract negotiations with his standard one year deals, he would easily earn this

Chris Bailey - over £100k - a former Manly Sea Eagles and Newcastle Knights first choice player under contract when signed, he would not have left an NRL contract on the cheap

Chad Randall - over £100k - a former Northern Eagles and Manly player, whom woulaid have been highly sought after in 2008 and again renegotiated at his maximum value

Luke Gale - high wages - a player on the fringes of the England set-up, released whilst under contract

Now if you are telling me that it is ludicrous that these mainly NRL first choice players and internationals are on below average salaries? I'm not sure it is ludicrous, facts are people get higher wages in most occupations until they become unaffordable in sport.

If you look at the other players, mainly loanees, these will be on rock-bottom or subsidised wages in the main.

It's like when Newcastle signed John Barnes, Stuart Pearce and Ian Rush on free transfers... they were still worth a fee but not the wages they once commanded, like Sean Long!

The only ones contentious as being over what is claimed, from a source close to David and one of the regulars, are Gale, due to a humble start, Temata (a fringe NRL player) and Dorn (played mainly for lower-tier clubs).

Cheers
Mark

PS Glad you enjoy (some of) the posts

PPS That's why we are paying for in my view little value, we pay on historical basis/past achievement and not what they will do in 2012

Rammo do you write this utter tripe whilst asleep-If not you need to report sick

What the hell are you on about?

East Stander:

Sean Long was on a salary of over £200k per annum at St Helens, he states it in his autobiography.

Ian Lenagan stated that Matt King was on over £200k per annum at Warrington.

The St Helens squad is comprised of about 15 senior players and 15 local youngsters

1 Paul Wellens
2 Ade Gardner
3 Michael Shenton
4 Sia Soliola
5 Francis Meli
6 Leon Pryce
7 Kyle Eastmond
8 Josh Perry
9 James Roby
10 James Graham
11 Tony Puletua
12 Jon Wilkin
13 Chris Flannery
14 Scott Moore
15 Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook
----------- club trained local youngsters ----------------
16 Paul Clough
17 Gary Wheeler
18 Matty Ashurst
19 Andrew Dixon
20 Jonny Lomax
21 Sean Magenniss
22 Jamie Foster
23 Gareth Frodsham
24 Tom Armstrong
25 Lee Gaskell
26 Carl Forster
27 Nathan Ashe
28 Thomas Makinson
29 Scott Hale
30 Josh Jones
32 Joe Greenwood
33 Warren Thompson
34 Jordan Hand

Good luck in learning to read fella, it is hard to follow simple statements, but we will get you there.

You've lost me- Saints get rid of a player earning 200K a year and now have numbers 15-34 on peanuts- What is it you are saying

Warrington have a player on 200k and ........

What is the message you are failing to get across?

I am saying that players Market value rises and rises as they change club and renegotiate, or if they are exceptional.

We have no stars but we have constantly re-signed our older players to a point whereby we have a team of relatively well paid veterans whom are over the hill.

I think Powell is largely after guys whom are 30+ and at the peak of their earning power and past their peak in terms of ability, we will swap younger players like Ellis and Gale with mainly veterans like Gower, Bryant, Korkidas, Rinaldi etc and no one under the age of 27 will come.

The result will be that we yet again do not invest wisely in talent.

Saints have put all their money in a good top 15 and youngsters because they lose money but want to win.

I can see us thinly spreading our jam over a squad of 20-25 players but spoiling the jam sponge cake because there will not be enough quality in there.

Powell is looking only short-term again which is why he'll fail, you can't win in Super League with a team full of veterans on high pay.

Cheers
Mark

I was also using King and Long to show that the superstars do earn big money, not claiming any of ours are that, trying to show a benchmark that some are on more than the SL average but none are minted. People like Wirequin think I am making up the numbers, but it is what I've been told and the numbers look plausible to me, nothing ridiculous.

I get to hear a lot of info, not all of it can be 100% but I do my best to share what I hear for all supporters. The problem I have is that I do not publish my sources any more or state too much as being absolute fact as I was sent a solicitors letter last season from one former player's adviser. I've been more careful since then. What a world we live in eh?

Regarding your alleged signing of Colbon and Cook-

Colbon is a decent winger, not the quickest but he can finish and makes good yards away from his own line. Only small criticism would be that he hasnt quite been back to his best since returning from a jaw injury but i think he'd be a good signing for you in all honesty.

As for Matt Cook, you may or may not know that its somewhat of a joke between rovers fans as to how he never gets picked regardless of how well he plays on rare occasions when selected. He is a good player, but i think some of our fans are a bit OTT with how good he is/how much they think he should play week in week out. I was hoping with a new coach incoming he might stay, but if he does go to you guys i think you will be impressed with his signing

In reply to the OP's question, what if he flashed at a female journo, got soused at a charity event and groped the teenage daughter of an ex-player, chased someone with a bottle before vomiting over them, stole and wrecked a golf cart, held a butter knife to someone's throat and got involved in a mass brawl ending in him being detained by the police?

Mind you, what's not to like about someone nicking a golf cart

I love it when someone claims to have insider sources etc, without naming them, to try and basically over-ride anyone elses opinions. Happening far too much on these forums as of late.