Mostly at retire age, here because they could not be fitted on the salary cap of Melbourne Storm, crocked, not good enough or in the case of Tommy wanting to play in the NRL.

All replaced by players from our own good production line. As will be the case with the last five if and when they leave.

No player is bigger than the club.

I don't disagree with this.

My previous comments notwithstanding, I feel deeply despondent about the Sam thing. I don't understand why we can't make him see out at least another year of the ringfenced portion of his contract. It's not even as if NZW is the sort of chance he can't afford to miss. Why on Earth he's going there completely baffles me. Even Russell Crowe was bemused by it.

Joe Burgess in for Richards next season. Scored another two tries in U20's this weekend against Warrington. The lad is special.

He scored three.

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What is a contract in any sport these day's when players and agents seemed to have all the power.

Certainly seems that way sometimes...

A contract being in force is the difference between a club getting a transfer fee and not.
Graham and Eastmond left Saints when their contracts had run out, the club didn't get a fee for either.
Joel, Mossop and Sam are leaving in contract and Wigan will pick up £100,000s.
That's what today's contracts are worth IMO.

Surely needs first team experience under his belt before it can be suggested that he is Pat's replacement for next season. The selections when injuries have hit in our backline suggest that at least Gelling is ahead of him in the pecking order. I find it very doubtful that we'd throw an untested youngster in without ever playing at that level before, hence why we are linked with Tom Briscoe.

Burgess may be a cracker but we can't throw him in as first choice and expect it to work. He hasn't even made his debut yet and to go from a points scoring machine, club legend wingman to an untried kid just won't stack up both from a onfield perspective and a financial one.

With all the injuries in the modern game he'll get his chance anyway as a squad player and if he's good enough he'll take it and make himself first choice.

NZ Warriors have won the U20s competition for the last 3 years IIRC and are pretty dominant at that level with several players stepping up into both the NRL side and the Kiwi side. Granted that may change with their current coach leaving and Stacey Jones coming in, but it won't be a bad thing for some of our younger players to head over there for a season and train/play in that setup.

Are you related to him? Phil Clarke raves on about him and guess what? he's his uncle. From what I've seen of him is an above average player not anywher near the class of Pat Richards