Looking increasingly like Knowles is off to the Dolphins. I don't begrudge him that at all. He's given great service, been here 11 years, won everything there is to win and has the chance to earn some serious wedge and team up with a decent coach again. Lees I believe is definitely being chased by Warrington but Saints are offering him a lucrative deal to keep him.

[quote="Stu M":21ppbj1i]Looking increasingly like Knowles is off to the Dolphins. I don't begrudge him that at all. He's given great service, been here 11 years, won everything there is to win and has the chance to earn some serious wedge and team up with a decent coach again. Lees I believe is definitely being chased by Warrington but Saints are offering him a lucrative deal to keep him.[/quote:21ppbj1i] They would be mad not to. If he goes where does a replacement come from? They will need to offer him marquee money.

[quote="NickyKiss":3rrp09jz]Getting underperforming/over the hill players out is great but replacing them is another matter and is even harder if Knowles or Lees (or both left). Every time I think of Wigan signing a player and then look at an OOC list from Superleague, It's startling the lack of British talent that could be available. The best players are already tied up at other clubs. Saints could have plenty of quota spots but that market is far tougher than it's been in the past as well. In short, it's probably the most difficult time I can remember to be going through a major rebuild and I'd imagine the agents of Knowles/Lees probably know that and will be pushing for every last pound they can get for them.[/quote:3rrp09jz] Agree, unless something out of the ordinary happens you can't go to market to replace the better non-quota players. Knowles deserves to do what he wants like Makinson did but this would be a much bigger blow as he has (arguably) yet to reach his prime. Same with Lees, although I reserve judgement and would give either hell if they left for another SL club. Given the general malaise around the club the last 12-18 months it wouldn't surprise me if they have been caught slipping with this new rule around contract negotiations with other clubs and have been beaten to the punch. You have to wonder what king of long term planning is currently in place when a coach is out of contract at the same time as more than half his players.

The signing of the two Saints kids for '26 is an interesting one. Money may well have been a factor but as neither of them have made that first team breakthrough yet, maybe they just don't see a future at Saints under Wellens, worrying times if so as one of them, Vaughn, is apparently a dyed in the wool lifelong Saints fan.

Maybe jumping before the ship sinks