i for one hope he does not go unless there is a suitable replacement for him. were losing feka already. If fielden goes this will elave us seriously short in the front row. With only lima coming in. Prescott and ocarroll have missed far to many games this season. we will struggle without someone of fieldens quality and durability

...and Hock, supposedly.

along with enhanced contracts for other younger players.

I don't think it looks any more likely than it has in previous years that he is going to the NRL.

anyway, we have already signed a SOO calibre prop for next year in Josh Perry. Even if Graham does go we will still have a set of props in 2012 including 2 quality players in Perry and LMS.

The more I think about it, the more I feel Fielden leaving would be terrible for Wigan. Looks like its heading that way though sadly.

The thing is we probably have:

Phelps
Feka
Piggy
Bailey
Deacon
Pryce
Ainscough

as a minimum leaving, a number of which will also not be on peanuts, especially Feka, Piggy and Bailey. Hock is not going to be on anything like he was given he situation, so I don't see Fielden's wages being a major factor in our singing so far.

Well, as long as we are all singing from the same hymn sheet.

My (completely baseless

) take on it would be:

Given the current exchange rate and respective qualities, Hoffman/Lima/Finch combined will be on more than Feka/Bailey/Riddell combined.

Hock will easily be on more than Phelps/Deacon put together. I don't buy this "he'll play for next to nothing" guff - he wouldn't be short of very good offers elsewhere.

A new 5 year deal for Mossop alone would swallow up a teeny Ainscough salary. Other contract upgrades and promotions to the first team squad will soon swallow up a teeny Pryce salary.

I suppose we'll see from who comes in if Fielden leaves.

Mossop signed a new five year deal earlier this season

IL will basically have planned next years cap wages including what we were offering Stu, so if he does refuse it, that money will be available for another signing. Problem then is, what other props of similar quality will be available by then?

I know, that's why I said it

Absolutely - just saying that it will be the salary offered that's available to spend, not the full salary as some seem to think on here with comments like "we could get any prop is SF left".

We don't know how much he's been offered but if it's less than Hull are willing to offer, than you'd guess you won't have enough cash left over for a real top drawer replacement.

Then again - I know nowt, just speculating (bored at work!)

Letting Fielden go would be a huge mistake IMO