Surely this isn't true?!... Gareth Thomas

Quote: "]Point 1) Dave, if this signing happens it will not be with a view to encouraging Richards Brothers to run a charabanc from Bridgend every Friday afternoon more to facilitate our acting as a first port of call for young Welsh rugby talent. IL isn't expecting to woo a Jamie Roberts or a George North as clearly they would be mad to leave where they are, but Wales has four professional regions all of whom field several overseas players meaning there are large numbers of talented players who might consider forsaking the remote chance of a summer tour cap in Canada aged 26 for the chance to be the next Harrison Hansen or Josh Charnley. Big talents like Kristian Phillips and Tom Prydie say (both sub 11 second 100m running backs with skill who have been in Welsh squads but can't get into the Ospreys side with any regularity) might be the sort of signing we could chase. IL and Noble have both talked of salary cap exemptions for Union talent and if the RFL have any brains/balls at all this will come in one day and Wigan will be first in the queue to benefit. Gil Dudson was at Newport Gwent Dragons academy, found his way blocked by Welsh and other internationals and decided to try RL, we may be in a position to stop others like him being lost in the system or becoming disillusioned and settling for semi pro at Abertillery or something.'"

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Are there any salary cap exceptions in place for RU converts? I don't think so apart form possibly Thomas but then that was for him to join a Welsh SL side not a regular SL side. So that is no reason at the moment to sign Thomas (in that we can't sign other RU players outside the cap).

IL has also talked about the fact raising the salary cap is rather pointless at the moment because the idea if it was raised Wigan could go out and sign more players is a none starter. So how would players being exempt form the cap square with that? We can't afford to go beyond the current cap limit so there is little point in them being exempt.

If RU converts were exempt form the cap all that would translate to is RL side going looking for potential RU converts because they didn't count on the cap, not because they were any good.

Just like what used to happen before we had the new rules on federation trained/home grown players. Sides signed umpteen Kolpak players because that was the easy option and they could. Well if RU players are exempt from the salary cap there will be a similar fashion for chasing RU players. And of course that is before we even consider if clubs can afford to pay £1.65m to the RL players PLUS whatever wages they give to the RU converts. And also before we consider the fact we have plenty of talent right on the doorstep.

Quote: "]Point 2) Is wrong any way you look at it. I have supported Wales all my life (as well as Wigan having been raised here by Welsh parents) and despite 'Alfie' having been a leading player since 1995, a Lions captain, formerly Wales's record try scorer and cap holder nobody outside Wales or union fandom would have had the first idea who he is. However, in the last 12 months he has been a prominent guest at the Royal Wedding, subject of several national media profiles-including a business partnership with the French shoe designer Christian Louboutin- appeared on American chat shows and a major ITV show seen by millions of non-sports specific viewers until last week. He is now a household name and all this without the added kudos of a Hollywood film fronted by an Oscar winning actor, it may well be awful but the narrative at the heart of it will do our association no harm, it will certainly be better than 'Up and Under' with Neil Morrisey and Adam Fogerty.'"

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I just did a straw poll round my office. One person knew who he was - he is an RU fan originally from Leicester. One chap lives in Conway (yes he is daft enough to commute to Runcorn) and has no idea who he is. The other three are all footy fans (of those one a Everton season ticket holder and one Man Utd so not just casual sports fans) and they don't know him either. Not scientific admittedly but he just doesn't have the profile you seem to think. What is more the main point I am making is that it is no use to sign him and not play him as I fail to see how doing that is of any use in the PR stakes. And he is not good enough to play for us.

Quote: "]There are no top quality centres/wings available at a decent price to the club, we know this, is it really so bad to get a vastly experienced, mentally tough professional who is also big enough to feature in the pack if needed to be around the club for 12 months? He can share the benefits of a different life to King Street and Bondi Beach with the lads as well as hopefully helping to put in place the sort of gangway we had with the Valleys back in our first heyday in the 1920s. His versatility and big match temperament may well see him play more than Goulding and Roberts have this year in 2012. '"

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There is no playing justification for signing a 37 (soon to be 3icon_cool.gif player at all. End of. He's not even that good!

Quote: "]A final point. If we had signed Keith Senior (another once brilliant, now older and slower large bald man) on cheap wages for next year ]would there be this amount of opprobrium? Nope]. Yet if you compare the two careers I know who has achieved more in their sport it just happens that sport is the one that cannot be named and I can therefore only assume this is an anti-Union thing.
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Of course there would! Has anyone suggested we give Senior a go? No, because it would be a stupid idea given his age and the fact he clearly can't play to his former standard. Thomas has never even reached that standard in RL.