And just to add
It isn't anything to get overly excited about lol

why call it a massive announcement then ?

or am i talking about a totally different thing ?

If its putting good money into the club.I will be happy

I dont know how true this is, but my mate in Aus who has connections with an NRL team claims this NRL team has been in touch with Sam Tomkins or his management or something to see if he would be interested in the NRL if they could work something out with Wigan. His response. Not for all the money in the world. Im at wigan for life.

I always take everything I hear with a pinch of salt but just passing it on. Not the fact that he said hes at wigan for life cos I can see that being true, but more the story of an NRL club being in touch.

I think it depends on how things go at Wigan and of course on how much he continues to develop.

If he continues to interest Aussie clubs, and if he wins a few trophies at Wigan - in other words, if he feels he's done everything he can in British club rugby - then it may be difficult keeping him away from the NRL. It wouldn't necessarily even be right to try - a sportsman surely should be allowed to test himself against the best he can find.

So long as he does a good few years at Wigan first, I wouldn't resent him for that. I'd much rather he went to the NRL than went to RU.

Thats my thoughts entirely. I think that part of the reason Robinson, Paul etc went to Union is because they had done everything there was to do in League at such a young age and it was just all a little stale. The international game was also a mess at this time. With the likes of Ellis and Burgess doing well in the NRL, and getting paid very well too, then hopefully the trend will be for our better players to go to the NRL if they feel they have done all they can in the English game.

Neither Robinson or Paul played in the best rugby league domestic competition, the NRL. Both could have opted to prove themselves in the top league in the world yet they chose to move to union. For me both went for one reason and it wasn't because they'd achieved all they could in rugby league.

In Robinson and Paul's era no one went to the NRL for a decade or so, largely because English players werent wanted as English RL was in such a bad state at this time. Paul has certainly never been rated in Australia. Also I know for a fact that part of the reason Robinson left was because there was nothing else to do in RL, in addition to being messed about by Wigan. Yes money was a factor why they went to Union but I think thats a little too simplistic especially when comparing different eras.

In Robinson and Paul's era the NRL wasnt really a career option as it is now where NRL clubs are actively pursuing English players. This is allied with a very favourable exchange rate for those playing in Australia which means players dont have to take a huge pay cut as in the past. Most importantly is the fact that the NRL salary cap is going up all the time and it is going to go up an awful lot in the next couple of years with the new TV deal. In a few years the money on offer in the NRL will be much more than in England and will match if not better what Union offers. With overseas agents etc with contacts in Australia I know young players now who talk of going to the NRL for a couple of years for the experience and the challenge. If it works out and they like it they may stay, if not they can simply come back. If Wigan have a period of sustained success and the likes of Tomkins, Mossop, Farrell, Goulding etc have repeatedly won all they can win by their mid 20s then they more than likely will want to look elsewhere and the NRL will be far more attractive and accomodating than it was 10 years ago.

The biggest issue RL clubs would have is securing funding without a cash rich partner. What assets do they have to use as security? Look at the recent builds; KC - funded by the Local Authority, Halliwell Jones - funded by Tesco, the impending Saints ground - funded via Tesco by their development partner.

As you quite rightly point out, it would be commercial madness to contemplate such a build, even before the mechanics of the process are considered.

Are you insane? (I was tempted to add 'or just stupid' but I'm not one for insults! )

I dont get all this 'lets send all our best players to Australia'

Píss off. I want them to stay here and become Wigan greats, make Super League a better thing to watch, people may argue that sending our best players over there will help them become better players and therefore be better for England RL in the long run but what about Super League? It would die on its árse if all the good players were over there and we were stuck with the average Joes.

Exactly! I've said on many occassions that this whole idea is a nonsense anyway. We'll never compete with the Aussies by sending a few players over there. The only way we'd compete is to have a stronger competition for All our players week in week out! Just as an aside, the best performers for GB/England over the years have been the ones who came from the English game not the ones who played in the NRL. Looking at the current team, does anyone think Sam Tomkins or James Graham for example, (or the likes of Peacock and Eastmond had they been there) would suffer in comparison to Widdop, Ellis or Burgess? I very much doubt it. In fact the best players in the Maori game yesterday were Tomkins and Luke Robinson.