Any News On Stuart? Will he even play again for wigan? If not. are we still paying his wages?
If we are, isn't he eating a chunk out of our salary cap?

His wages won't count on the cap until he plays will they?

Jeff Lima's departure offers Stuart Fielden a huge lifeline re a new contract if he can get himself fit this season.

They will count towards the cap. He's playing staff.

He's been registered as a player, so his salary counts on the cap. We've done well really, considering we've had 2 passenger players on [rumoured] big contracts for 2 years.

they do as he is a named player in the 25 man 1st team squad same as Amos

This would be great news if he could motivate himself and step up to the mark.

But i have got to ask the question, why are we keeping players on the books, for me i havent even heard on interview saying "Can't Wait To Get Back". Just feels like to just flogging all the money he can without any effort. I May be wrong but i think he needs to step up or step out.

Totally agree.

If he can get fit and get some games under his belt this season, even if it's just for the u20's I'd be offering him some sort of deal.

If what you're saying is that we should sack him because he's injured, I think you'd find that would be a legal minefield.

The alternative is to sell him mid-contract, but who will pay for a prop who's been injured for so long, seemingly with no end to it in sight? They wouldn't even take him on a give-away, as they'd still have to cough up his wages.

We could try to persuade him to retire, a la Amos, but he doesn't have to do that if he doesn't want to.

I agree that it's a frustrating situation, having so good a player doing nothing but eating up wages, but I don't think we can just wriggle out of it as easily as you suggest.

Yeah it seemed to come across as easy as that.
You would of thought he would of retired. Be great to see him back and play in his final few years.

Fustrating situation indeed

It's would HAVE, HAVE, HAVE...not bloody OF....!!!

My mistake. Thought a player actually had to play a game before their wages counted.

I thought you could deregister a player from your first team in the event of a long term injury so you could draft in somone else without hitting cap problems. Have a hazy memory we may have done that with Carney and didn't Hull KR court controversy with Dobson?

Of course it could all have changed, not sure I fully understand, or ever will for that matter the ins and outs of the cap!

We tried to do so last year when Paddy was injured [I think it was during the whole Willie Mason saga at Hull KR when they de-registered Dobson] and we were refused.