forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=429249 bit more info and background on the move.

forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?t=429249 bit more info and background on the move.

What bit don't you agree with?...

Him wearing a Warrington shirt

Him talking about Smith being the only coach to get the best out of him (he said 'no disrespect to kear......but that is exactly what it is!).

Him talking about it 'being like home' already.

etc etc.

Just don’t understand why they announced it and had a press conference at the most critical part of out season. Why not do it in two/three weeks???

tbh i'm a bit embarressed that we've gone down this route and announced the signings whilst salford and wakey still have games since they're not immediate transfers. Even with solomona , thought he'd been released by the bulls but he's stated he's still contracted till the end of the season.

Personally i would've like to leave this till all team's seasons had finished, and till the last week before the GF then try and take some of the attention away from whoever's there. Bit like cantona did with his retirement just after chelsea won the cup.

Yep, that sums it up.

I don't mind signings being announced - we did it with Newton - but it's the wearing the shirt and making statements which it's fine to say when he's under contract at Warrington but not while Wakefield are still paying his wages.

Privately he can think what he likes about the club and it's staff, but it would have been rather sensible to just leave it until after our season has ended (at Old Trafford.)

100% with you on this one, not sour grapes at him going but its all bad taste to me and should be left to end of season, and to say Smith will get the best out of him (he might as well as kicked John in the nuts)saying that

Not watched it as yet, kind of know what will be said. It's a strange time for Warrington to announce the signing, that's not up to Atkins. He can't say "No I am not doing press conference and I am not wearing the Warrington top" It's something he had to do.


Seen the comments about Kear. I don’t suspect Kear will be too pleased to hear/see that, but Ryan does have a lot of respect for Smith since getting in the England team not that it makes the comment right but when players sing for a club they generally say “this coach will get the best out of me” blah blah

Erm, yes he can. He is under contract to Wakefield at this moment in time NOT Warrington. I hardly imagine they will tear up his contract should he not saying some rubbish and wear a shirt!

Don't be daft, it will be in the contract. He is the player, he can't going around demanding when he wants it to be done. Sure Wakey will have had some say in it.

As long as he gives his all, which he will then who cares?

Don't forget he did not want to leave. It was Wakey that wanted to sell.

sorry Adam but i dont believe that for one second
(not a dig at you)

He's the daft one! So Simon Moran put a gun against he head saying, "If you don't wear the shirt and say how great it is here and how much better it is than Wakefield," that they would have refused to sign him?

It's stupidity, pure and simple. Look at the quotes Terry Newton gave after signing for Wakefield. Did he slag off Steve McNamara or the Bulls. No, he didn't , because obviously he's got a club of how to act as a professional sportsman who may be moving clubs, but still knows what is politically correct and incorrect to say in the same situation.

You don't have to. It's the truth but if you don't want to believe that fair enough. Just don't want people getting the idea he wanted to leave

Now that’s just been silly. As I said it can be but into a deal when the clubs agree to delay the announcement until the end of the season.

As I’ve said I don’t exactly like the Kear comments and I don’t think many will but other than that I don’t see much wrong with what Atkins has done, but hey ho it’s another reason to have a dig at him

No, what's silly is believing that Atkins had to wear the shirt - a foolishy thing to do which he could have refused to do while under contract elsewhere - something which always riles people up and he certainly didn't have to say anything which could be construed as derogatory against Wakefield, neither of which, I imagine, it would be 'silly' to think would be in his new deal.



It's not a dig. He's, potentially, a very talented player - a good bit of business for us and Warrington. What he didn't need to do was say what he said about his current employers. That's just being stupid, especially when you think that without the backing of Kear, he may still be languishing in the Bradford reserve side, or even worse, the first team at Odsal.