Agreed, apart from one thinG - occasionally some players just want out to a silverware winning club as they see it and no amount of 1873 money can change that. In these cases the club isn't to blame IMHO.

If Hardaker is worth 300k I'd certainly not let them both go for that small amount - especially as Johnstone has a very long contract. However I do agree there will be a cash figure we just can't refuse.

Just a thought regarding the 1873, and raising money through it.

Do sponsors etc, get invitation to the membership of this automatically.

If not, just think of the extra revenue that could be created, say if all the companies involved with match and player sponsorship were invited to join the scheme say at a discounted group rate.

The crux of this one is whether we can/will pay for quality young talent.
If we value MJ as a "senior" player (as opposed to regarding him s an up and coming junior, then the kind of salary being mentioned (50k) doesn't seem excessive.
However, if we are still viewing him as a junior breaking into the first team, then, the salary seems crazy.

This situation could be measured by what we would be prepared to pay a very good quality FB, like BJB or someone like Mathers (based on where he was 4/5 years ago) and if we use this measure, we should probably bite the bullet and do everything possible to keep the lad.

The other issue here is the effect that "breaking the bank" has on the rest of the squad.

There could be plenty of ruffled feathers if other squad members feel that he was getting more than they were or that he was being "overpaid".

Finally, for a young player, still finding his way, playing at a low profile club is surely better that becoming a high(ish) profile signing at one of the top clubs.
Just look at Kevin Penny.
Everyone thought he was the dog's whatsits a few seasons ago and he was being talked about as the next big thing.
His situation went badly wrong and although he is doing ok now, nobody would want to go through those 2/3 seasons in the "wilderness".

Considering how poor we are without him, I'd pay him senior player wages

I've said my piece on this plenty of times in the past - I think young players easily have their heads turned, and agents don't help; it's in their interest to shop their young charges around for the highest payout - and it matters little to them whether the lad in question gets a game or not.

So if Wire have been into Jowitt's ear for some time, as has been alluded to, I'd very much like our club to check the legalities of their approach and, if it's broken the rules, stand up to them for once. If the approach has been legal and the lad's decided to go, there'll be little we can do - we can never outbid them. I really would hate to have to say I told to you so though, when he ends up stuck behind a big que of experienced players and dual registered at Swinton.

I don't know either way but it surprises me that if Warrington are interested in Max, and someone on this board knows about it, why no one on the Warrington board has mentioned it at all.

If he's our first choice fullback then I would think we have to treat him like a senior player, that includes paying him more. We would only go and spend that money on someone else anyway. If he's the long term future we should bend over backwards to keep him.

That's how I see it as well.
Ok it will be a massive wage hike but, if he goes elsewhere, we would probably offer his replacement something similar(ish) and it makes sense to defend our position and send a message to other clubs to look elsewhere.

Our chairman has said that we are no longer a selling club, this is the first real test.

It can also depend upon whether a players sees another club as more likely to win trophies and be continually challenging.Allied to that is the more likelihood of international recognition. If a player wants away nothing will stop him, no matter how much we complain and threaten to withdraw support etc. As I look back names come into mind such as DonRobinson, Bob Haigh, David Jeanes, Dave Smith,Trevor Skerret , and all the most recent ones.

Full back is such an important position and Jowitt is the first choice full back. He needs signing up on a long term deal with a competitive salary....he is a quality player who is only going to get even better.

Max is going nowhere, see the other thread.

That's good news - thanks for clarifying.

That's great news but tbh you could substitute almost any up and coming youngster and the issue would be the same.

But, as with Jowitt, there are always extremes. Were you as bothered when Richard Goddard went to Cas as when Nigel Wright went to Wigan?