In my opinion, Tim Smith is one of if not the best scrum half in the league.
Certainly the best at what he does.

Of course other teams want him. That's why he is under contract with us.

He could have got more money in Oz, even playing for a lower level team but he decided to come here to give his career a chance and a boost.
I think he has succeeded in doing that.

So, I can't see him just jumping for money.
Saying that....everybody has a price, but if he has, we need a fee that will represent his value to us, not his value to Salford.
I would want enough money to be able to go buy Danny Brough or Rob Burrow, not just enough to pay some wages, but enough to buy out contracts.

So in my opinion, MK doesn't have that money....and if he does, he might as well just go buy Danny Brough.

All very understandable, but I suspect any transfer fee wouldn't be going on wages, let alone buying out contracts.

I think you are over-simplifying the process.

For one thing, your valuation of Smith will be very different from your Clubs valuation of him. RL Clubs are not exactly awash with money right now. If a Club came in and offered a decent sum the Club would have to consider it. That sum could very well be lower than what you imagine for a multitude of reasons.

Spot on.

Also with the retention of Paul Sykes I doubt we'd be keeping him if we were going to let Timmy go. But Tim and Chase would be a cracking partnership IMO.

I'm suggesting that is what it should be.
Whetehr we settle for less is another issue and your point is perfectly valid......I just hope it doesn't happen

Yes, but that says he has an extension until 2015. His original contact was 3 years starting 2012, so it looks like next season will still be in the first post-Crusaders contract he signed.

You might not have to worry about Smith joining Salford as a few rows from me at the match tonight was Jarrod Sammut in hospitality, he could be the player we were talking to? Makes sense really as Bradford look to be in abit of financial trouble again and Noble coached him at the Celtic Crusaders.

If Tim Smith goes, he goes...nothing we can do about it. What id be screaming about is if we got a cash sum for him, saved on what is probably a 75k+ wage, and didnt reinvest it in another quality half back....as a pose to pocketing the majority of the cash and either buying someone cheap or giving someone like lee smith the 7 shirt.

How we manage the loss of our top players is important to me.

How about a World Cup winning halfback, although better known as a hooker and a little long in the tooth.

Nathan Fien?

Yes, that's the 2nd part of the 'story' I was told