That's they way I see it, can't deny I'd love to see just how good he could be playing in that environment playing against the best week in week out.

sharks looking over their shoulder for the dragons in the race to the top 8? ha ha ha
the dragons wingers have been our only shining light this year - so he may struggle to get into the first team as it sits at the moment

ad he would look great in the red v SG?

Even though he'd struggle to get a game in front of this season's shining light wingers Ding Dong (who looks shocked every time he catches a bomb) & Pereira...or Saab who's just a poor mans Daniel Tupou...do me a favouricon_smile.gif

If we put a clause in it needs to be if still under contract we get first refusal and if out of contract we get first refusal. There could be a difference. If the project didn’t work and the dragons allowed him to leave more than likely they probably wouldn’t command a fee they would probably want him off their books freeing cap space

The difference is if he's out of contract it's up to him what he does, he'll be a free agent.

We still might be able to add a clause that once his contract is either broken or run down that we get first refusal even if out of contract. This has happened in union and football.

I think T J would get into the dragons side no problem but would his body stand up to the physicality of the NRL. Suppose there's only one way to find out I hope he stays here but good luck to him if he goes. He will leave us with some memorable and breathtaking finishes.

How does that work if he's out of contract, firstly if he leaves it's most likely because we are a selling club and have cashed in as per, secondly once the buying club have had their use of him they will either sell him early or get the best deal they can for themselves or just run his contract down which makes him a free agent to do as he wants, if and it's a big IF Johnstone gives Wakey first refusal it will be be out of loyalty to the club nothing more, could you possibly give an example where it happens in union or football.

That's right. I hope he does commit to such a thing, but hard to see where Wakey would find marquee-level wages of the kind he'd command if he did have a successful few years in NRL.

It's not a case of having a player under contract, it's a case of retaining his SL registration.

That could only count for the length of time left on his current contract with us( which is the end of 2022 i believe) so he'd have to leave after a year for it to count, but even then it would need a transfer fee whist ever he is under contract at St George. After that he is a free agent and able to ply his trade wherever he wishes.

No, a registration can be retained, though I pretend to know the mechanics and legalities of the process.

For example, Iestyn Harris was "registered" by his old SL club and the new SL club had to buy him out, upon his return from RU.

I think John Bateman was the same with Wigan - if he came back to any other UK club, they would to buy his registration from Wigan.

Not really. The Harris one was due to him playing a different sport so the contract expiry time wasn’t activated until he had played his remaining RL contract time out. The RFL and NRL have reciprocal agreements on things like contracts, bans etc (see Ben Barba having to serve a ban when he arrived) which means if he played two years out there then no agreement would stand.

As for Bateman that was a different deal entirely. He signed a new contract to start on his return. This explains it. rlhttps://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/rugby-league-news/john-bateman-signs-nrl-deal-1874312.amprl

We could do something like that but i doubt the finances stack up.