Quote Dave K.="Dave K."So let me get this right because a player is leaving at the end of thecseason, halfway through the season, clubs should drop these players and play other players in preparation for the next season.
I dare anyone to start a thread on the Wigan board saying they should drop Richards for the rest of the season to get another player ready for next year.
I'm really glad some on here don't run rugby clubs.'"
No, it's about weighing up what you'd lose by not playing Briscoe with what you'd gain by playing Crookes, and on Tom's form this year it's not that big an imbalance.
I'd expect most clubs make this kind of decision around players that are leaving and I'd imagine a few that are rubbishing Paul's post probably wanted Ben Crooks to play instead of Jordan Turner last year.
If Tom moves to another SL club then it's understandable that the fans will not be impressed as he won't be showing the loyalty that they want from players. And by choosing rivals like Leeds or Wigan it's a kick in the teeth for fans that believe (rightly or wrongly) that we'll be challenging those teams very soon and he's being impatient.
If he goes to an NRL club it's more about a personal challenge against the best players in the world, which is more acceptable to fans than moving to a team in a competition he's already proven himself in.
I expect that once a decision is made and in the public domain, Tom will return to the form that has made him Super League's most explosive winger, and the best player we've produced in a long time.
