You are correct, but I also think you have failed to recognise the additional stuff that Michaels brings to the party. This years team appear from the outside to extremely close knit bunch. A TEAM in every sense of the word. Motu and Radders have looked at all aspects of recruitment. So just because a player may be better in some people's opinions than others, I think we are looking at things as a whole. How an individual will gel within the culture of the club. Hence why I would suggest as an example we wouldn't look at Kelly from Rovers. Also why we have sold or ditched Westerman, Crooks, Lineham et al.

Michaels is a good solid player. Never lets us down and importantly is well respected by his peers. Sio maybe an equal. Naiqama I don't know, but his injury record is a concern for me, going by what I've read.

Michaels brought more to the table on the field than say Pritchard, I suggest we bin off pritchards deal instead and put the huge pot to good use getting a world beater in the 6 position with the ridiculous money we are paying him. He's not exactly a fantastic quality player after-all!
Can't beleive some people, have no appreciation for what SM did for us this season and last (including a try saving tackle at wembley)
Michaels can play adeptly on either wing and in the centres, he's a bloody good tackler and takes the ball up very well indeed and is solid under the high ball.
He also never goes missing, he's another 100%er and not signing him now after he stated himself the deal was done well over a month ago would be disgraceful.

If he does put pen to paper would your outrage be better channelled in giving him the respect of spelling his surname correctly in any further relevant posts?

I think your underestimating the influence Pritchard had around training and the whole camp. Sometimes a team just needs a magic spark to bring it to life and make it bond and i believe Pritchard did just that for FC. He hasnt had the greatest season but having him in the ranks lifts the whole club. Hopefully he'll have settled in a bit better next season and his game will lift - we'd be a weaker club without him whilst losing Michaels wouldnt really make any difference at all (and i like the guy) as we have plenty who can play where he does

And you know how to quantify this how exactly?
How can you know what influemnce off the field has had any impact on the field, certainly his on field input has being massively dissapointing for a near £400,000 salary don't you think?
And I did say on-field in any case. ATEOTD it was a retort to those stating Michaels was not a fantastic player, like for like Michaels is worth far more/offers greater VFM money than Pritchard does, a LOT more.
So if as some have said no sentimentality regarding Michaels and the club now fook him off (which would be a sh itty thing to do at this juncture)I'd rather see Pritchard go as he qualifies on the same basis of not being 'fantastic'.

Not the same basis, pritchard is still on a contract

I'm so glad that Adam, motu & old toothless don't listen to you.
Do you surely not see what they are trying to add to our squad? They are going to fetch in a better outside back then Micheals, why would we want to move a world class forward that is contracted anyway & that still cost us, Micheals has been very good but Radders wants better, like yeamo & griffin, like Miller & Sneyd, like fonua & crooks. You following?

You saying michaels aint signing now? A bit tty on Pearson if you are

This is difficult to quantify, but I think you are absolutely bang on the money with this Seb.
He has brought a kind of magic, he's helped bond the players indeed the club. He's been a catalyst for much of the upturn in fortunes, and though we may be disapointrd when thinking back to how the doggies fans were convinced he'd tear it up over here, he hasn't been bad, just less than we'd hoped.
We are far stronger as a team and a club with Frank Pritchard in B&W

Michaels is a steady player, not as good as Knockers makes out, won't let you down, but lacks parts his game to be a top winger, if there is a better player available that will improve us, then tough decisions have to be made.

I would hope that Steve doesn't start this year and we have a winger with pace and a bit more skill rather than heart, as we have that on the other wing, so the question is do we use a quota spot on a back up winger, I suppose it depends on who the two players we are after are from.

Pritchard is under contract and has a lot more potential as we have seen in glimpses, I reckon he could do really well next year, after a year of settling in, be part of the field and played a big part in getting us our first win at Wembley.

I think that say exactly what I find it hard to put into words really it's not just the commercial aspect of such an iconic guy as far as the kids are concerned but his impact on the squad as a whole and on the feel of the group is immense and he could well have a good second year as many imports often do. Good post