Widdop signs with Dragons.

[1999]

Meh, between mann, mcghan and hampton we have the cream of the next generation 5/8's at our disposal. 550k for gaz is WAY overs lol

[Turtle188]

Now I'll have to put up with the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the missus when I get home tonight. I have tried to explain to her that the salary cap creates these situations and players move on.

There is plenty of young talent that she can latch onto next year and on.

Personally, I wish Gaz good luck with his move and the Storm will roll on regardless.

[yourhero]

I guess the question now is, seeing as both Gaz and Finch are not long term solutions, do we now play the best option each week and not just automatically select Gaz as he was our long term 5/8 option and had a lot of investment in him?

No... we're trying to win a comp, and you pick the best player in your squad for that game. Why sacrifice this year in any way?

Winning the comp is paramount and we should only be worried about this season and not next.

My point being, when Finch was signed, all the talk was of Finch not replacing Widdop because Widdop was the "future" and establishing himself in the halves.

Now that he is headed elsewhere, the reasons for keeping Finch out of the 6 jersey are null and void. Finch isn't a long term solution but a strong argument could be made that he is our best option in 2013.

For the record, I think a number a number of Storm fans held this belief long before Widdop decided to go elsewhere, it was the prospect of building a long term halves combination that saw support for Widdop playing ahead of Finch.

Definitely not sour grapes at all, I am in all honesty completely happy for Gaz. Just thinking/posing the question of what our best option is now that the game has changed. I haven't seen Finch play NSW Cup this year but from all reports he has been strong. Thoughts?

[Diehard_Storm]

Talk of not playing Gaz this year because he won't be hear next year is just stupid.

The guy is a star ball player and will give 100pc. And if he doesn't then Bellamy will address it as per normal.

But you don't chop off your nose to spite your face.

The undercards of McGahan and Hampton and co. now have a clear opportunity to progress towards and may the best man win.

[steaming stormer]

valid point on Finch... but I still think Gaz is ahead of him these days

[Inglis#3]

Not at all bitter with Widdop, he deserved a pay-rise and it looks like he has received one. Hopefully we can send him off with another premiership.

[StormHibs]

Something needs to be done about the timing of these transfer deals. We now have a player who is leaving.
When I played soccer in UK when we new a player had signed a better deal at a new club it changed the dynamic. Where we never doubted their effort or commitment, as I don't doubt Gareth's - it does change everyone's attitude to them in a small way , that does affect team collective performance. Specially when it's such a crucial position

[Ice]

Now Fairfax are reporting it's over $600k a season

[Ice]

Something needs to be done about the timing of these transfer deals. We now have a player who is leaving.
When I played soccer in UK when we new a player had signed a better deal at a new club it changed the dynamic. Where we never doubted their effort or commitment, as I don't doubt Gareth's - it does change everyone's attitude to them in a small way , that does affect team collective performance. Specially when it's such a crucial position

I agree the timing of transfer deal are bullshit as i'm sure the vast majority do including players and clubs but i can't see it changing in a hurry. As for if how this will affect our blokes i honestly don't it will in any major way, we're far too professional and focussed for it to be a problem IMO.

I'm just glad it's over and done with early in the season and it didn't drag on like it does sometimes which i think is a much bigger distraction. I'm much more worried about the rep season that's upon us which as we know all too well is a hell of a lot more disruptive to us than anything else that might be happening.

[storm77]

Happy for GW but boy did they over pay. The average salary for next season for your top 25 is $252000. Therefore the dragons believe that GW is worth more then twice the average. We all like him a lot and there is every chance he is going to be a two time ring winner by the end of the year but he has not shown that he is a chief play-maker. A strong number 2 but not a number one. Hope he does well but I am very happy we didn't try to match that offer and I hope we were nowhere close.

[yourhero]

Talk of not playing Gaz this year because he won't be hear next year is just stupid.

Says the bloke who either didn't fully read my post, or understand it?

The guy is a star ball player

I would say he is a star ruuning 5/8, a decent ball player and an average play kicker. He often pushes the pass unnecessarily a'la in the Souths game to Hoffman.

But you don't chop off your nose to spite your face.

Again, my question was not one out of spite. I was clear on that.

[blazza18]

This really has hit me much differently than I expected. Sad to lose a key part of the team so young.


I'm fine with Gaz playing out the rest of the season. I just wonder if Bellamy will name his replacement for next season on the bench a few times throughout the rest of the season.

[Woody]

Sad to see Gaz go but with a young family who could blame him for not knocking back that sort of coin, ( although of all the clubs to go to did it really have to be that bunch of dead____s?) Anyway, I hope he does well and I have no doubt we have someone waiting in the wings who will step up to the plate

[mattstormy]

I saw this coming but wasn't expecting it to be announced today. Good luck to Gaz for next year, since Soward is going to Penrith this will make him the dominant player for once (the Dragons have had history of having five-eighth as the dominant playmaker - Barrett, Soward and Widdop next year). I'm glad he made his decision quickly though and we can focus on the rest of the season, however the money he has signed for is way too much. There is no way the Storm would have challenged that price.

[Bourbon Rat]

Signing with St Merge
Moving a young family to the RL media cesspool
Tragic mistake