Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:11 am  

wardleyred wrote:

Something serious wrong deep down at our great club,ffs how many more good young players are we gonna loose??? even when we offer em decent money contracts they choose to leg it!!!

Jesus, you'll start listening to Leonard Cohen next and we'll never hear from you again! Although with your constant negativity, I do have a copy of his Greatest Hits you can borrow......

There is nothing wrong at the club it is purely that we aren't a big club. Big clubs can attract players from small clubs/clubs in transition. Simples. It's the way of the world. We just have to deal with it and move on.

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:05 am  

Singapore Steeps wrote:

Jesus, you'll start listening to Leonard Cohen next and we'll never hear from you again! Although with your constant negativity, I do have a copy of his Greatest Hits you can borrow......

There is nothing wrong at the club it is purely that we aren't a big club. Big clubs can attract players from small clubs/clubs in transition. Simples. It's the way of the world. We just have to deal with it and move on.

Spot on.

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 6:12 am  

So that's where my Leonard Cohen CD went!
Hallelujah.
Good post.
There needs to be more reality,if he has gone for less money then he is putting his career first; we hammer them for being greedy when they just go for the money. You can't have it both ways.
Good luck to him.
We are a club in transition. Myler left Widnes for us,he left us for Warrington. Seems logical to me.
We all want to return to the days when we were the destination of choice.
Look to The Future ( track 2)

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 7:56 am  

sally cinnamon wrote:

If you think losing Myler and Ratchford is annoying then think what a kick in the teeth it was to produce Harris and Sculthorpe in our own Academy then watch them being pinched by other clubs and go on to win 3 Man of Steels and 5 Super League titles between them.

In that case, I would expect Wire fans to act with a little more integrity that they are doing.

sally cinnamon wrote:

Warrington are now in a position where we can be in a position to compete for talented players but we know what it was like to be in the situation Salford are in and if Salford's stadium move goes well like ours did, and Salford start to get some good solid revenue in, Salford will do exactly the same, they will be competing for other young players, they wouldn't just leave them at their home club on principle....in fact Salford already took Myler and Robinson from other clubs.

Not really comparing like for like - Myler was without a club, and Robinson was surpless to requirements at Wigan. Salford were extremely keen to keep both Myler & Ratchford.

sally cinnamon wrote:

Also I don't buy this line that Warrington can't develop their own talent - we might not have produced as much as Saints, Wigan or Leeds say, but we've produced Paul Wood, Harrison and Riley who are all decent players, that record matches up at least as well as what Salford have produced in the same time period. What Warrington have also done quite successfully is picked up young players from other clubs who showed talent but maybe had question marks about them, like Briers, Bridge and Westwood, and these guys have gone on to be top players with us. I would put Ratchford in that category (also Atkins). He's not a Harris or Scully type signing, he's a young player with talent but question marks.

These players have hardly been 'picked up'. With the exception of Briers, the rest have been poached with $$$ from weaker teams who would have dearly liked to have kept them.

Anyway, I hope it works out well for all three parties. Good luck Stefan. Break a leg...

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:06 am  

Lord Tony Smith wrote:

Are you plain stupid?

Warrington's signings from Salford:

Richie Myler
Stefan Ratchford

Salford signings from Warrington:

Adam Neal
Vinnie Anderson
Richie Barnett
Ian Sibbit
Mike Wainwright

That's just off the top of my head.

They even took Alan Hunte off us a while back

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 10:15 am  

Lord Tony Smith wrote:

Are you plain stupid?

Warrington's signings from Salford:

Richie Myler
Stefan Ratchford

Salford signings from Warrington:

Adam Neal
Vinnie Anderson
Richie Barnett
Ian Sibbit
Mike Wainwright

That's just off the top of my head.

Slightly different though, most of the players coming our way were either older players coming to the end of their careers or players not quite good enough for you team, apart from Adam Neal. Ratchford and Myler are both prospective England players for the next 10 years who we did everything within our power to keep.

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 12:27 pm  

RATCHFORD READY FOR 'MASSIVE MOVE'


Warrington have confirmed the signing of Salford stand-off Stefan Ratchford for next season.

Salford City Reds revealed on Tuesday they expected the 23-year-old to join the Wolves when his contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

Ratchford, who will link up with his former Reds half-back partner Richie Myler at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, has signed a three-year deal with the Wolves.

Ratchford said: "It was a really tough decision having been at Salford for so many years but over the last few seasons Warrington have shown that they are heading in the right direction, winning Challenge Cup finals.

"I met (coach) Tony Smith a few years ago with England and he's doing very well with Warrington at present.

"I'm hoping working with Tony will help benefit my game and I can kick on to the next level.

"I am sad to be leaving Salford but this is a massive move for me and I'm looking forward to next year."

Ratchford made his Salford debut back in 2007 and was a key member of the Championship-winning side the fopllowing year.

He has made 103 appearances so far for the Reds in his four seasons at the Willows.

Warrington coach Smith said: "I'm very excited about working with Stefan.

"He's shown what a talented young player he is for a number of years now.

"I know how keen he is to succeed and how ambitious he his which suits the environment, and mix of talent and ambition already here at Warrington."

Ratchford's signing suggests Warrington view him as a potential long-term replacement for Lee Briers, who agreed a new contract until the end of 2012 earlier this year.

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 12:38 pm  

Good Luck to him, although I really wish it was any other club than Warrington.
Salford could not at present offer him trophies or even the position he wants to play in so it is a good move for him.
All Salford have to do now is kick on and win something to show Stefan how wrong he was.

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 1:59 pm  

good to see he admits to meeting Tony Smith, more tapping than a shunters yard.

Re: Ratchford : Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:10 pm  

I have 2 Sons playing at Salford, if they asked for my advice, which they probably wouldnt, i would definitely advise them to stay put, i can only see exciting things happening at Salford over the next few years, with the new stadium, the seemingly new fab coach and all the great coaches at the academy. Maybe Steph is a little too old for this and wants too fast track now, my boys are younger and i beleive are going to benefit massively by the new adventures ahead. I wish Steph all the luck in the world and thank him for his services during his time with us, there are plenty of lads coming through to step into his shoes. Onwards and upwards, only good times ahead.