Usually it is players who try and get out of contracts and fans complain. Interesting development at our team where we are "releasing" contracted players. When it happened with Hicks I seem to recall that we paid him off before the season started and therefore he didn't count ont he salary cap.
So 1) how do you persuade a contracted player to leave
2) do "sweeteners" not count if paid at right time
3) Chris Hicks was released to allow J Monaghan in, can we read into this that there is a master plan for the coming season?

I wouldn't have thought it hard to 'persuade' a player to leave: if they don't think they will play much, and have an alternative club where you'll get more game time, same pay, and in England's case not have to drive across the M62 every day, it's probably not too hard a decision.

I don't see that we'd need to give a 'sweetener', which would count under the cap-we've no space this year (see Grix/Sandow issue), and wouldn't want to use up next year's space (though could in theory).

I reckon there's probably some recruitment in the offing. 'Something' is better than nothing, when it comes to players, and I can't see why we'd let England go just to save a few quid if there wasn't a reason. It could of course just be that we had the chance to get rid now, don't really see it as too big a loss, and does give us more flexibility to do some deal later (a la Sandow this year).

It must be a nightmare to manage TBH, and I don't envy the clubs for having to deal with the issues the cap presents (when you're at the limit).

NtW not sure how Joel M fits into your theory? Big contract and clearly not chuffed to be on his way?

Maybe there was a 'break clause' in his contract, or some kind of 'option'. I wouldn't be surprised if these are kicking around quite a bit, given the issues I referred to earlier about difficulties managing the cap. Especially with older players, or those who might be a 'risk'.

Maybe Joel isn't chuffed, I wouldn't know. However, I'd argue he can't have too much beef with a club that gave him a lifeline at a bad point in his career (which he has acknowledged himself), gave him a platform to show his skills, paid him well (presumably) and helped him pick up a few medals.

I must admit I had England and O'Brien more in mind in replying originally. But I've no doubt it's a complicated business with all these dealings!

I'd imagine Joel will command a fairly tasty salary wherever he goes. Probably not as tasty as if he'd been on the market six months ago though.

I think that the finishing touches to Joe Westermans transfer were completed yesterday so you may have had to release England to help acommodate him.

I was going off his comment reported in the Guardian before the Saints match, I have no personal knowledge. Significantly no news of him signing elsewhere.

As far as I know, the 'pay off' doesn't count on either seasons salary cap, as long as it's paid at the right time, I.e after the season has finished.

With regards to Joel, the upside to him will be he can look for a two year deal now, with a pay off from us in his back pocket. If he'd had stayed for his final year with us, I think he would have retired at the end of 2016.

I think there are a couple of good signings still to come in following this exercise of clearing space on the cap. JMonas, Grix, O'Brien, England and possibly Wheeler should have made a lot of room for two quality signings surely?

Prop / loose and a right centre please, then it's squad complete.

We were fully capped at the end of the season, which included sending Grixy out to Wakefield. So
In:
Gidley
Lineham
Dodds
Hughes

Out:
Asotasi
Monaghan
Myler
Bridge
Grix
O' Brien
England

I'd say we've still roughly got a Monaghan sized space and maybe another filler as well.

All contracts such as these have termination for convenience clauses which cater for this event. Typically they are bi-lateral such that the player can "buy" themselves out of the contract as well as the club.