Launchbury off?

[Raggs]

Rugbypass suggesting Sale could be making an offer. Also suggests he's only on £270k at the moment, which I really really struggle to believe, since we've managed to beat off Sarries a couple of times in the past.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/launchbury-moves-step-closer-to-sale-switch

[NellyWellyWaspy]

That would be a big blow.

Are we seeing the end of fixed term contracts here? Like Daly, he remains under contract. Like JCW, Launchbury cannot be a Marquee. That means, if he was to move also, a lot of the other Sale players would have to be on a lower salary, and then they too would be unhappy, and so on ...

[Rossm]

Hard to believe that £270K is correct.

[Raggs]

Launch can be marquee, though I very much doubt £270k would be worth using up a marquee slot.

[Neils]

Also can't believe the £270K figure. If as has been strongly rumoured Nathan was on £300K and turned down a 20% increase then Joe must really be on a considerable amount more (and would suggest so must Daly).

[matelot22]

Launch can be marquee, though I very much doubt £270k would be worth using up a marquee slot.

I didn't think you could use a marquee slot on a player from another premiership club?

[Raggs]

Launch can be marquee, though I very much doubt £270k would be worth using up a marquee slot.

I didn't think you could use a marquee slot on a player from another premiership club?

I mean he can be marquee for us, I now realise Nelly must have been talking about Sale. Sorry, only half thinking!

[BG]

There's quite a few things in that article that don't stack up.

Launchers was a key member of the Eng squad and also Wasps club captain so seeing as he signed a contract recently, £270k sounds way off the mark considering he was probably one of the marquee signings. Paying £270 on a marquee doesn't make sense.

If he is one of our marquee players then Sale can't nominate him as theirs, so their £500k offer is a big wage for them.

I also don't buy the fact they are way below the Salary Cap. They have some expensive backs on their books.

Lastly he is in contract so unless he has a Daly option then he can't move anyway.

If he does have a get out clause then the Wasp legal team and management need a shakedown. In my eyes the only get out clause Wasps should be offering is the one in the event of relegation a player can leave.

[Dgwasp]

Harumph - this is not good reading and I hope just his agent/Sale stirring

All decent points BG

[Fats]

This constant stream of rumors about players coming or going is becoming frankly tedious.

Why can't the whole thing be kept confidential until a short window, preferably at the end of the season, where any and all changes are announced?  If this is driven by agents then they should have to sign up to a code of conduct and keep schtum. 

[NellyWellyWaspy]

The common factor here is the press. No-one ever accused a journo ever being legal, decent and honest. It isn't in their nature.

[jamestaylor002]

I really, really hope this isn't true. I agree that rumours are just that until an official announcement but we have seen a number of rumours (Stuart and Hughes et al) leave to the very clubs they were rumoured to be moving to.
This would be a huge blow as it was evident the influence Joe has on the team when he returned for his first game back.

I suppose, having said that, if it was for money (as Sale haven't really been competing for trophies of late) I can hardly blame him. I would do the same!

[Dgwasp]

Didn't Sale offer Launch big bucks before he re-signed for us last year?

[Neils]

The common factor here is the press. No-one ever accused a journo ever being legal, decent and honest. It isn't in their nature.

And Agents trying to leverage better deals for their clients - plus of course themselves.

[Tervueren]

I though he signed a new contract a the end of 2017 so is just over a year into it. Do we think that Wasps or Joe would agree only a short contract, or that he has a get-out clause?