I'm not running round overjoyed but he is a decent player with a good kicking game. Strange that we are in for him and weirder that apparently he approached us. He'll do a decent job and patton can learn off him so i'm not amazed but not gonna cry about it. And it could literally be a case of he's the best of who is availble to sign. But the supposed 100k for him is a bit much but we may still have a good chunk of money left over incase another player in a different position becomes available, still would have just rather of signed Jorge Taufua and let Patton do a job for the season........Strange times my friends.

Brown is a great signing for me as its ok saying we don't need a half back, get a full back ect ect. I bet if you look back over last season and say that Gidley and Sandow were our first choice how many games did they play together ? Leaving just Patten and Gidley would mean switching players around and out of position again. Yes sign Cronk, Thurston, Johnson, but I don't see any of those knocking on the door asking to play for us. He is a creative player, a leader on the field, a talker and a thinker and comes across as a player who will help develop the likes of Patten and Smith.

I think we have an ideal member of the coaching staff to bring our half backs along in Lee Briers & i think it is a crying sin if Patton is consigned to being a bit part player again. He has done nothing wrong all season & at least he scored in the GF. We will finish up with another disillusioned young player in the quest to make it our year.

Winslade you have brought rationale and reason to the debate.

Warrington's hands were tied, up until last week Sandow was coming back and your half backs were sorted(ish) but he has dropped you in the preverbial and you had to act fast. Personally i don't think it is a very good signing (from a Wigan point of view) but who else could you have got?

Williams, Gale and other top sides' halfs are pretty much off limits this time of the season so although overpriced he is probably the best you could have got. I think Soward for 1 season would have been a better option though if he would have considered it. Gives you a full season to look for a replacement. Could have even gone down the route of taking an NRL rookie on loan for a season. The Roosters and Broncos lads seemed to do very well in recent WCC games.

I know it was a typo but i couldn't help but say that in a Brummie accent and i still came up with what you meant

Lol. I'm hapoy too

Well if true he's only got play 3-4 good games then he'd have matched Sandow's last seasons performances.Agree with some on here that this smacks of a desperate signing but having said that the club I'd guess have had to act quickly + being a man who likes the odd bet I'd put him up as being better than a lot of signings we've had in the last few years.Only time will tell.

This idea that if we sign someone it consigns Patten to the bin is a fallacy in my view. Look how often our halfbacks were injured last season. This season we will start without Ratchford and Patten, a bit of depth will do us no harm whatsoever.

I find the negativity about Brown amusing.
Widnes were top at the start of last season with him and Mellor then injuries got in the way.
Apart from relying on Dec and Gidley with occasional smatterings of Ratch and Smith no-one has suggested a viable (and available) alternative.
Who else from SL ? - given Williams is tied to the goons in 2017.
And a dependable half from NRL? Barba? Carney?

I don't think it's a slap in the face to Dec either. I can easily see him playing half the games in 2017. Given he has an injury - as does Ratch - we'd be short in numbers at the start of the season.
I've no doubt he will develop and has a great long term future at Wire.

100k? Maybe a bit steep but supply and demand.

It does make me seriously question what Widnes have planned without Brown.

Everyone seems to think it's a cert. If it isn't we could see Westerman or Penny in the halves. ??!!

1. Russel can no longer field the hight ball successfully it seems.

3. Evans/Blythe. (!)

6. Did you watch the GF?

7. Injured.

From an outsider, I think you have done well if you sign Brown, your other halfback has walked out on you at the start of pre season and let's be honest there is very little quality about, so to sign one of the better halfs who has just been playing for England doesn't look a bad short term move, Patton will get plenty of games and both can help him develop.

Dave K, couldn't agree more. He's a good signing, let's give him a chance at least.

Dave, what on earth do you think you are playing at coming on here with a sensible view? Don't you understand that in signing Brown our season is over, we are a laughing stock and we will be facing Batley in the MPG.

FWIW I think Brown for a couple of years if it goes ahead is OK and will give us cover and a chance for Patton to develop. We may be over paying if reports are accurate but there is a dearth of talent in this position and he strikes me as a guy that will come in do a job and not leave us in the lurch or upset the off field apple cart.

Im sorry Rico but the facts on Brown are very VERY clear on this one.

he doesn't turn up for the big games, he cant tackle a roast dinner, he can only pass one way and he is made of biscuit.

Quote ="morleys_deckchair"Im sorry Rico but the facts on Brown are very VERY clear on this one. he doesn't turn up for the big games, he cant tackle a roast dinner, he can only pass one way and he is made of biscuit.'" Here are some independent facts on Mr Brown that suggest otherwise.... www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... ayer_stats Enjoy!!!

Quote ="morleys_deckchair"Im sorry Rico but the facts on Brown are very VERY clear on this one. he doesn't turn up for the big games, he cant tackle a roast dinner, he can only pass one way and he is made of biscuit.'" Here are some independent facts on Mr Brown that suggest otherwise.... www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... ayer_stats Enjoy!!!

No need to apologise MD it's all about opinion and although Brown wouldn't have been on my Christmas shopping list it's all about making the best of the situation we find ourselves in, Sandow walks out, Patton and Ratchford injured.

The biggest factor for me is time being against us (if he signs) any more prevarication and it would have been a bit like me waltzing around the M&S lingerie department on 23rd Dec after a few after work beers, looking for that ideal gift for Mrs Rico. Sure she'll look good in apricot chiffon who doesn't and I know she's an 8 but 10 will be alright and she can always take it back it's the thought that counts hic!!

Quote ="wiretillidie30"Here are some independent facts on Mr Brown that suggest otherwise.... www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... ayer_stats Enjoy!!!'" Quote ="moving on..."If Kevin Brown can't put half a shift in behind a pack that consists of: Graham, Hodgeson, Hill, Whitehead, Bateman and Burgess then that kind of shows just how below average he is. Couldn't tackle a roast dinner, can only pass one way and made of biscuit. But that's ok.... Because he's got a mint kicking game. Jesus wept.'"

Quote ="wiretillidie30"Here are some independent facts on Mr Brown that suggest otherwise.... www.rugby-league.com/superleague ... ayer_stats Enjoy!!!'" Quote ="moving on..."If Kevin Brown can't put half a shift in behind a pack that consists of: Graham, Hodgeson, Hill, Whitehead, Bateman and Burgess then that kind of shows just how below average he is. Couldn't tackle a roast dinner, can only pass one way and made of biscuit. But that's ok.... Because he's got a mint kicking game. Jesus wept.'"

I like Brown
Good club man...not a journeyman as someone said. I don't think he initially asked to go to Huddersfield.

Behind a dominant pack he plays like a seasoned Briers.
I think you'll find him in the running with Hill and Clark for MOS.

We were only a Mitch Dodds off winning the treble last season with more than half a seasons games without our first choice halves.
You put Brown in and a pack at least 2 qualities stronger..... I think you can see a formula there!!

Wire to sweep the board and finish LL with 3 games to go....and win the WCS bridesmaid game.

Not far off the mark there, Duckie.

You've just shown me a list where he doesn't even appear in the top 50 SL players of 2016 and when filtered to just Widnes he sits in 17th position out of 31.

His stats per game (26 appearances) on a mean average work out at:

Try assists - 1
Tackles - 13
Tackles from marker - 1
Missed Tackles - 2
Tackle busts - 1
Attacking kicks - 6
Carries - 10
Meters - 5.3
clean breaks - 0.4
Scoots from dummy half - 0.1
Errors - 1
40/20's - 0.07
Offloads - 0.7
Penalties - 1

As a quick fix player brought in on loan yeah I get it. But spending 100k on a full contract? Sorry not for me.

I understand people will have different opinions and I am guilty of thinking I know best so lets just agree to disagree and if he does sign I hope he does well, but I'm still underwhelmed.

Has he signed?

Moving on, who would your choice be from who is available?

No

I just said. As a 3/4 month loan deal to tide us over I'd take him. As an actual signing I wouldn't take anyone.