hock signed 2 yr deal + option,apparently there was lots of interest from australia.

Wire were the big offerers over here...
Chin up to them!

Can't wait to get him back!

Well we have had rumours of a 5 year deal now 2 with an option.

Despite what some say about him I will be happy to have him back at the club but only as a Prop.

Why prop? He was one of the best SR's in the World before his ban.

Only in the eyes of the blind in my opinion.

Do not get me wrong he did some very good stuff from time to time, but his decision making was poor and he was also lazy.

Gaz Hock will never be a highly skilled forward, he has his moments but for every good moment there were several bad moments.

What Hock brings to the table as a rugby player is aggression and his physical gifts of pace and power, he will never be a great decision maker.

Playing him at Prop he cannot be lazy, his best spell for Wigan in my opinion came when he was played at 13 and had to up his work rate. He is a strong runner and he needs to use this more, not hang on the fringes waiting for the ball to come to him.

We have massive strength in the backrow and personally I feel Tomkins is much nearer the final finished product now than Hock ever was. If Hock is ever to reach his potential as a player for me he must play Prop, and from what i hear regarding his training and the way he is being handled I feel the club agree.

Hock prior to his ban was drifting all the ability in the world but not the endeavour, I feel his ban will be the best thing that ever happened to him as a player and Wigan will benefit by having one of the finest front row forwards in the game once he gets his match fitness back.

good post

I think hock will make a great prop especially after seeing him lately, he is massive! Got the feeling he will come back stronger than ever and wouldnt want him playing against us. He owes us big time after what happened. Cant wait to see him in action next year.

Does anyone know wether a club/player can negotiate/sign a contract whilst a drug ban is in place?
I was under the impression that a banned player couldn't have any professional contact with a sports club, I'm just curious if anyone does know the rules. Thanks!

He'd be a great mobile prop, replacement for feka perhaps?

Imagine Gareth Hock with the physique of Karl Pryce. That would be a scary prospect for defenders

I've always said the best props were converted second rowers. Examples of this are McTigue, Clawson, Platt, Kevin Ward and Les Boyd. The extra speed this brings to the prop forward position is vital. So, Hock moving to prop seems a good idea, especially if he has bulked up.

Fair points but I still think he is more powerful out-wide than in the middle.

Glad we've signed him up, I think he actually is sorry for what he has done and I hope this can only benefit us.

Our pack is looking good for a good few years
O'Carroll, Prescott, Farrell, Mossop, Hock, Hansen, O'Loughlin, Riddell.

All that's missing from that list is a world class prop, which I'm sure Madge has already seen

How have we signed him up i though we were not allowed to discuss anything while hw is banned (apart from anti drugs awareness programmes)?

Hock cannot "sign" a deal with any club until his ban runs out, which is one year away.

so none recently? the game has moved on since those days, nowadays 2nd rowers who turn into props only tend to do it cos they have lost a bit of pace.

Hock was devastating last season when running out wide and drawing in the centres to make space for our centre and wing, back row is deffo the position for him

Peacock, Coley, Morley, Mason (Willie, not Huddersfield's [iEnforcer[/i)

He has probably just agreed to the deal in principle as have people have said it cant be officially signed until his ban is up. Lets hope hes royally ed off with himself and comes back angry and ready to put himself about

Out of interest, does the ban stipulate anything about signing a sort of agreement which says he will sign for the club when he's eligible to?

Personally, I would think that he CAN sign a deal now.

If not, he would be free from his ban in 12 months, but still be officially unable to play due to not having a deal in place. That could be construed as a restraint of trade.

There is no reason that he can't sign a deal with a professional club with a start date of the day that his ban expires.

Its not a restraint of trade as he falls directly under the rules governing players that have been banned for drug taking. Rules are clear he cant have contact with any Rugby team until his ban expires. Wether he has had an agreement in place since or after the ban is another matter. No official word will come until the ban expires.

When is he free to play?
Is it 2 years from when he was first suspended following the positive A test or from the b test and the ban. They were some time apart, maybe six weeks or so!
Anyone know?

From the A sample.

You would think so wouldnt you? If that isnt the case and somebody took that to a court of law they would win hands down. Just because somebody has made a mistake and been banned for doing something illegal it doesnt mean his life ends and he cant plan a future. They even let prisoners in jail plan what they are going to do when they get out!

That's a very good post mate. And Hock is definately very much in the Peacock sort of mould, who also went from backrow to Prop.