Never going to get a real shot is he
Hodgson off to Wire next year, can't see space for Mathers there
Have to feel sorry for him

well no, hes a bad player he doesnt deserve the wire NO.1 shirt any way, i would have had riley at full back with king and hicks on the wing

He's been given a fair shot, but Smith knows like the rest of us that he simply isnt good enough for a top half team...

Frankly, who gives a toss.

I used to feel sorry for Mathers for all the poop he took from sections of our fans. He always gave it all he had.

However some of the rubbish he has spouted since he has been at wire, including the up yours to Wigan fans, the constant dummy spitting on Twitter and his spouting off in the press. Have led me to think HA HA.

He is a nobody pure and simple

Hang on, i thought Warrington supporters thought Mathers was the best thing since sliced bread?

Paying Warrington that money to take Mathers off our hands was fantastic business.

...Getting Gleeson was a bonus.

Only the stupidist one-eyed fan would think that the deal was anything less than fantastic business for all concerned. We got a full-back and £100k for a centre who had no desire to be at our club since the day he was signed; Wigan got rid of a player who was simply the wrong player in the wrong club; Martin Gleeson got to play for his home town club (and some would argue away from the new disciplined structure Tony Smith brought to the club...); and Richie Mathers got to escape from his Wigan nightmare and play yet again under a coach who knew how he operated. Win Win all round.

As it turns out things maybe haven't worked out as they could - although he certainly isn't the disastrous player people make out. He wasn't even that bad for you but was on a loser once the fans turned on him (was he seen as a replacement for Radlinkski when he signed? May have contributed to him being on a hiding to nothing); and unfortunately the same is happening at Wire. He's a classic confidence player who has no confidence at the moment...

RichardMathers need I say more....!! all I can do is enjoy everyday left in 2010!

As poor as Mathers is I can't understand Wire signing a 32 year old on a two year deal.

Not sure on that one because Hodgson is top draw tbh.

They're looking after the short term as they always seem to do but when you can keep coming up with these amazing bits of salary cap managment why not do that!

If Warrington looking back are satisfied with the inclusion of a 26 year old Mathers as part of the deal then they wouldn't now be going to such lengths to acquire a new 32 year old, short term fullback, would they?

I'm with you on that one...

Because a 35-year old Hodgson will still be better than Mathers?

I do understand the Giants only offering him one year, though.

mathers was an improvement on what we had..... BH will be an improvement on mathers...

It's called progression.

We have a young fullback who will go on to be the no1 in a few years.. a few years mentoring from BH cant hurt him either..... so the long term fullback problem is already solved.

may as well sign the best fullback in SL if he is available.

I guess you had to look at what was available - didn't we also ask for Goulding or Tomkins & get knocked back on those? All clubs make mistakes in signings - how many seasons has Stuart Fielden been an expensive flop for you since saving you from relegation with half a decent season & remembering this year how to play front row? How old is Piggy Riddle compare to Micky Higham & in hindsight has that worked out for the best?

Mathers did a job for us last year, we had no FB when he signed & he helped us lift the Challenge Cup. I guess now Tony Smith has decided he wants someone better who has become available...

How many young lads get let down over the years not being good enough?

Lots and most of them are better than him so this thread is pointless

Riddell is younger than Higham and has been a big improvement on him at Wigan. The three years at Wigan with Higham at hooker were our worst in terms of number of tries scored.

Well with cash involved both clubs will have their opinions of the deals.

Either way, I think both clubs thought they could get the Mathers of Leeds back but it's just not going to happen?

Fair enough!

I guess those two knee injuries have just caught up with him

Good signing for Wire, IMO at the moment they are a good fullback away from being a champion team, if Hodgson can replicate last years Hudds form and stay away from any serious injurys for them they will be hard to stop next year. (they might actually beat saints

)

lets not get carried away now....

Who's going to take Mathers on now? Found out at Wigan and Warrington, it'd have to be a pretty desperate club to sign him up.

Hodgson is a good short term signing for Wire - if only to stop their fans going on about us signing over the hill Aussies and denying young lads first team places.