All comes down to cap space and what they offer for that % of cap. SOL as a player/coach with little cap space similar to Deacs in 2010 would be a big asset IMO because I still believe we look a far better side with him in the team

Is this true? I was told the dispensation for home grown players was stopped.

It has, aswell as the player being there a long time dispensation

He would be definitely but there has to come a ‘passing of the torch’ moment. Personally I don’t think it will be this year, he’s had a good break due to CV19 and will probably be good to go in 2021. We do look better but we also need to look towards the future.

Something which is starting to stand out from the games over recent weekends is that players are dropping like flies with injuries. It could be a coincidence, but the COVID disruptions in conjunction with the rule changes which are speeding the game up lead me to think that it probably isn't. This is before the schedule starts getting jam packed with the rearranged fixtures.

Having strength in depth is going to be even more important this year than it usually is, and even if Havard/Byrne and the others are going along fine just now, having SO'L to come in could really easily be the difference between winning a trophy this season and not.

The rule changes after lockdown and mid season were baffling IMO. Next season would have been far better. Just as an aside, I’m getting sick to death of the rules constantly being tinkered with. Just leave the game as it is for goodness sake, the NRL, SL and international all play under different rules yet we sit and wonder why no one takes RL seriously.

Agree that they should have left it until next season but disagree about us not continuing to evolve the rules. It's kind of like the law IMO, the players and coaches keep finding new ways to exploit the rules so the rule-makers keep needing to amend the rules to keep up with them. I think most people agree that the '6 again' rule has been a good addition, and I'm sure you will agree that we needed to change the rules to stop players deliberately playing the ball into the defender on the floor or throwing the ball at offside players for a cheap penalty.

If they're constantly thinking of tweaking rules, they should definitely bring this one back:

[urlhttps://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/mole-brisbane-broncos-chairman-karl-morris-sacking-pressure-wayne-bennett-return/bf192c04-f5cd-415b-97ee-77d0a1f951d5[/url

They tried this late 80s/early 90s when we were winning everything. Didn't work. We kept the opposition pinned down in their own half, got the ball back on the halfway line then racked up another try. At least with the scored against team kicking off the scoring team has to go the full length of the pitch to score.

Think we also had it in the early 2000's when we were winning nowt!



Still think it would be better than receiving the ball back after scoring.

Start of super league it was. 97 and 98. (May have been done earlier too I suppose)

Either way, it didn't work IMO and there are far more "important" rules that need changing first. The 'tackle in the air' rule is stupid with genuine attempts at the ball being penalised as no common sense is applied.

I agree though that SL, NRL and International games should be played under the same rules.

Maybe not so fine after all?

One game back and he's gone again, You couldn't make it up like

We only play him in the big games because we can't win them without him

We’ll wheel the legend out again next Saturday and it’ll be like he’s never been away. I think it was the post game BBC coverage last week that described him as a vintage Aston Martin that you just bring out the garage for special occasions and it was bob on.

As he did last week, he’ll bring 5% out of the lads around him next week and that alone is worth it’s weight in good.

Just as well really or your be blaming him for someone else's offsides again.

We should move on from him at the end of the season.

He's not available for selection enough to warrant his considerable salary.

What wage is he on nowadays? I’ve not a clue but I guess it’s going down as the years go by. I’m not fussed either way on him retiring or not. It’s frustrating that he’s not available more often but when he is he still offers a lot. His influence around the place must be huge but we have got a lot of young forwards coming through now who can help fill the gap.

I suspect he will move into a coaching role but retain his player status similar to Deacon. Wheel him out if/when we need him.

It's funny how every single player that has played with and against him rates him as one of the best in the world including the likes of Ryan Hoffman, and yet Wigan fans think he's e. I expect it from fans of other clubs, but for our own fans not to like him is just baffling. Well, it isn't when you consider we moan about practically everything.

I just feel we need to be planning for life without him.

At present he's a talisman player, but that can be a problem when the player in question is 37. The best players in the world haven't got much left in the tank at that age.

It's great to have a player so good that he can change a game on the rare occasions he appears, but what about when he suddenly can't appear because age has caught up with him? Who do you turn to then?

I've loved Lockers at Wigan, but he isn't the future. He isn't even the near-future ... and that's what we need to be looking to.

His salary isn’t counted on the cap is it? Or a chunk of it isn’t anyway due to longevity at the club.

FWIW I think Cruncher is right. We do need to plan for post Lockers whether that’s 2021 or 2022. I think he’s a fantastic player and has been a true great for Wigan, he’s right up there with the club legends but his career is rapidly coming to an end.

It doesn't matter how much of his salary counts against the cap, they club have to pay the full whack out to him. Finances are tight.

He's been a brilliant player for us and, as evidenced by that Challenge Cup game, is probably still our best player - but he's no use to us on the treatment table.

I think we’re more than doing our part at looking in to the future though to be fair to the club. That comes from the opportunities handed out by Lockers regular absences as much as anything but it’s left us really well positioned now to replace him. I recall 12-18 months back there being a debate about how we could possibly replace him and now we’re sat with Smithies, Shorrocks, Partington, Havard and Bateman as options to do just that (I’d personally rule Havard out of that list as I’d like him at prop but still).

I’m not banging a drum for him to play on as such but if there is room to offer him a playing spot and he wanted it, I’d not be against it as long as it didn’t knock on and mean we lost other, younger players. I just think he deserves a level of respect that means he retires when he wants to retire and that may mean we offer him £30-£40,000 a year only and he walks away and does a year at Toronto, Salford etc. I still think there’s a fair chance he’ll just call it quits anyway.

Quote ="100% Warrior"His salary isn’t counted on the cap is it? Or a chunk of it isn’t anyway due to longevity at the club. FWIW I think Cruncher is right. We do need to plan for post Lockers whether that’s 2021 or 2022. I think he’s a fantastic player and has been a true great for Wigan, he’s right up there with the club legends but his career is rapidly coming to an end.'" Yes it is counted, they changed the rules a couple of years back, but what happens is that we get an additional cap allowance for the number of players that come through the academy system, up to a maximum of £100K See section 5.11 https://www.rugby-league.com/flipbooks/ ... html#p=289

Quote ="100% Warrior"His salary isn’t counted on the cap is it? Or a chunk of it isn’t anyway due to longevity at the club. FWIW I think Cruncher is right. We do need to plan for post Lockers whether that’s 2021 or 2022. I think he’s a fantastic player and has been a true great for Wigan, he’s right up there with the club legends but his career is rapidly coming to an end.'" Yes it is counted, they changed the rules a couple of years back, but what happens is that we get an additional cap allowance for the number of players that come through the academy system, up to a maximum of £100K See section 5.11 https://www.rugby-league.com/flipbooks/ ... html#p=289

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"Yes it is counted, they changed the rules a couple of years back, but what happens is that we get an additional cap allowance for the number of players that come through the academy system, up to a maximum of £100K See section 5.11 https://www.rugby-league.com/flipbooks/ ... html#p=289'" Shame our academy system is so poor

Quote ="Rogues Gallery"Yes it is counted, they changed the rules a couple of years back, but what happens is that we get an additional cap allowance for the number of players that come through the academy system, up to a maximum of £100K See section 5.11 https://www.rugby-league.com/flipbooks/ ... html#p=289'" Shame our academy system is so poor