Well it depends how long its been arranged that whoever takes over will be our coach. If it was decided and agreed a while ago maybe it was his decision.

Could be and I hope it is.

I heard his contract depends on how he recovers from injury.

Couldn't Bailey be employed as 'Assistant Reserves Coach' whilst he is injured he would be kept on off the salary cap therefore still having him around the club to influence the young lads coming through. (Hope IL and MH are reading I can be the clubs ideas man).



And then maybe when he is ready for training/playing towards the end of the season defer his wages as a coach and only sign him on a low contract as he has made his wage as a coach for the couple of months therefore allowing more cap space to be utilised on essentials starting with a hous3 prop.

I think all announcements about coaches / players will be made on weds.

Any wages a coach earns in a season he then starts playing in get counted as part of his salary cap value as a player.

Dave

id be more than happy with bailey staying next year, tomkins and mossop are nowhere near the finished articles yet so bailey around with a bit of guidance would be an extremely good thing. id perhaps use him in more of a prop role.

He doesnt offer anything more than the 2 though?...he is well paid and a quota player.

Are you seriously saying Hansen and Tomkins are better than Bailey?

yes

Organisation wise and leadership wise then Bailey is great for us but in attack he offers nothing.

Hansen is a great defender and can be a good battering ram.

Tomkins is more of a skillful backrower.

What I am trying to say is that although they are in the same position, they offer different things so it's hard to judge who is 'better'.

I would say in the long run I would rather keep Tomkins and Hansen and send Bailey on his way but that doesn't mean I think they are better players.

I agree, I think BAiley is over rated for his organisation as he get s beat a few times especially when defending the centre channel

Playing abilty wise Hansen would never play origin or for aus.

Bailey might be a positive influence behind the scenes and that is brilliant, sadly given the nature of the cap, that isn't enough, especially when we are talking about a 1yr deal and the player, may at best, be fully fit for half of it.

It's admirable the club have loyalty to Bailey (who I like as a person & player) but surely, as with Noble (again who I like), if the club are to be ruthless with one, the precedent is there?

That's not a fair measurement though is it? Who would play origin out of our current team? Maybe O'Loughlin or Leuluai when on top form and with the right injuries and that's being very kind. Surely a better measurement would be to ask whether he would play from Wigan if the full squad was fit and everyone was on form IMO he start at second row along with Bailey, with Tomkins on the bench and Mossop as 18th man.

To be fair how the hell did Bailey ever get a game for NSW or Australia?

A good honest player but I wouldn't expect him to be near an England test place let along an Australian one.

He would make the England team, and the Aussies picked him because he could "do a job".

Bailey has the right attitude but is out of contract. It all boils down to could his his wages be better spent elsewhere.

Given I beleive you are of the opinion we are a couple of class players short why don't you want Bailey's wage put towards such a player?

Gobven

Read my post on the previous page, I do

So you do



OK then and in a vain attempt to dig myself out of that little hole, why didn't the same apply to Phelps?

Dave

Because Phelps is the best fullback at the club not to mention still improving as a player, and we don't have a better option. Richards is a winger and Roberts, is frankly poor.

We have plenty back row options, the place Bailey is suited.

People keep going on about this 'we've got plenty back row options'

I disagree. If Bailey goes, thats both our first choice back row of 2009 gone with Hocks ban

and with Flanagan leaving that leaves us with Hansen, Joel and Mossop with Farrell the next emerging talent. Nowhere near good enough

Hansen, Mossop & Joel will form the back row next season, hopefully the new coach will be able to bring in a prop/backrow forward with the room we have left under the cap.

Bailey has been panned for his entire Wigan career, now people see him as a vital cog, its madness.

His injury alone should see us release him.

We have plenty of players who are the best in their position at the club. Doesn't mean they are good enough

When certain players contracts were up we missed opportunities to use their wages elsewhere. If we re-sign Bailey he would be the first player where that applies IMO.

Dave

Coley & Pryce would be my other 2 for the last batch of contracts signed.