So basically Coley offers next to nothing since his arrival at the club, he had a few good games and now people are talking about giving him another contract?

Is this all it takes thesedays to be a 'Wigan RL' player? It's a disgrace.

Next to nothing is very harsh especially considering how his salary would compare with say Stuart Fielden or Feka.

Coley had a number of good games last season when Fielden offered nothing at all and Feka's game time was limited.

Im not suggesting Coley is a top quality player but in a poor pack of forwards he is not as bad as some suggest.

could not agree more.

credit where credits due, he has played very well of late, however to even consider giving him a new contract is laughable.

by and large a very dissapoining signing.

To be fair to him, I think his form is more to do with him being dropped for a couple of games rather than his contract up for renewal. He's probably not on a big salary anyway.

so if he now gets a run in the team his form will slip?

I agree with you that he is probably not on a big salary.

The problem for me (and im not just talking about Coley) is that our forwards dont seem to intimidate the opposition.

Its interesting to read Andrew Johns' comments about players he was scared off during his playing days, one Quentin Pongia was right up there. How we need a player like him.

I'd give him another year deal with an option for the second for both player and team.

He is playing well so he can earn a new 2/3 year but when he gets it his performances will probably drop.

I think he is playing better has well because he is starting the game instead of coming off the bench-plus you then are comparing him to Fielden

It would seem people have a tendency to go off track and add more to the equation complicating the situation.

Is Coley good enough? We're not comparing Coley and his wages v Stu and his, we are looking at Coley and his performances in Cherry and white.

So is he good enough? People then revert and and answer with-'He's worth keeping on a small contract'.
But what is that small contract worth? possibly a youth player. And him being in the team is stifling the progression of others.

So on performance is he a prop we want at our club, is he good enough full stop?

No.

He's been a poor prop who now has had a few good games, thats it in black and white. We are Wigan and we warrant better. Keeping him on sends out the wrong message.

He's been much better this season. He also started last season well enough but his performances trailed off big time towards the end of the season.

Very good squad player and if it’s on reduced terms for a one year deal with the option of 2nd year in our favour then I’m more than happy to sign him up. If we can get a top quality prop to play along side him then we’ll see even more of an improvement in him I think.

I think we are seeing an improvement in Feka this season due to Coley as well. He’s the only prop who’s softening the opposition up and Feka imo is finding it a lot easier to punch some big holes when he comes on.

As long as it doesn't effect us getting another top class prop then I personally can’t see a problem with it.

good post. i think we should only keep him if we can't bring someone else in.

Spot on mate

He isn't good enough end of. As far as I'm concerned if he wins man of steel he can have a 1 year deal



Coley, Phelps and Smith all off contract and have all of a sudden started playing well

Think that's a little harsh as those 2 only came over part way through last season and have both been in and out of the side since. It's not as though they haven't made the effort for 2 1/2 seasons and then suddenly started to play like world beaters like several players in the past. This is their first full season with pre-season etc. and both seem to be starting to find some form.

Maybe it is mate but they have both at least had a long run of games in the side without impressing.

Smith's 2 best games in Wigan colours have been his last 2 games and Phelps best games have come since Maundy Thursday as well.

To put them in the same bracket as Coley would be harsh but the principle remains

I'm not sure it does or you would need to put Richards in the same bracket as he took a while to settle too. Many, indeed most, Aussies seem to take a while to settle in this country (Gidley and Donald would be 2 more good examples) and given Smith's problems that was even more likely. In Phelps case I think you could argue that he has had as more good games than bad, with the majority falling somewhere in between and certainly you could never cite lack of effort. Therefore I think the principle doesn't hold in either case. The worst you could say is that, up until recently, we haven't seen the best of them, but that is a completely different argument.

You may well be right that they need more time to settle, hope that is the case. All I was trying to say was they have only started playing their best rugby for us recently. I think the fact we have started playing a more expansive game has helped Smith (we all knew he was good when given runners) and Phelps moving to a more creative and favourable position for him at full back may have helped him too

He has been outstanding lately so, yes, I would definitely sign him.

Yeah, I agree with that. Certainly hope so anyway!

You're still living in the pre-salary cap times. Just because we're a famous club doesn't mean we can pay any more than any other club for a good player, or hat good players will want to come and play for us for average wages. We can no longer have 17 star names in our squad. It is inevitable that we must have average players as well. Leeds and Saints have average players too.

Saying we're getting off the point by talking about wages is ignoring the reality of the salary cap. In Coley we have an average player on (what we are assuming is) an average wage who is currently playing above average. Why get rid of that? And exactly what sort of player would you replace him with on an equaly average wage?

If Coley isn't good enough why not promote one of the younger lads?
Mossop, Davies have all had shouts on here and if they can't do the job we'll be in the same boat as we are now with Coley only paying less money for the privalage.

I don't think we'll see Coley at Wigan beyond his current contract not because it won't get renewed but by his own choice. As I understand it, he's some form of quantity surveyor or the like by trade and that will ultimately decide his future.

I don't subscribe to this notion that players start playing well in their last season in the hope of a new contract. They must surely know a decision on their future will be made based on their form and worth to the club over the period of their time here.

I would think decisions have already been made on the players who are out of contract (as shown by TL getting a new deal already) because you need to start working before now on identifying replacements if contract extensions are not to be offered.

Likewise any potential new club would be mad to sign a player based on his last seasons performance alone.

It's pointless exercise turning it on for the last season in the hope this is going to influence anything, the decisions will have already been made.

It could just be that every now and again a player finds some form or starts enjoying their RL and if it is linked to them leaving the club, it may well be they play better as they no longer feel the pressure and expectation of being here for another season.

Dave

I agree with you Dave. Coley was apparently gutted when droped at the begining of the season . Regardless of being offered a new contract it was his ambition to go out on a high note (straight from the horses mouth). Being droped was the biggest kick up the , well needed to. Without trying to breech the lads confidentiality, a couple of personal problems (off the pitch) contributed to his poor performance . Not that i am offering that as an excuse, he was dire in them first few games. But he has sorted his head out (Karl Harrison (ex salford coach) made reference to his parsonal problems and the need for him to sort his head out in the League Express back in Feb) and lets just give him an ounce of credit for playing well. He does not expect a new contract to be offered by Wigan but is still trying hard. Good lad I say, and i will be singing his praises to the end of the season if he carries on in this vein.

Please, do you think I don't know the difference between the structure of RL in terms of cash in the salary cap era in comparison with Wigan RL in the 80's for example?

Did I once mention signing the best props in the world? Have I ever said we should have Petro/Price/Bailey and Peacock as are starting props? No, never.

Have I compared our props or players to other players who also operate under the same cap as we do? Yes. Which is relevant.

You seem to think we have to have poor players because we can't afford a team of good and quality players, which is complete rubbish.
For Fielden and Coley's wages combined we could have two quality props. Do you think Coley's salary would be vastly less than for example Luke Burgess who is the 3rd prop behind Kyle and Peacock? Despite the last few games he's had has Coley been anywhere near as good as Luke? No.

If a cap is structured well, there is room for good players throughout the squad.

i.e (and for your info this is in the cap era)
Webb
Donald
Senior
Smith
McGuire
Burrow
Buderus
Diskin
Kyle
Peacock
Burgess
Bailey
Ali
Sinfield
etc....

Still think I live in the pre-cap era?

Coley isn't good enough, the Leeds team proves you can have quality throughout in the cap era.

Come on... don't think I don't understand the cap.

Coley should under no circumstances be retained.

I've been critical of Coley in the past, but have to say this season and in particular the last half dozen games he has played really well. If he carries on I would have to consider offering him a new contact, something inconceivable on last years showing.