With all the movie reference going on.

Jabba the hut to play Solomona but Jabba would need to put on some weight first.

If Goulding and Marsh cant raise themselves to get in the team before him then they arent good enough anyway.

The RFL bit is a bit dodgy i agree, makes a mockery.

That last bit is all guess work, none of us know that for sure do we?

You would have to be completely delusional to think that this guy will play in a champion side to any great degree.

"if" he was to play, it would be a case of weakening a team, purely to gain a few headlines.

That is outrageous and it comes to fruition i would be seriously angry.........seriously.

Ps. Normally i am a happy clapper and i have never criticized IL previously. However this takes the peepee.

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What actually stinks about it ?

You know aswell as anyone that wont happen..if he gets picked its because hes earned it and out performed the others in training.

"Publicity dream"

Because he now plays for Wigan its great.

Yet he's not good enough and will be lucky to get a game before he hits 38 haha

Makes sense to have him in the ranks of the most famous rugby team in the world. Gurantees more publicity for RL than if he went to anyother team in SL.

Of course that is correct.

Look

You are a reasonable poster, do you honestly think that Gareth Thomas could seriously muster a performance better than what we already have? It is not going to happen.

Of course there may be financial and publicity reasons for bringing him on board, but that is all. There is no reason whatsoever to bring him in from a playing side of things, none at all.

The amount of negativity that this possible signing could bring on our doorsteps far out ways any benefits.

Please don't think that i have simply read this news and subsequently spat my tea out. I have tried to think of positives, but apart from a possible raise in our bank balance or profile i really feel that if this was to come of we would be a laughing stock.

Credibility is a hard thing to achieve and in many ways it is far more important than balances sheets.

RE: Marsh he has an offer to move to Widnes. This move could act as a catalyst to send him there. I wouldn't like to see a 37 year old sign for my club in my position.

The last bit is speculation, but do you honestly believe Madge/Wane wanted Thomas at the club? I think it would be naive to not believe this is an Ian Lenagan signing, which as I mentioned in my post, is something I'm just not comfortable with.

At the end of the day Gareth Thomas dosent DESERVE to be playing for Wigan Rugby League. Makes it look like anyone can get on at Wigan.

Still cant get my head round it...Greatest Rugby League team in the world.....Gareth Thomas.....Current Champions.....Gareth Thomas.....Challenge Cup Holders......Gareth Thomas......League Leaders......Gareth Thomas.....WHY OH WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME IL.

At least this injects a bit of balance. On the other site, there's a guy who suspects that because this is a bad decision - in [uhis[/u opinion - it must be down to Shaun Wane.

I'm sure neither of you have proof to support your conjectures, but I'm not sure why you would make them in the first place. Hasn't the club been run pretty well and pretty harmoniously over the last two years? Has there been any indication - ever - that either IL or MM go off and do things independently of each other?

When something happens that we don't like, must it always be down to whoever our pet pantomime villain happens to be at that particular moment?

And I'm still yet to hear a coherent explanation as to why everyone is so angry. If Marsh or Goulding leave because of this, that would certainly be irritating. It must be as clear to them as it is to everyone else that Thomas is not going to play much in the first team. If they feel challenged by the presence of a 37-year-old has-been, that doesn't say much for them.

Look,If this guy was coming in as a replacement for Carmont or Joel i would be down at orrall wanting answers.
But all i see here is wigan signing a guy as cover for a position were not very strong in..if he doesn't hack it he'll never see the middle of the DW in a wigan shirt..if he proves himself a better option than marsh,goulding in training then he will deserve his chance.

If the wigan coaching staff think he can raise his game in a better set up then im willing to see how it goes.

i just dont see the horror in this.

Its a load of balls.

How can he get publicity if he never plays? Its not like he's coming over straight from RU he's been in league long enough now that everyone knows about it, its nothing new Wigan aren't breaking away new ground with this, you would of been better signing Gavin "Channel 5 date" Henson for publicity.

Another thing is this just IL signing? Or is it part of the Harris deal? Its not something MM would do and I would think that Wane knows enough about the young players at Wigan for his coaching at that level and would have faith that they are better being brought through then a player who is 38 next year.

It bet it will give Wigan at least as much publicity as the two weeks you had Andrew Johns got for you, if not quite a bit more. It will also cost considerably less.

What exactly do Wigan lose from making this signing? As it stands the clubs needs a new centre and there really aren't many available at the moment. Chances are the club just won't be able to sign a decent centre for next season and will have to make do with the current players. Given that a lot of people on here, if not the vast majority, have been critical of Joel Tomkins, Marsh, Goulding or even all three, then adding another centre who has played at Super League level, without it costing the club anything at all, surely makes the deal at least 'ok' if not a good deal.

When you add the likelihood of this deal having a lot to do with marketing and publicity then I think it makes a fair bit of sense. Gareth Thomas is not a top class signing, but he has had some good games for Crusaders and even if he fills in for two games during a season it doesn't mean the club lose out.

As much as I worry about young players coming through being put off, Stefan Marsh hasn't exactly shown anything to suggest he would be good enough. He needs to spend a whole season on loan at another Super League club in my opinion, but being brutally honest, does anyone think he'd make it at Wigan? I've seen no signs of intelligent centre play from him, just a guy who is good at running with the ball, albeit with his head down. I wouldn't be confident with him filling in for crucial games.

Doubt it, it was mega news here and in Oz plus Wire made ££££££££££ off t-shirts etc.

Doubt anyone will would want a shirt for a bloke who will never play.

Marsh on a season long loan to widnes with thomas and Goulding covering joel.

i cant see any wrong in that

IMO after losing Coley, Hoffman and maybe Deacon it will be a valued addition to have someone in the squad who is a born winner.

I have full repect for Gareth Thomas for what he has achieved in sport and also coming out in such a manly sport as rugby.

If he is not good enough he won't get in the team.. but lets not forget this team has been totally based on the fact that if you aint good enough you won't get a place. Yes I'm not dancing down the street over the signing but neither was I over paul deacon, ben cross and even andy coley for that matter.

Ian Lenegan has certainly earned my trust over the time he has been at wigan, so IMO lets give it a go.. if its fails miserably so what.. all that will be proved is that every other player in the team on each match day is better than Gareth Thomas.. Chill people.

I would hazard a guess you live near Warrington and that this signing means little to people basically in the North West. This will give Wigan especially exposure in Wales. Dont believe the crap that all Welsh people prefer union. I know quite a few people like me who travel to games very often. There is a decent fan base for Wigan and Saints around North Wales. RFL have to send him to another club and looking at us and especially with us getting Carmont to sign for another season its not a bad idea to get cover for him. If Goulding or Marsh are better than Thomas then good they will play. But given hes free it makes some sense to get publicity and cover at the same time. As someone eluded to why do we have a second row in centre if Marsh and Goulding is good enough.

Problem league has it does not get enough media attention outside the areas where it is strongest supported and it needs to do if you like a publicity stunt every once in a while. To put Gareth Thomas in Wigan, Saints or even a Wire shirt would give the game free publicity especially in Wales. Given now that Crusaders are basically out of SL we need to entice the core support who will now disappear from Crusaders into supporting another SL team. After all attendances for teams technically relegated from SL drops considerabley. And in North Wales especially we odnt have now any professional club playing league and never had an union one. Gareth Thomas is a link to them and that might get a few of them into the DW to watch him play.

If as excpected by many he does not figure at all next season then what harm has it done. If he plays and plays well then even better. But no one is missing out on anything as if a 20-23 year old is no better than a 37 year old then they are not good enough for Wigan Warriors.

It's bringing publicity already, negative publicity.

I can't believe you believe any of what you just wrote.

People in general who don't know RU or RL won't give a squat who he is full stop.

People in Wales already know about Wigan RL. Thomas spending a year in the reserves will not convert them into supporters of Wigan or the game.

Those who do follow either code will see this signing in a negative light whether there is a film or not from a playing point of view because he is past it. That is negative PR not positive.

As to it being watched by millions would you go and pay money in the cinema to see it? Do you think the entire population of Wales will? This film won't go straight to DVD but straight to VHS!

But lets suppose for a minute he is far more important a figure and sporting icon than I give him credit for and there will be a genuine interest in this film from those who know him from his RU International days.

His RL career never mind his Wigan career will be little but a footnote. He is not Jonathan Davies who had a fine career in the RL game but someone who spent the vast majority of his time playing RU and who was brought over when past his sell by date as PR for the Crusaders. There was no playing success there and there won't be any at Wigan as he won't get a game.

His time at Wigan should appear in this film as a sad end to a long career because he will have spent a season languishing in the reserves never getting a game. So I fail to see how that will draw any positive publicity to Wigan.

There is an alternative of course. Wigan could play him as 1st choice centre so the film has a happy ending!

I think your right Johns is one of the greatest Rugby League players ever, Gareth isn't I don't know of any one who will get a shirt because Gareth will be a Wigan player.

Where?

Examples please........thought not.

A few panicking Wiganers who think we've signed this guy as our first choice centre for the next 5 years and some Wire trolls don't count.

The Andrew Johns signing was big news ... in Warrington and for one night on the NW bulletins.

Members of my family who live in Aus reported that it made a support story there somewhere, and that no-one took it too seriously. After that it was forgotten. Good on them though if it sold them a few more shirts.

Gareth Thomas, I suspect, is not about shirts, but players. He is a much bigger name in the UK that Andrew Johns ever was, despite Johns being a miles better player. He is a particularly big name in Wales, where there are plenty of young players who just might be interested in coming to Wigan RL. If they're not, fine. It hasn't cost us anything anyway. And if Stefan Marsh and Darrel Goulding are upset, I'd say that they need to up their game signifcantly to secure regular places in the Wigan first team anyway, so maybe this will give them a kick up the ar2e.