Completely agree. It's quote amazing really given how they generally seem to go about things! I wonder if soccer will try the same with calls for clubs to be forced to play more home grown players after England's world cup fiasco? A small sport like RL leads with technology such as video refs and over getting home grown players into the game.



I don't think there would be any support among the fans if we recruited journeyman type players from Oz especially in the 2nd row. Recruiting Hoffman hasn't got universal support anyway despite his obvious pedigree but no one can say he isn't a class player whatever their opinion on him being recruited in the first place.

Dave

The soccer people are introducing the home grown etc rules which again state that a player in that catagory has to be with the club 3 years before the age of 21. That's why european clubs have been complaining about Arsne Wenger signings their quality lads of 16 & 17 years of age. Ahead of the game Wenger!

They are also looking at requiring their clubs to make a profit every year.
That looks like being based on clubs profitable over a rolling 3 year period.
Seems that they accept that the previous idea of a salary cap won't work so they've gone for the profit angle.

One thing for sure now with Wigan is that IL won't run any risk of busting RFL rules on either overseas players or the SC.
It has been said on here that IL is very compliant with the RFL. It has paid off very well in that it would have needed the RFL's permission for Wigan to sign Maguire as he was an assistant with no first grade coaching experience.

The club does appear to be exceptionally well run at the moment!

Well TBH if he is good enough as you say he will easily overtake Prescott and O'Carroll next year, so im not worried about losing him.

I am sure they announced pre-world cup that idea has now been scrapped and wont be coming into effect

If hes good enough he will get in the team, already proven this season for a number of players noone is guaranteed a place

If hes not better than other players then he wont play next year apart from the odd game he will knwo for sure though what he needs to improve on to get in the team thats maguires way

You dont just play a player because he is a good prospect you play then when they are ready

one thing about MM he as no favourites..if you impress you will be in the 17.

if Davies shows Madge that hes better than the props in front of him then he'll play.

i would have been worried just last season about it but not under MM.

Quote ="bazdev"I am sure they announced pre-world cup that idea has now been scrapped and wont be coming into effect'" Just the 6 + 5 ruling idea has been scrapped, the rest is still in place. 8 home grown in 25 and to count you have to have been in the said country for 3 years between 16 and 21. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8733164.stm

Quote ="bazdev"I am sure they announced pre-world cup that idea has now been scrapped and wont be coming into effect'" Just the 6 + 5 ruling idea has been scrapped, the rest is still in place. 8 home grown in 25 and to count you have to have been in the said country for 3 years between 16 and 21. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8733164.stm

Quote ="Bill_Barlow"Just the 6 + 5 ruling idea has been scrapped, the rest is still in place. 8 home grown in 25 and to count you have to have been in the said country for 3 years between 16 and 21. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8733164.stm'" Yup that covers both tommy and hansen

Quote ="Bill_Barlow"Just the 6 + 5 ruling idea has been scrapped, the rest is still in place. 8 home grown in 25 and to count you have to have been in the said country for 3 years between 16 and 21. news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8733164.stm'" Yup that covers both tommy and hansen

Would if it were in place in rugby, its a step FIFA have taken to get young footballers coming through.

Opps there's me thinking we were talking about RL on our forum

I doubt Widdop would have a problem as he was born here and both his parents will have English passports. Pat got an Irish passport even though he was born in Oz, purely because his parents both had Irish passports

Regardless of where he is born had Pat been signed after the new rules were introduced he would have counted as non federation trained. Gleeson was also classed as non fed trained until he had to appeal. Widdop I assume would also have no problem getting this ruling over turned in his case.

If we have signed both these players I think we have a bit of problem in that some of our existing squad will probably need to leave to get games. If Hock returns half way through 2011 and the only forwards to leave are Feka and Riddell we will have 15 forwards and all the current Wigan contingent in the list below have played SL for us:

Lima, Hock, Mossop, Fielden, Coley, McIllorum, Davies, Prescott, O'Carroll
Hoffman, Hansen, Joel Tomkins, Farrell, Tuson, Lockers

I suppose if we sign Finch and TL moved to 9 then technically it's 16 forwards.

I haver put Hock in the props as that seems to be where people think he will end up (by no means certain IMO). Ditto Mossop. If they play there that is 9 prop forwards all who are SL standard.

We then have 6 back row forwards again all of SL standard but whichever way you divide them up taking the two hookers out that is 14 players for at best 8 positions (three forwards on the bench, two props and three back rowers in the starting 13) in the starting 17.

This begs two questions IMO:

Who else will be leaving?

With Hoffman and hopefully Lima on-board do we need to and indeed [ishould we[/i re-sign Hock?

Dave

Still nothing confirmed by the club, Makes you wonder if this is all rumours blown out of proportion.

Yep, that's starting to creep into my mind too, it has gone very quiet today.

Can't see us signing Widdop as it stated in the League Express that Melbourne are pushing Widdop as a stand off to replace Finch.

[urlhttp://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/a-million-dollars-worth-of-talent-to-shed-but-big-four-firm-to-stay-put-20100713-109fd.html[/url

Dated the 14th of July.

So from that:

Hoffman - Done deal.
Lima - Close to a deal.
Quinn - A likely option.
Finch - We are keen on.

wow!

bring back mathers

All I can compare this situation to is the one from when we signed Amos.

We had a crazy situation which included his club confiriming his departure, all the media in Aus saying we'd signed him and even Lam saying what a crowd favourite he was gonna be but we had zero confirmation from Wigan.

I'm confident we've signed Hoffman but for the rest I'm not sure.

Barrie Jon?

I have to say I'm not convinced by all this and am biding my time until something official. Four big name Aussie signings is not in keeping with what IFL had promised: less imports and more promoting from the academy/ reserves and in all honesty I wouldn't be that keen on four big Aussie additions to our current squad. One mean prop and a hooker will do for me.

Quinn is a baffling one to me unless someone is leaving we don't know about.

Just sounds like lazy journalism, rumours start on forums like these and then end up as a story. Then other papers & websites pick up on that story and the next thing everyone's mentioned.

Just waiting for the WEP to announce the four yet! (They are normally 2-3 weeks behind everyone else though to be fair)

Lima, Finch and Hoffman are reported on the back page of the WEP