Totally y stupidity.

Although I see your point, I think you seem to be on some sort of quest to prove that you are right and everyone else is wrong. If we don't have twenty odd Wigan born players good enough to play at the highest level then we need to look further than our back yard. For Barrett I raise you Richards, Carmont, Leuluai, Dallas etc. I wouldn't say the Wigan lads are more likely to put in the effort, do you question the commitment of Richards, Leuluai and Carmont? Do you want to see a team full of the likes of Brown, Wild, Aspinwall etc? For every Sam Tomkins there is 5 mediocre players that just simply aren't good enough for Wigan. Also for every overseas player that has left Wigan over the last few years I'd wager 3 or 4 homegrown players have left. Do you not think that if the depth in talent was there for us to have a team full of English players then we would? I agree that bringing in overseas players is not ideal, but neither is it the disaster that you're making it out to be. For all we know this time in a couple of years the Tomkins brothers could be playing overseas, you can't base the fact that local lads don't leave when we realistically haven't had any real world class young local lads for a fair few years.

I think you are missing the point, this is why I'm getting frustrated. I agree with some of your points, and for the record I'm not trying to get everyone to agree with me, just not come down on me like a sack of $hit for my own opinions on what would benefit our club.
If you look at my recent post on the Pat Richardss thread you'll see my point.

PS Thank you for responding in a positive manner with no name calling or put downs throughout. Not all posters have such class.

At the end of the day everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I can see why you would be getting frustrated! I'd rather have a reasoned debate than a slanging match, but as you say not all posters would have it that way!

The problem is that it's easy to say in hindsight that player x shouldn't have been signed because they left early, as frustrating as it may be, because next time the overseas player could be a Pat Richards. I'd definitely agree that if we can have a team of predominantly English players then there is a chance that the team would be more stable over time, but there is also the chance that these English players will leave too. With the salary cap staying the same and the quota decreasing the demand for real quality English players is rising and I worry that the likes of us who bring through so many young players will be unable to keep the real quality as their value will be inflated.

Exactly, can't argue with that.

Another worry for me is the fact that Englands best (arguably) two forwards and 6 are all playing in Australia, if their clubs can offer more money and a lifestlye that I imagine would appeal to many English players how long till the best English players start to move there in larger numbers? If we can't afford to sign real quality NRL players in their prime, and the best English players move over there where does that leave Super League? We may be more competitive in internationals but at what price? But that's a whole other debate!

Quality post!

well thought out response

That's a frivolous article if ever there was one. No quotes from anyone and just pure speculation. Brett Finch has only just got here. Is the dailytelegraph the equivalent of our "Sun" or "Daily Star" in Australia? Looks a load of crap to me.

This plot of mass exodus from Wigan is laughable. I suspect Pat Richards will sign a new long-term deal. Ryan Hoffman will most likely leave for the NRL. Andy Coley, George Carmont and Paul Deacon will as expected retire. That's it for me.

Where's the Thomas Leuluai rumours come from? TBH I know some will strongly disagree, but if Leuluai was to leave I don't think it would be the end of the world. He's a talent, but he's not a seven in a million years, his kicking is the worst in Super League and he isn't being used enough as a hooker at the moment.

Amazing though how much disruption your coach leaving can cause.

Reading League Weekly this afternoon it appears as though Wire are trying to sign Shillington from Canberra, who's out of contract at the end of this year. Now well I highly doubt he'd come to SL, seeing as he's a current Aussie starter and SOO representative. If Wire are indeed in discussions with him, he must be showing an interest in coming to SL. Definitely worth having a go at signing him IMO Ian.



Only one down side. It was Dave Nosey Parker who wrote the article.

Isn't Matt King OOC for them? Thats some (assumed) big bucks and a quota spot free for them. Add in them getting rid of deadwood like Clarke and maybe Solomona and they'll have space for a couple of big signings. If Wire can start to integrate the good youngsters they are starting to produce that's when I'll start to really worry about them staying at the top!

So what do we actually need for next year. I would suggest a top draw centre is a must as i dont see charnley or marsh being quite ready yet to play at 4.

It is then debatable if we need a good 7. I personally think we need to sign a new 7, allow tommy to move to 9. In 12 months if tommy decides to leave it will be right timing for him to be replaced as one of our 2 hookers by logan.

I would love to see us sign a good attacking scrum half to replace deacon. I dont think mellor is a ready made replacement. Thoughts on dobson or dureau please.

I also like the look of ben farrar at catalans

Hopefully everyone will stay on bar maybe one or 2 of the older heads and that will leave us needing a centre and then either a fullback, Halfback or hooker dependant on where we see certain players long term futures.

Sign Steffan Ratchford and you've got yourself 3 players in 1 which would be handy.

After that performance against Saints & then again at Wakefield, JT looks set to be a good right centre. He just needs to learn how to pass. At first I was Joel's critic in the Centres, but he has grown into the position & now he just needs the experience of playing there.

Hock should be more than enough to replace Hoffman next year as I can't see us keeping him.

For me, Mellor has to get some gametime next year if Deacs leaves. Having this option will free up Macca & Tommy to rotate the hooker position and give us different edges. Macca has the potential to be a class hooker as Tommy provides the excitement and speed to get us fully going. Both need gametime in this role and this year should do that for them.

Finch to stay in the halves. If he goes back to Aus we have a problem, until that is confirmed as either truth or rumour let's not start signing half backs when what we need most is a backline player. With Richards OOC next year & Carmont on his last legs, we need to be looking at a Centre. Charnley & Goulding to fight it out for the RW spot (Roberts can go if he likes).

If Finch goes, we need to put Sam at 6 & sign a decent full back. There are far more good full backs around at the moment then there are Stand Offs so it would be the easiest option. Who is our 20's FB?

Sam Tomkins will be a Souths player next year.

Guaranteed

You hope

I 'hope' ?

I don't support Wigan or Souths.


But Maguire will have him at his new club pretty quickly.

You want a £1000 bet for a charity of your choosing that he wont be ????

Nope.

I don't bet. For 'charidee' or otherwise.


But it's my opinion (and I'm always right) that Tomkins will be a Souths player.

If it's not by the start of next season it will certainly be at the start of the following one.

But you just said:

So it's not guaranteed that he'll be a Souths player next year?
So you're not always right?
Well played sir.

You sir, or madam, are a total top hat!!

And of course if it isn't, you can just disappear and pretend you were never here, can't you?

That's the cool thing about the internet. Even idiots get a voice, and there's never any comeback for them.

all over twitter that james graham has signed for 3 years for the bulldogs

He signed it about 2 weeks ago.

And?