Hoffman is a class act, we need to keep hold of him as long as he is willing to stay.

I'd prefer to wait a lot longer than two competitive games before assessing whether a player should warrant an offer of a contract extension.

The single biggest loss next season will be Carmont.

Is Charnley A-Good enough or B-Ready to fill Carmonts massive boots?

Carmont is a truly fantastic player and week in week out he makes others look good whilst being a rock in defence.

I’m not knocking Charnley as he looks like a top talent but Carmont for is just something else.

Tahu ?

Out of the 3 signings it was Hoffmans who attracted least attention & 'excitement' IMO. Certainly nothing compared to Lima & Finches but, at the end of the year I think he will be the one we will least want to let go.

Carmont doesn't have to leave though hopefully. I posted on here a few weeks back that I thought this season would be his last at the club but going off his first 2 competative outings this year he may have life on the old legs yet! He looks on top form and looks very fresh aswell and given that the guy only made his first grade debut at 24 he could well go onto become rugby leagues own version of Ryan Giggs(althought Giggs did make his debut at 17 but hey it's an easy game).

Charnley will push everyone of Wigans outside backs very hard though and he's good enough to take a position off anybody including Carmont, Gleeson and Goulding going forward as he develops.

No.

sick of bringing in big name players from overseas, Charnley is more than good enough to be Wigan's #4, i'd be really annoyed if we brought in another big name Aussie/Kiwi centre to fill George's spot

Carmont is good yeah but your building him up to be a superstar which he is not. He is a solid centre who has done a very good job for us at a cheap price over the last few years. I do not think we struggle to replace him at all.

If Carmont does go I'd have thought that Goulding would be the more obvious replacement than Charnley.
He will have done two years playing regular first team rugby and the wing spot will be very good training for filling a centre spot.
The following year Gleeson and Roberts are OOC so Charnley will get his chance of a regular place from then on. Until then he will get plenty game time being on the fringe of the 17.

This will be carmonts last year before he retires,

As for hoff, we need to act quickly, i know its only a few games in but good off contract players don't hang around, saying that it depends if he wants to stay.

For me it was 1-Hoffman 2-Finch 3-Lima. From what I'd seen of Melbourne and after speaking to a couple of mates on Australia he was definitely the signing I thought would have the biggest impact.

You only have to look at the try numbers the guys outside him rack up over the course of a season and thats including every year he's played at Wigan not just the Madge era to see how good he is.

Carmont will leave a massive hole in our side imo.

I've got to agree with that, I think he's massively underrated and will take some replacing!

Definantly! Hoffman was the guy I had seen the most of, he has played for the roos on numerous occasions and stood out as well as playing in major games for Melbourne. He is an awesome player and he has a habbit of coming up with important tries. At just 27 we have signed a player in his prime with more experience than most players his age. When we sign overseas players he is exactly the sort of player we should look at, low risk, top quality. No more signing players who are over the hill or too unproven.

charnley looks a better prospect at centre now than goulding ever has done imo. If carmont is going to retire at the end of the season the club needs to make a decision as to who will be his replacement by mid way through this season in my view. In my opinion we have 3 options. Put charnley there, try to develop joel as a centre or sign a ready made big name. Personally i hope charnley kicks on this season and stakes his claim.

I think everybody hopes that, but if he doesn't what do we do?

I think this is a problem for us at present. Owing to the criticism of other fans, we have been lulled into thinking that the only moral response is to promote from within.

For our own sake, we must certainly do that if we can - i.e. if we have someone in the junior ranks, like Sam and Joel were, who is virtually kicking the first team door down. But I seem to remember we promoted Goulding a year or so before he was ready, and things went so badly for him that he almost left the club. There was also the example of Nicky Stanton, who we were assured by countless fans was ready for first team duty, but who was neglected to the point where he left. That was a sad development, but Stanton is no longer plying his trade in Super League, which suggests to me that he wasn't of the required standard after all.

If a marquee centre from abroad was available and we could afford him, it would be wrong of IL not to at least consider that option. We clearly have a policy now of packing the team with local talent. But there should always be space for really good signings from overseas.

And Charnley would only have to wait another season until Gleeson's contract was up.

If Hoffman leaves at the end of the season we could go for a big name centre to replace him as weve got second rowers coming out of our ears. Charnley will have a chance this season imo but if he isnt quite ready we do have options to work around the situation.

think we'd all like as many wiganers in the team as possible.

however, when push comes to shove and pat comes back from injury youd be hard pressed not to drop goulding given how dangerous amos is

www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/spor ... gue_break/

www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/spor ... gue_break/

Depends whether Roberts finds his old form or not, he looked far from his best at the weekend even if he did get two walk-ins.

Charnley will just get better IMO, if Gleeson or Carmont gets injured throughout the season they will find it hard to get their place back, ala the Amos/Goulding situation last year.

For 2012 I think the only signing we need to make is a Halfback/Hooker depending on where Leuluai will be playing, unless Deacon plays on for another year... ?

Deacs will move into coaching after this season, you don't have to have insider knowledge to know time is catching up with him. Next year I reckon the 17 will be something like:

1 Roberts
2 Goulding
3 Gleeson
4 Charnley/Pryce
5 Richards
6 Sam
7 Leuluai
8 Fielden
9 McIlorum
10 Prescott
11 Hansen/Hoffman
12 Joel
13 O'Loughlin

14 Lima
15 Finch
16 Mossop
17 Farrell

with Hock roatating at prop

Cant see Sam moving from FB any time soon. For me its Sam at 1, Finch starting at 6 and Amos/Goulding fighting for the 2 jersey.

Me too;

1. Sam
2. Goulding
3. Gleeson
4. Charnley/Pryce
5. Richards
6. Finch
7. Leuluai
8. Fielden
9. McIlorum
10. Lima
11. Hansen
12. Joel
13. O'Loughlin

14. Hock
15. New Hooker
16. Mossop
17. Farrell

IMO Hock and Mossop will overtake Prescott once this season is over, he will struggle to get a new contract unless he comes out with some unbelievable form. Coley will be a massive loss but I think Hock can fill the gap he leaves.