I'd settle for Greenshields and allow Sam to play back in the halfs. His injury record is a worry but he's a class act and would go well in our side.

Kearney is also a very good player and again would look classy on our side as a fullback. Too much has been asked of him at Bradford with him trying to carry them from 6 alot of the time.

Theres not much that stands out in the way of halfback or hookers as a first choice but as I've stated before I'd take Ratchford as a utility.

The only ones from that list I would like to see at Wigan would be Bosc, Ratchford, Buderus and maybe Greenshields, though I'd rather see Sam stay at 1 and bring in a hooker or a half.

It's tough to see where we could get a quality half or hooker from though. I'd rather us sign a quality fullback when proven quality seems available then take a chance on a halfback.

If Mr Lenagan was willing to pay a fee I'd hope we'd be in for Dobson or Chase but I can't see it.

Id take Greenshields or Randall from the above, depending which way Wane wants to line up. Despite what some people think, WE NEED to bring in some players from outside the club, we wont be successful by promoting an entire team of kids, some will simpily not be good enough.

Once Wane/Whoever is announced, Im sure we will announce signings, the position they are signed for should tell us where Sam or Tommy will be playing next season.

We 'must' sign players for sure. The indications are we'll be losing Carmont, Deacon, coley and Hoffman and Gleeson has already gone so to not sign anybody would be suicide.

Danny Buderus would be 34 at the start of the season if he signed for us next year. No thanks.

Clint Greenshields is a little suspect in defence for me and has been plagued by injuries these last couple of years. We'd have to see how he recovers from these injuries to see if he gets anywhere near back to his best.

Matty Bowen is the name from Australia that I would move hell and earth to bring over. He wants to come to Super League and has made himself available. His support play and his finishing is simply world-class. His pace, acceleration, footwork, agility, elusive running is simply outstanding. He can kick too - both in general play and goals. I'm sure he can play at halfback if required. He would give us the blend of speed across the park that I'd like to see us have. A backline with Matt Bowen, Josh Charnley, Joel Tomkins and Pat Richards. Sam Tomkins providing us pace in the halves with Brett Finch. Thomas Leuluai providing pace around the ruck with Mike McIlorum. We'd been a much quicker team with him in that's for sure. Fast backs with strong, powerful and skillful forwards.

The only area I have no answer for is at centre. Joel Tomkins at centre next season - fine. As for who else we can sign I've not a clue.

I think we'll sign one or two new signings only. So any fans hoping to see five in, to replace the five leaving are going to be sorely disappointed.

We paid a fee for our last one to get quality in that position, if the club don't think that Marsh/Goulding can step up, then there's no reason to believe they wouldn't fork out again.

The problem there is that there's very few in the league I'd want, Joe Arundel has looked good though.

Centres OOC in Super League:

Matt King
Tom Armstrong
Mark Henry
Stefan Ratchford (can play there)
Lee Gilmour (can play there)
Chev Walker
Kirk Dixon (I think can play there)
Willie Isa
Keith Senior
Chris Dean
Aaron Murphy
Setaimata Sa

Very grim selection.

Matt King obviously. He's staying or going back to the NRL isn't he?

Agreed.

Chris Bridge, Rhys Evans, Joe Arundel, Kallum Watkins and Tom Briscoe the pick of Super League for me. However I just can't see us signing any of them.

Unless Stefan Marsh, Darrell Goulding or lord behold Karl Pryce can step up to the mark - which I have massive reservations over - then I think we'll have to go to the NRL.

He's being linked with a return to the NRL. If he stays, I can't see him swapping Warrington for Wigan.

True Arundel has looked good.

Arundel's a good example of a kid being given the chance to play centre after serving his apprenticeship over the last couple of years. Charnley will have served his apprenticeship this year and over the many games he got last year. Yet many fans on here would rather look overseas to a more expensive and riskier option to replace Carmont. Than the obvious and longterm option that is Charnley. Just for the record Josh looks as just a good player as Joe if not a little more hard to handle in the tackle.

2 seems a correct balance and Hock makes it 3 pretty much. If anybody expects or even wants 5 new players they're crazy. We've got lads like Mellor, Logan Tomkins and Crosby that need to get a couple of places up the ladder.

Bowen and Ratchford would do for me as an example of what I'd hope for.

Yeah they would seem like decent signings:

Bowen
Charnley
Joel
Ratchford
Richards
Finch
Sam
Fielden
Leuluai
Prescott
Hansen
Farrell
O'Loughlin

Lima
Hock
Mossop
McIlorum

With Goulding, Tuson, Crosby, Hughes, Mellor, Logan, Marsh, Roberts (still contracted to 2012) etc backing up.

According to the Hull paper, Dobson's replacement contract has a clause allowing him to leave at the end of this season.

That would sort it in my mind, Dobson in to play with Finch. Tommy to 9 with McIllorum, Sam to stay @ 1.

Kearney would be an excellent signing.

He's got a good running, passing and kicking game and I can see him easily fitting in at FB for Wigan much like Sam does.

Paul Prescott has stepped right up this year and it is great to see. I firmly believe that he has the potential to be an England regular in a few years time. Lima is getting better every game and his stats are very impressive. I think he is a very similar player to Fielden in that he gets through an absolute ton of work and looks to be in prime physical condition. Add to this the obvious return of Stu and the possible front row placement of a massive Gaz Hock we have the 4 prop slots sorted. Obviously O'Barrel is due back from injury (fingers crossed) and we have Crosby and Davis waiting in the Wings.

Thing is though, i really think that leaves us short. In fact i think it leaves us dreadfully short when you factor in inevitable injury's and suspensions.

Andy Coley is going to be missed a massive amount. More so that both Carmont and Deacs IMO (although i am aware of the great things they do) because cliché's aside, those lads cant do anything with out players like AC.

I do not think that we have to sign a world class prop, but i do think we need to sign an experienced SL/NRL one.

3 first team props and one potential in Hock is not enough.

There are plenty of good front rowers knocking around and many of them would not cost a fortune. Now i would be very happy with a David Ferriol type, i am aware that he can be indisciplined by by god he gets stuck in. I would not expect him to make James Graham type yardage but i would expect him to put big shots on and really get to the opposition. You can also forget about cheap shots on Sam with Him and Hock rotating. It would not even have to be an enforcer type, just someone with an old head on his shoulders who is not afraid of grafting

I know that a world class centre is at the top of most peoples shopping list, but a rough old prop is at the top of mine.

We have four props - Stuart Fielden, Jeff Lima, Paul Prescott and Lee Mossop. Plus possibly Gareth Hock. Eamon O'carroll will be like a new signing and then we have Dom Crosby and Ben Davies.

Do you know what i completely forgot about Mossop. I suppose i still think he is a 2nd rower.



Strange, especially as i have been very impressed with of late.

Cant believe that.

Still, take away the fact that we do have enough props. I feel my point is still valid

I guess it demonstrates just how big a squad we have that you can forget certain players.





However your point is valid if Gareth Hock moves up to prop and Joel moves as expected to centre and Ryan Hoffman leaves that is also expected. Having just Harrison Hansen, Liam Farrell, Chris Tuson and Jack Hughes is not enough. I don't think we'll see Gareth Hock make the move to prop unless we're struggling badly with injuries. Even if one of the main four (Lima, Fielden, Prescott, Mossop) pick up an injury I think we'll see Dom Crosby or Ben Davies blooded. Two very talented young British props with so much potential. Also there's Eamon O'carroll to chuck into the mix.

When you look at it like that we're not looking too bad at prop.

I would love nothing more than to see one of our own homegrown players make the centre position their own and not have to sign an overseas player. I would be willing to invest the time and patience required to see us through long-term at centre. Joel Tomkins will most likely be our centre for next year. The lad has awesome potential there and is looking better every week. After a full season at centre (near enough) and a full pre-season behind him and I suspect a few England appearances there then I feel very confident we'll have an awesome centre on our hands. Joel is very big, powerful, but is also very quick & has an excellent fend. He also has very good hands to find the offload. He just needs to improve his decision-making and that will come in time. EVERY game though he causes teams problems. That pass on the inside for Charnley against Saints was awesome.

As for the other centre spot I think our hand may be forced into developing one of our own. The OOC centres in Super League are not good enough. I don't know any NRL centres that are available and will come over at the right price and are of the right quality. Ian Lenagan was right that the centre market is grim. We will probably have to invest in one of our own - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It will just require a lot of patience from our fans/coaches. It's a hard position to make your own as we're seeing with Joel. Karl Pryce doesn't look anywhere near up to it defensively. He'll leave at the end of this season IMO. Darrell Goulding hasn't been given enough game and will be more used as utility IMO. Stefan Marsh just doesn't strike me as a player who has the potential to be a top class centre. He doesn't look up, doesn't find an offload or look to create space for his man. He needs to bulk up too.

The one lad who can make that spot his own is Josh Charnley. He's a big unit and is very, very quick. An excellent finisher and some of his passes back inside have been awesome (like that one for Carmont or Joel against Barrow) this suggests to me that he has the handling skills to put away his winger. Defensively he's outplayed Keith Senior at Hull KR and looked excellent in his short stint there. If Wigan are planning to ease him into the first team as a winger and then to gradually move him into the centres when the opportunity arises then I'm all for it. I would go with Joel and Josh as our centres for next year.

The important aspect for me is defence. If we can get Joel Tomkins' and Josh Charnley's defence up to scratch at centre then we'll be fine because the attack and decision-making will come with experience. Both will be awesome strike weapons and have some pace too!

A backline consisting of:

1. Matt Bowen
2. Amos Roberts/Darrell Goulding/Ryan King (one of those three)
3. Joel Tomkins
4. Josh Charnley
5. Pat Richards
6. Sam Tomkins
7. Brett Finch

There's a hell of a lot of strike power in there and I think I'd be right in saying that's one of the fastest backlines we've ever had (should it happen). With the centre market looking poor (as Ian Lenagan alluded too) then we could have to lineup like this. However I have to say after seeing this on paper, I don't think this is at all a bad thing. That backline looks awesome.

Sorry I have been in London for a few days so just catching up - is there any definitive link to us going for Bowen or is this just our fans speculating that this would be a good signing?

No link between us and Bowen at all. Just naming prospective recruits for next season.

Matt Bowen is OOC though and has publically declared his interest in moving abroad and coming to Super League. If you scroll a couple of pages back I post the link with direct quotes (or you could just google 'Matt Bowen Super League').

Sam has been arguably a better FB than 6. Gotta be careful not to panic sign when our current squad is good enough to win the SL.

Who's honestly good enough and possibly would sign?
Personally my list is short
Dobson (if the contract rumour is true)
Matt Cooper
Bowen

Even if Coley hangs up his boots I don't feel we need any more forwards

Prescott McM Fielden Mossop Lima Crosby Mossop Davies O Carroll
Hock Hansen Faz Tuson Hughes Lockers