Disagree, both would be average signings.

We do not need average, Kearney could prove me wrong as pre injury he was an outstanding player and these things take a couple of years to sort themselves out.

Ratchford, steady away, we have better not playing with the first team.

I view Kearney and Ratchford as average players. If they was your recruitment for next season, as a Saints fan, I would be delighted.

Something tells me you will be able to pull a good signing out of the bag somewhere along the line though.

Let's leave average signings where they are.

Back in the Millward days {shudders} !!!

This week's Observer suggests that Hoffman is finalising deals to head back at the end of this season.
It also stated that Wigan plan not to recruit from the NRL to replace him, instead bringing Hock back with the guys we already have will be plenty enough.

Looks like we will lose two overseas signings (Hoffman & Carmont) at least, with maybe/possibly Roberts (who knows)?

Opens up options for a top centre then I guess and maybe a prop to replace Coley.

Hodges

I'm old enough to remember people saying the same thing about Neil Cowie, Billy McGinty and Martin Hall to name three. Not every player in the squad has to be world class or dipped into the River Douggy by his ankles at birth, great teams have great players but also have a large squad where decent but not box office players are happy to bide their time and come in and do a good job when required

Correct. Not every signing can be a superstar. Kearney would be a bit of a gamble given his form post-injury but he's relatively young

Would rather us use our own kids than sign another aussie (unless of course its Billy Slater)

Yeah, but let's be fair. Ratchford won't be playing in a threequarter line with Jason Robinson and Martin Offiah on the wings. Nor will he have Henry Paul at full-back and Shaun Edwards and Frano Botica in the halves.

I'd be interested in Kearney, but I haven't seen much n Ratchford's armoury that would excite me if he took one of the Wigan first-team shirts.

Nobody is saying that he's going to walk straight into the team should we sign him. He would give us useful cover in several positions along the backline though. If you look at our current squad as a whole I think it would look stronger on paper if Ratchford was in there. It's hard to speculate too much on next season's squad because we don't know who will be here and who won't

Only sign a player when you know he's 100% right. Got to be savvy in the SC era. I personally have faith in IL

As you rightly allude to Wigan have always had a sprinking of fairly average players, even in their most successful teams but they were surrounded by very good players. Players such as Neil Cowie, Terry O'Connor, Billy McGinty, Martin Hall, David Myers, Sam Panapa etc all did a very good job but they didnt exactly stand out at the clubs they came from, or indeed the clubs they went to after. They came into a successful team with some great players and some great leaders and stepped up another level. The same can be said of the current Wigan team or the Leeds, Saints and Bradford teams of the last few years. No top RL team has ever had a team of 17 superstars.

Some of Aussie national squads, along with some of the more recent Queensland ones have certainly been.

I disagree. Even coaches of representative teams havent always picked what most people would consider the best players. Australia have often picked a lesser player for the balance of the team, because they compliment another player or because they are grafters rather than just picking the best 17 players. Some players also dont fit with a coaches style of play so have also not been picked.

Quote ="Famous"I disagree. Even coaches of representative teams havent always picked what most people would consider the best players. Australia have often picked a lesser player for the balance of the team, because they compliment another player or because they are grafters rather than just picking the best 17 players. Some players also dont fit with a coaches style of play so have also not been picked.'" news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 674161.stm Who out of that team is not a world beater then? There are plenty of other Aussie teams that were just as star studded.

Quote ="Famous"I disagree. Even coaches of representative teams havent always picked what most people would consider the best players. Australia have often picked a lesser player for the balance of the team, because they compliment another player or because they are grafters rather than just picking the best 17 players. Some players also dont fit with a coaches style of play so have also not been picked.'" news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 674161.stm Who out of that team is not a world beater then? There are plenty of other Aussie teams that were just as star studded.

NSW: No Hayne as it's better for the balance of the team.

Or because he's been off the boil for the last few months whereas Josh Dugan is looking like the next superstar.

Hayne has been average this season. Then again, you would have to watch the NRL to figure this out.

Duggans only a few weeks back from an injury. Both are excellent players. Personally I would have gone for Hayne, he's a player who can produce that little bit of magic which it often takes to win a big game I.e an origin fixture.

Hayne hasn't been his blockbuster self but he still hasn't been average. Just the side around him isn't the best.

Point is that the NSW coach said they were two different styles of fb, Hayne acts as more of a playmaker and that wasn't the sort of player he wanted in the side so he went for Dugan.

But his form has been poor. Is Stewart supposed to pick players simply on their form from 12 months ago?

The NSW side 'isn't the best' either.

I see your point and agree with regards to form, however I don't think he has been poor. Remember the Eels v bulldogs game a few weeks back? Only way they could stop him was by provoking him and getting him binned, changed the whole match.

Hayne is a match winner. Proven it on the big stage time and time again. Whatever it is, he has it.

I was actually at that match. He was sensational for the first 25 minutes, and, as you quite rightly pointed out, the Dogs got under his skin and he lashed out. However, he was virtually non-existent in that second half. Regardless of what I think, Stewart is going to stick with the same 13 if he gets his way.