I know its fun to point the finger at wigan with regards the overseas appointments, but to be honest, what other option is there? Why should they sign some random english player who is pants, just so they can take the moral highground about having so many english players?

The ideal situation that every fan wants for their team is a completely home-grown squad of players that can be competitive, but that is pretty unrealistic, even for heartland clubs, in this day and age. An adjustment to the salary cap which rewards teams for developing players would probably help, such as letting home-developed players count for less on the cap, but it would probably be seen as unfair on teams with less money or are in expansion areas

Are you feeling alright?

Damn those bloody furriners, coming over here and earning a living.



I'd like to think that every other overseas signing(s) will create an 11-page thread littered with baseless facts. I won't hold my breath, mind.

Pick your argument; do you want us concentrating on our academy of which Hansen is a product and Tommy is a young player from another SL academy, or do you want us to only have England eligible players.

tbh though I couldn't give a stuff about the international game anyway.

I feel like whatever point your trying to make isn't coming accross and it just looking like a spot of pie bashing.

-Wigan produce plenty of youngsters to benifit both them and other SL clubs.
-From what I've been lead to believe the 3 signings (mixed reports of Finch) are very good and the like of which will help improve the overall standard of SL. Quality imports are good for the game both for improving playing standard and attracting crowds.
-They are within the imposed quota rules which are slowly reducing the total number of foreign players in our league.

Ah but that doesn't matter because:
1. We are Wigan
2. Not much else to criticise us for at the moment
3. It's the "spirit" of the game we are breaching
4. It's just not fair

Eleven pages

12 actually. Can you imagine the outcry there would be from some on here if Wigan actually managed to cheat their way to a meaningful trophy?

I cant believe all the negative comments on here directed towards Wigan just because they are the best team in Superleague and will quite rightly be crowned premiers this season.

Well, what's good for the goose...

12 pages?

Imagine if Wigan had signed a 32 year old Australian on a 2 year deal as a direct replacement for a 26 year old Englishman.

Or if Wigan had signed a 30 year old Australian on a 3 year deal.

This board would go into meltdown!!!

Spot on Jeff, sorry, I mean Bazza.

The fact that Thornley has left is completely irrelevant as it doesn't even remotely affect his position at the club.

What I find funniest about this whole thread is that no one seems to be able to see that Saddened! is just trying to wind Wigan fans up and they're all taking the bait. I mean the question has been asked a few times and Saddened! hasn't answered it once... if Thornley is such a loss to Rugby League why didn't any other team try to sign him? If Shenton is going to Saints wouldn't Cas have a need for a good English centre? Using Saddened!'s argument that Wigan are destroying English rugby league I'd throw Any other team in Super League into the pot to take the blame as they didn't sign him up either and have all let him go to yawnion.

Saints have signed an overseas prop too, which surely by his logic will keep a young English Prop out of the team. And looking at a few of his posts means he thinks saints are destroying English rugby league!

The fact is we haven't signed an overseas player at centre to stop him getting in. His starting spot is taken up by Gleeson, Marsh or Charnley who are still in our squad for next year. Yep, that's 3 English players. If we wanted to make room for him in the team under the salary cap or whatever, why should we do it by removing Aussies that don't play in that position. It doesn't make sense to Get rid of a winger/hooker/prop/second rower to bring in a centre, as that would leave the team weak in other positions. And if we get rid of Carmont (the only overseas player that would keep him out of the team) then Marsh, Goulding and Charnley would all be above him in the pecking order.

i dont think they spend enough money bringing them through. RL basically takes the cream of what falls into its lap, from a fairly small amateur base that simply isnt enough.

It will be hard work to get enough players through to sustain our league, but that doesnt mean it isnt worth it or we shouldnt do it.



there isnt a quota we can enforce which is why we should use the cap, but you cant blame it completely. It is a part of the problem but it could be part of the solution.

Again, you cant blame it all on the cap though it is a contributory factor. It was 10 years ago the building blocks of the Success leeds have achieved were put in place. Wigan went a different way.

So why not get rid of Carmont and give Marsh Goulding and Charnley a shot?

Why should we? Carmont is a good player it is now up to Marsh and Charnley to get up to his level. There is no point getting rid because of morals there is still a cpmpetition to win

exactly!!!!!!! the problem and clubs selfishness in a nut shell

Marsh looked good last night. Made a great run halfway through the second half going past 5 or 6 Halifax defenders in a very small space.

Same for Wigan and every other club in the competition though isn't it! If the argument fits in your mind for Wigan, then all the other clubs in the league ought to be ditching all their overseas players as well.

You simply can't have it both ways. Either we have a "brits only" rule, or we have a graduated scale of eligibility and quotas, and either way, all teams have to stick to them. This is exactly what we do have, so no problem. Anyone saying otherwise is simply having a go at Wigan for doing the same as all the other teams do, just for a change.

Leuluai must surely qualify for England now, based on residency, so that means we only have about 4 players who cannot play for England, given the Manu/Fa'asavalu situations.

I like how now Quota & Salary cap arguments are dead in the water we move onto Non England eligible arguments....

So far
18/19 English players have played for Wigan this season.
9 England/GB internationals have played for Wigan this Season.
19 Players in 32 man squad are from the academy.
23/24 of the 32 man squad are English.

careful precious, you could hurt yourself with a knee jerk like that.

As i have said, almost all clubs have far too many overseas players. 5 should be the maximum for all.

Lueluai is a kiwi, a proud kiwi, who represents NZ and has just won a world cup with them, but that is besides the point. Qualifying for england isnt the same as being a player trained in the english system, this is where we need to increase the number and improve the quality. Signing Pat Richards didnt mean Wigan were any better at bringing through and in British players, just simply that a good player in the NRL had Irish parents