You're going to have to repeat that, prefferably in English!

Terrific post Cadoo

It is, I doubt most of the people strongly voicing there opinions have read it though, it will fall on deaf ears as people have already made their minds up that "Wigan are the scum of rugby league"

The fact that there are more Wigan academy products in SL than any other simply does not register

The fact that most who are shouting loudest on here do not have an Academy that can be mentioned in the same breath as Wigans

The fact is that this thread wouldnt exist if it was Warrington, Hull, Leeds or Saints or any other club for that matter signed these players says it all really.

Saints are set to announce Michael Shenton and Louie McCarthy Scarsbrook according to rumour. 2 more English internationals coming in.

You don't need to sign NRL players all the time. There are alternatives. Despite the lengths the RFL have gone to reduce the number of NRL players in SL, Wigan will still have a mighty 7. 7!

St Helens folk lecturing Wigan on developing a club and players? Classic post-1996 nonsense.

regardless of how many of this or that it still sucks that we are seeing a bright young talent in an area that we are weak in at rep level leave the game for the enemy. Finding an English centre with the physical attributes of NRL centres is hard to do it seems. Personally I'd have rather seen Wigan use the Finch money to keep him, it's not like they need Finch.

ps I know all clubs do it, mine being one of teh worse and it sucks all round!

The problem with the scenario outlined by Wigan fans is summed up in one word - PERCEPTION. The known facts are that Wigan have announced the signings of 3 overseas players in the same week they lose one of the best centre prospects in the game (according to the media releases etc). Just saying that Wigan 'will' release players doesn't count for squat when you're talking about perception.

Wigan have not - so far as I can tell - officially announced that any current overseas player will be leaving the club at the end of the year (I may have missed Riddell leaving being announced). Maybe 3 will. Or 4. But the story that most people will see and hear is that Wigan are bringing in yet more expensive Aussies, then bleating about not been willing to pay as much money as someone else to retain an 18-year old.

I wouldn't recognize Thornley from Adam, but that's the spin put on all this, and that's why I think quite a few people are disappointed by the direction Wigan APPEAR to be going.

BTW Carmont is an average centre. If he's been keeping any half decent British players out of the side then that's reason enough in my book to cut imports drastically. And before anyone mentions it, Leeds have too many overseas players too.

Exactly. Whilst most clubs work their socks off to improve things and try to develop British talent and in turn help the national side and in turn help the sport's profile, there are those clubs so concerned/desperate for success that they have a different mindset. Instead of looking for ways to cut overseas players they look for ways around the system, exemptions and passport dodges. Same with the cap, while most sides look to abide by the rules there are those that look for ways to beat the system, to get away with cheating.

It's interesting that most of the people on here who will agree with you are either Aussies or Brits living in Oz.
As outsiders i think we can see the dangers of bringing in too many imports and the benefits of promoting English talent.

British RL cannot afford to lose talented youngsters to Yawnion and Thornley was in line to play for England Academy v Australian Schoolboys later this year, it would've been a great indicator of where he was at.

This is not having a shot at Wigan, it is a problem with the British game in general.

Does anyone find this all a bit ironic considering wigan used to steal, rape and pillage other clubs in the 80s and 90s?

I bet thornley was "irritated" at wigan for signing yet more overseas players.

Oh dear Steve. 2 stand offs!!? Finch is a 7 who has been shifted to 6 to play with Cronk, at the time he signed with the storm many asked the question of why they had two organising 7's and no 6.

As for Thornley, my view from watching the 20's is that he's 3rd in line for a centre spot at wigan behind Stef Marsh and now Charnley. We offered Thornley a new contract to see how he develops but RU have offered more money.

Why offer good money to a player that Wigan see as only 3rd choice centre in the 20's, it doesn't make sense.

Iam no Wigan fan but i have no problem with the 3 Melbourne players coming in. They are the calibre of Aussie player that should be coming over here with all of them in their prime. Wigan will surely be releasing overseas players (that are of a lesser standard) to make room for the Melbourne lads. Add to this the quality of the English lads they already have (loads of them are early to mid twenties in age) and i think Wigan have done some really good business here. On paper Wigan should be a top 3 team for the next 3 years and probably more.

He won't be bothered.

He's been offered a huge money move to Union & being paid more money than Rugby League could offer at this stage in his non-first grade appearance career.

I think Finch at 7 and Tomkins at 6 is a good combination myself. Finch will be able to give Sam good service which will benefit him immensely on the field. The experience Finch will bring will also help Tomkins at this stage of his career. With Leuluei and Mcillorum rotating at 9 will give Wigan the best combination of 9,7 and 6 in the league next year imo. Better than Saints and Leeds.

But you have to look at why such a good player hasn't made an appearance as yet? Leuleuai is pants, Bailey, Roberts, Carmont, Riddell are all pants.

In their youth system Wigan have this massive resource but they don't tap into anything like the full potential of the area. Quality Wigan youngsters should be in the Wigan team, not making up the best part of the other teams and servicing Union.

Why can't any Wigan fans just admit it? They SHOULD have promoted Thornley and they SHOULD be paying him the money they will instead waste on a retirement fund for an NRL player?

Leuleuai is pants - NZ international and World cup winner
Bailey - agreed but there are other quality youngsters behind him, he will be going at the end of the season
Roberts - the best player in the league before his injury
Carmont - no worldbeater but above average for the centres in the SL
Riddell -our best hooker by a mile


The fact is you cant offer all your youngsters big money, there simply isnt the resources in SL to do that, some will always jump ship to other lines of work

I am happy that Warrington will have a settled side again next season. History suggests the successful teams do not make wholesale changes.

Any new signing carries a risk.

11 out of 17 for the last game, only Leeds and Saints can match that figure

The fact is you cant offer all your youngsters big money, there simply isnt the resources in SL to do that, some will always jump ship to other lines of work

Chris Ashton is a great example, now a GB RU international but at the time we could have never offered him the 140k per year figure that RU offered him as he was just a talented youngster

Maybe the RFL should look at this and make youngsters count only 50% on the cap? And the first full year not count at all on the cap.

Well the current overseas players have helped kept us consistanly on the of the league through out the season despite your opinions, haven't they?

Thornley isn't good enough to be starting for Wigan and Thornley isn't worth matching the wages that Union were offering. The rest of Super League obviously agrees as there no equivilant offers to keep him in League, were there?

Can't even believe I took one of your posts on.

Can we name this the "We all hate Wigan thread" or perhaps "Looking for any excuses to put Wigan down (even if it includes lying) because we are extremely bitter about their stature, success, history, league standing, quality youth system, well run club, the fact they are known as the biggest club in world rugby even on the other side of the planet thread".

Sorry, I genuinely took your post seriously until I got to that bit.

Still, must be nice to pick up double Clubcard points where once roamed the likes of Boston and Sullivan...

Chris Ashton had played in the first team which makes it slightly different.

The long Cadoo post is the one to read for those that haven't.

Bottom line is :
1). I've never heard of Thornley. He is not a top player he's a young lad with potential.
2). He was offered a contract by Wigan based on his current performance level and potential.
3). Imagine if Wigan had offered the bloke megga dough and screwed up the entire wage structure at the club, which would have been far worse in my opinion.
4). Don't blame Yawnion. If any individual was offered a great financial deal they would be stupid not to take it, or would you stay because you really like your employer rather than earning significantly more money.

In the past I would agree we were badly run. Now we must be one of if not the best in the league.

As it appears that a number of people are unable to read, i'll put the Wigan argument into short easy words for you.
[list

[*Thornley given lots more money by Sale[/*:m
[*Not played first team[/*:m
[*Not improved as much as we thought he would[/*:m
[*Sale paying for university[/*:m
[*Marsh and Charnley could both be better[/*:m
[*Thornley turned down a Wigan contract[/*:m[/list:u

Another thing I just realised
[list

[*Leeds are the only team in the league with no former Wigan players[/*:m[/list:u

I think you'll find most of the animosity aimed towards wigan in this thread can be put down to nothing more than petty jealousy because they've signed 3 top players.