I don't get irate as such (certainly not to the levels of this forum when we get beat), it just saddens me that so many of our fans are so retarded....

I suspect there are halliwell Jones era fans and wilderspool era fans... The second group of which have fewer preconceptions of signings and aren't as deeply affected by the hype that recent years marketing has had in generating unreasonable expectations for signings... in reality More often the ones without the hype on them deliver more

Signing a player who the bottom club in super league are happy to let go. Who is going to the second bottom team in super league next year.

IMO Lucas Green looked to be doing a decent job. He’d only get better with game time.

Him along with the other young guys must feel so alienated.

Lucas Green is a prop who should be ahead of Dudson in the pecking order so it's like comparing apples and pears. Whitehead and Holroyd are just not there yet and will get their time next year, but I see this as an OK signing. It gives second row cover takes the pressure off Nicholson to come back gradually, or even get some time at his preferred position at Loose, which will give us the chance to use Clark as an impact hooker. If we had signed him instead of Fitzgibbon for next year i wouldn't have been impressed but he can come here and do a job. I see it similar to Russell in terms of a signing.

Green is only 18, he can’t be playing every week. Holroyd and Whitehead are both edge back rowers, so not really replaced with Crowther. Thomas hasn’t played much, not sure why he isn’t getting a shot atm, either they don’t think he’s ready ability wise or physically.

Not sure there are any other youngsters waiting to come through forwards wise this year.

He’s coming into the squad for 10 games max. Our pack has been noticeably tired of late and this can only bolster them.

Is this any more alienating than handing a third rate Aussie prop a 3 year contract?

They probably feel the same as the young forwards at Wigan when they signed a 34 year old from the team second bottom of SL.

Wish him well. I've got full faith in the recruitment decisions.

Quite ironic that you compare the move for an at the time international prop who was mismanaged by your club when now you are signing the likes of Jordan Crowther because you are desperate for forwards.

Clearly you don't understand the meaning of irony.

If you'd bothered to stop trying to get the pie dribble out of your Ellgren jacket long enough to read the rest of the thread you'd have seen that yet another one of your lot had come on here BORING ON about how great your youth policy is and how bad ours is - even suggesting that our youth players are becoming alienated.

When in actual fact actions like signing a 34 year old prop who'd thrown his toys out of the pram and giving a 3 year contract to an Aussie prop who wouldn't get into most teams in Super League show that your lot are capable of recruitment decisions which might 'alienate' the youngsters just like the rest of us.

Once again ironic you choose to criticise Wigan’s policy for overseas prop recruitment.

Once again you misuse the term ironic and misrepresent what I am saying. I question Wigan's long-term investment in a [isubstandard [/iprop (that he is an overseas player is irrelevant - I merely used the term Aussie so you would be in no doubt as to whom I referred) when their fans are continually telling us all about the many great youngsters they have coming through...

Ironic that you think you can win trophies with a team full of young props.

You really need to look up irony in the dictionary

I didn’t mention Wigan in my post and was just chatting about Wire.

I post on here a fair bit as all my rugby mates are Wire fans so I have an interest, hopefully I add to the discussion rather than “trolling”.


I’d thought Wire had turned a corner young player wise, I remember signings like Bodene Thompson and Mitch Brown.

Thewlis, Wrench are doing great and have been getting consistent game time.

I just think it’s bang out of order to have a player sitting on the bench for the full 80 minutes. I understand it’s happened 7/8 times this year. Why not give them 10 minutes at some point?


I also think even if he’s not in the long term plans Riley Dean would have been helpful the last month or so.

Nah the irony would be lost on him.

Powell is simply 'plugging a hole' in the pack with Crowther rather than bringing in a permanent replacement so I don't think we need to be concerned that the youngsters are loosing an opportunity. Truth is, most of them will need to kick on quite a bit to get a regular spot in the team. In the meantime they will have to develop in the 'U21 team' ( currently mislabelled Reserves) until we hopefully secure a place in the top 6.

Ironically I bought a thesaurus yesterday!

Back on the rugby your “investment” in all those props over the last few years really has proven to be shocking.

2 who didn’t want to be here, one well past his best with attitude issues one who was never really that good and then one who couldn’t get a game in a powederpuff Wigan pack.

Now you are having to recruit a player that wouldn’t get into the team at the bottom of the tables 17 even with a good few missing and has a history of fitness issues particularly around head knocks.

He’s a cracking lad and a great golfer so will fit in well at Wire.

Decent work ethic which will set him apart from most of your team.

I just find the whole thing very ironic.

Thank you. I always enjoy listening to your thoughts re. youngsters & their development, as you have an obvious grasp of what's going on. When I've watched the "Reserves" they do appear so young and the leap to SuperLeague looks physically huge.

Makes me giggle when you have to explain the content of your posts to some people

One of the most ridiculous aspects of Wire recruitment has been signing props who are regularly getting suspended & who can only play in ten minute stints.

Oh, I understood his post fully. I just pointed out the slight hypocrisy given his own team's recruitment news this week. People in glass houses and all that...

So you are suggesting as I said we should go with a full team of kids at prop?

Walters 22, Byrne 23, Havard 22, Hill 19, Smithies 22, all already getting regular SL game time and will continue to even with old man Ellis 25 re signed.

Add to this we are letting Mago 28, Singleton 30 and Isa 34 go at the end of the year, we probably need more old heads to come in and support the development of our young pack.

If you are trying to compare Ellis with Crowther on ability….I can only assume you are not a good judge of rugby players or are being very ironic.

jonh " one who couldn’t get a game in a powederpuff Wigan pack"

If you are referring to Bullock. I think he has done pretty well in a Warrington shirt and deserves more minutes in my view. He runs the ball up strongly and shows more enthusiasm than another ex-Wiganner, a certain Mr. Dudson.

jonh"So you are suggesting as I said we should go with a full team of kids at prop?"

Nope - and how you got that from what I said, I don't know. In response to NSW criticising our youth policy as one which might "alienate" our youth players, I simply intended to point out that signing Ellis, who hasn't set the world on fire, on a 3 year deal might cause some disenchantment among the Wigan youth players. I also, in no way, wished to compare the relative abilities of Ellis and Crowther. If I'm honest, I can't recall ever seeing Crowther play. I've seen Ellis a few times and I though his performance in the CC against us was one of his better ones.

Of course, having to spell out every nuance of what you write can often take away from its effect.

Had I realised my comments were going to stretch your 3 GCSEs to bursting point, I might have kept my powder dry...