I wouldn't label Finch as one of the NRL's most effective halfbacks. Wouldn't even come close to the effective ones like...

Lockyer
Thurston
Cronk
Marshall
etc...

Funny you get to etc only one name after listing the three best half backs in the world and 3 of the best ten of the decade. And Marshall may well be the 4th best in the world. Can you name three more who are better than Finch?

i can't say i'm a fan of his, i'm of the opinion that he's one of these that gets spoken about a lot so there's a lofty opinion of him despite having not really done a huge amount.

Kirmorley
Barrett
Prince

Who you on about here, James Corden ?

Kimmorley five (or ten) years ago - maybe.

Barrett is much of a muchness with Finch.

Prince!!

Seymour ?

Kirmorley has been good this season and was picked for NSW and has a wonderfull kicking fame.

Barrett on his day can be brilliant alot better than Finch IMO.

Prince I'm a fan of, a clever player who I also rate above Finch.

Get rid of Cronk and you'd see a different Finch.

In what way? I'll have to disagree surely playing alonside a World Class Halfback would flourish you into becoming a better player?

He could take control. Different views on him obviously. We'll know in a year how his first few months have worked out.

i don't get it G, i honestly don't, i'm sure we've had a row about this during TOPNBVNRL seasons but i've never had him as much cop.

iirc he was one of them highly rated purchases for sydney, didn't do much there, was released froma big money contract at parra and then obviously came to melbourne with their team of illegally overpaid superstars.

I think those who watch the NRL would not be wetting themselves. Finch has always been an erratic player, sometimes brilliant, sometimes terrible. I believe a lot of that is to do with him being quite an emotional player, it was not unusual to see him ranting at his team mates, especially so at the Roosters. When it has all been down to him, it hasn't quite worked.

Being at Melbourne has taken a massive amount of pressure off him, even though he plays as a second half, not a stand-off as I would deem it to be.

With all that said, I do think he will be a good fit at Wigan. He has a natural halfback partner in Tomkins and a ball handler in O'Loughlin, a seemingly complimentary trimuvarate.

It's always hard to judge which overseas players are going to come in and be a hit and which aren't because it takes different players more time to settle then others but i'm sure Maguire will know these guys better then almost anybody in world rugbyleague and he is a man I trust to make the judgement on them.

If all 3 settle into the town and the club reasonably quickly they'll undoubtably be an improvment on the guys they're replacing. It looks like Lima is a replacment for Feka which is a no contest as Feka has hardly played all year so pretty much anybody would be a better option. As for Finch he looks like a replacment more for Deacon with Leuluai being Riddell's replacment and I think overall that will leave us stronger and then as for Hoffman being Bailey's replacment thats really a no contest(or else it shouldn't be).

In truth it could all go horribly wrong and all 3 be a disaster but thats the risk you take with any overseas signings as i'm sure both us Wigan fans and you Wire fan know very well.

I know. As soon as I read about the signing, I thought of you. I think though he will be one of those players (like Barrett) who turns out an excellent SL signing.

Finch is very average. He's played Origin and looked out of it on every occasion.

Anyone who doesn't rate Prince nowadays knows nothing about league at all. Before he got injured this year he was playing absolutely superbly.

Anyway, we've all seen big signings announced and fans going crazy about them before they arrive. Maybe Wigan will be stronger and maybe not.

This isn't about him playing State of Origin though its about playing in Super League which arguably is not as tough a competition as Origin.

Wayne Rooney is very average when it comes to international football but most premiership clubs would regard him as a good signing if they bought him.

All 3 will turn out to be excellent signings and will undoubtedly strengthen wigans squad.

I know my Rugby.

If Wigan had Finch this season they would have sewn up the the hubcap by now.

Good solid signings from Wigan, Hoffman is a big unit at 6'5 and 18st, looks the part when i've seen him play.

Tomkins and Finch behind that pack next season will take some stopping.

Wigan will be relying a lot on Leluai and McIllorum at hooker. Neither are top draw in that position in my opinion. That will be their biggest weakness (along with an injury to either of those two or at half-back).

Weren't the Warrington fans as skeptical as this when we signed Spider? "Oh he's too old, he's slow, he won't score any tries, very underwhelmed".

Look how that panned out. There was mass joy on here when he signed for another year the other day.

not the warrington fans who knew about the nrl,

I miss Virtual NRL. For old-time sakes I still look at the stats every week just to see who would have got a forward try.

Alan Tongue still a given?