yes he is better, but he's injured, why sign an injured player?

Mathers takes a lot of flak and things haven't gone his way in recent years and that's probably reflected in what we're probably paying him.
If he gets back to his Leeds form then he's a hell of a lot better than Riley.

I don't think it really matters as Riley is a reserve and not 1st choice fullback ,But yes Mathers is better than him but imo it is a player we don't need and now Gleeson has gone.
None of the players mention in anything I have read is anywhere near good enough quality for us .We would need to look further for a good replacement as I believe you don't sell a player and bring in an inferior player all that does is weaken the team/squad .

The main problems with Mathers are that his timing and positioning are way off, he has little confidence and does not link up in attack.

His attitude, effort and professionalism can't be faulted and if Tony Smith can bring out the best of him then great, as he fully deserves to regain his form.

Prepare for some fustrating Mathers-moments particulary position/reaction-wise, but I hope he comes good for his sake.

Mather pre Aus move seemed a very bright talent post Aus not as good but if anyone can get the best out of him it will be Smith.

Probably see him at standoff next week! lol

He played there for Wigan last time they beat leeds if I remember rightly?

No,that was Thomas Coyle.

Mathers did actually play in the NRL at full back and while only making a handfull of games before injury he was highly thought of at the Titans......

could we imagine Chris Riley starting at Full back for any NRL Team....



there you go that'll do for me

We cant believe what Wigan fans will tell us.......after all they have the best prop in the world in paleasinna dont they......!!

It is the Warrington way! We do seem to have a tendancy to sign injured players.

Mathers is absoluteley hopeless,I am gutted Wigoon have managed to offload him.
Tremendous buisness by the goons.

Some players just don't seem to be able to perform under some coaches and at certain clubs. Wigan for sure 'ruined' Danny Orr who has been much better since moving to Quins. The same could be said for Nigel Wright years before who went from world-class prospect at Wakey to pensioned-off crock at the Pies. Mathers certainly was a fine full back before arriving at Wigan and Tony Smith was his coach then. Personally I don't think we've seen the best of Stuart Reardon at Warrington but it looks like he's out of the club shortly - no doubt connected to certain legal proceedings - so we need a full back. Chris Riley can make his mark on the wing.

As for Gleeson, on his day the best centre in the UK by a mile. Sadly, last year he had about three of his 'days' playing for us, and so far this year not one. As suggested elsewhere he's probably disillusioned about the last few years post-Saints, an unlikely to deliver big time for the Wire again. For England's sake I hope he rediscovers his form at the Pies, but Wire have been quite smart here to get £100k for for a player who would have walked free in six months time, anyway, and who just doesn't perform for us anymore.

Mathers is terrible.

Riley is a better full back than him.

Ok, explain how we 'ruined' Danny Orr and injury-prone Nigel Wright.

Orr was very good at Cas, went to Wigan, where he was very average and has redicovered his form at Harlequins.

He was below average for a long time for us. But his form for the last 2-3 months of his last season was excellent. He had Dobson with him and a pack which had Fletcher and Scott Logan which made yards and gave him space to play. He above anyother player helped keep Wigan in SL that season.

Or is it more the fact that he had bigger expectations at Wigan?

Are Wire ruining King/Monaghan?

Riley had a shocker at wakefield

I think its something else.

Andy Farrell.

Farrell for me was a great great player but always demanded to be the centre of the playmaking and pushing out the likes of Orr. IMO Farrell was much better when he stuck to being a great powerfull runner outwide rather than masquerading as some kind of playmaking genius.

Fair comment!

But that was 2005, Orr also had a season without playing along side him in 2006 but was just as average.

Expectations or otherwise, he was nowhere near the dominant player that he was at Cas. As saintc has stated Wigan signed a player who was a first receiver dominant half back, who had to play second fiddle to Farrell. He probably didn't know whether he was coming or going.

Monaghan, has generally got a mard on and King has/had the lowest confidence I can recall seeing in a player. I saw him smile for the first time in twelve months a couple of weeks ago.

In answer to the question, yes.

Riley still has a future at the club fighting for a spot on the wing, and could turn out to be a potent attacking weapon from a position of less responsibilty.

i said at the time, it was like on orr's first day of training someone sat him down and said "danny, you know all them things you were great at doing at cas that won them games and generaly made us interested in signing you? yeah, remember them? right well you're not allowed to do any of that, stop being the player that we signed and just get out of farrell's way"

Fair deal for both clubs 100k good money for a player out of contract in the summer but you have been done signing mathers. Possibly the worst player i have seen at Wigan in the last 10 years

maybe the competition will mean that riley will up his game and mathers struggles to get a spot, that's what competition is all about innit?