As this board is liable to go into meltdown at 3pm it's probably useful to have one thread discussing any new players mentioned at the 3pm press conference in this thread only please so we don't have multiple ones discussing the same thing, ta.

Have set up a similar one for any departing players.

UPDATE:

Official now - [urlhttp://www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.aspx?id=8675&type=1[/url

Looks like The Matty Bowen signing is also confirmed

Bowen confirmed: www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... 675&type=1

Bowen confirmed: www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.a ... 675&type=1

Speaking about the signing of Bowen, Chairman Ian Lenagan said;

"We are thrilled to be able to announce the addition of Matty to our squad for the 2014 season. He is a World Class player who will add both quality and experience to our side and will provide an excellent replacement for Sam Tomkins.

Really?

"Matty has all the qualities we are looking for both on and off the field and his experience will prove invaluable to the young players here at the Club. It is a great opportunity for the likes of Ryan Hampshire and Lewis Tierney to continue their learning under one of the best Full-Backs in the game. Matthew has played at the very highest level for his Club, in State of Origin and for his Country and is a marquee signing for us.

Pull the other one it's got bells on it. If IL truly believes this then his idea of a "marquee signing" is very different than mine, and it doesn't bode well for future signings.

Your talking rubbish, he has been outstanding since his knee operation. He will be the best FB in SL by quite a distance. The best player we could have got. Definitely a marquee signing and exactly what we needed

Just because he's not as good as Sam Tomkins doesn't mean he isn't a marquee signing. How can you sign a guy who will possibly be the best in the league in his position and not call him a big name?

Definitely a marquee signing? You are the one talking rubbish. There is no way a player who was considering retirement of his age and deemed not up to another year in the NRL is a marquee signing.

...and will hopefully act as mentor to some of the kids coming through the ranks.

Who would you have preferred who was a realistic option?

And bear in mind that saying "I'd rather have kept Sam" (which I would too) isn't answering the question.

I agree he's only scored 597 points in the NRL so he must be rubbish..........

That's an unfair question to ask of me as I am not privy to the facts/timescales that IL is.

I do know this, we will be a far far weaker team next year by replacing Sam with Bowen. I do not consider a player of Bowens quality to be a "marquee" signing. I hope he turns out to be a good player, I hope he turns out to do great things for the club, but the fact remains that he should not be the "marquee" signing.

I'll tell you why. If any other club had signed a player of his age and with his injury record you'd be laughing at them.

It's nothing to do with how good he is relative to Tomkins either. A players status as a "marquee signing" is all about his [iown[/i standing in the game. Bowen was set to retire from it until we came along and so it is IMO dishonest to call him a marquee signing.

A little bit of honesty wouldn't go amiss and something along the lines of he fills an obvious gap in the team on Tomkins departure while we look for a long term replacement would not go amiss. We all know that is why he is here anyway so why IL has to think we are all gullible enough to think Bowen is a "marquee signing" I don't know. No one else does!

He was only 18th man for Queensland last year, not Wigan standard, Leneghan out!

I'm at work so only getting snippets of info....is this it for the day (press conference over)?

Assumed there was other signings? Sarginson, Clubb and rumored Briscoe?

Just wondering....is this it for the day?

Slater......Marquee Yes, realistic No.

Bowen is a good player but not marquee IMO

This one of the things that irritates me about IL. He thinks he can take us for mugs. Maybe he is influenced by the happy clappers, maybe he actually believes that his spin is working.

He would do far better to come out and say

"Look, we had to react to Sam leaving, the options were limited and Bowen was brought in as a stop gap. It is hoped that his experience will help one or two of our youngsters next year".

To say he is a "marquee signing" is ridiculous. Five years ago maybe, but now, at this stage of his career? He really must think we are mugs.

A very good player in his day, but his knees are shot hence the Cowboys offering him a coaching role only. You can dress him up as a 'marquee signing' and come across with the normal spin with such claims as 'he'll be a good mentor to the youth' but it doesn't change the fact he's another NRL player using SL as an extension to their career.

Another SL club were looking at him but chose not to further their interest, which I don't think is a big secret.

Potentially a very good player to have in our league but his fitness is very questionable.

Fair play im no Lenegan fan but Bowen is the best of a bad situation and by all acoounts he is a very good player if his knees hold up BUT labelling him a marquee signing is nothing more than IL making a play on words to try and sweeten the fans.

Interesting that there is nothing on the two players from London.

Slater Total NRL points 628, Bowen 597. Bowen was never in a side that broke the salary cap.
I say again Bowen is rubbish.............

28 try assists and Dally M full back of the year finalist last year, but he missed out to Ben Barba, positively average!

Id imagine Lenegan didn't have the face to announce them after just telling us he had sold Sam Tomkins.

They will probably be announced out of the lime light

Best available option and still one of the best fullbacks in the NRL on his day, good option to have whilst finding our next "long term" (potentially not as long term as we'd like) option

Positvely average sickens me, who is responsible for this monstrosity? Off with his head

Bowen is a belting signing. Obviously it is a shame to lose Sam but Bowen for me has been the form fullback in the NRL since he got his knees cleaned out.

He will definitely be a player who will put bums on seats, and that for me is the true sign of a marquee player.

He has great hands, a good kicking game, gets in at first receiver acting as an extra half back as well as providing the link and strike out wide.

I wonder if he will also be given the job of goal kicker.

Excellent signing and still a top class player regardless of age.

For those stating he was destined to retire, the reason for this is because he would not consider playing for another NRL club. Had he wanted to I am certain he would have got a place in the NRL next year.