Just released a video on WiganTV explaining his decision to return home at the end of this season.

Here we go again!

Tweet from @RugbyLeagueNews:

No problem, he said quite a while ago he was likely going back. What we need to do now is keep Bowen on for another year (there's a clause in his contract, but I'm not sure in who's favour). Then we can go:
2015: 1 Bowen 6 Hampshire 14 Powell/Williams (bench hooker)
2016: 1 Hampshire 6 Powell/Williams 14 Powell/Williams (bench hooker)

That doesn't look too shabby at all to me as long as we can keep hold of Bowen. Losing them both in one year could be too much.

Hes rubbish anyway

I know you're a big fan of Hampshire and you want him in the first team ASAP but if his long term position is going to be fullback and Williams or Powell are going to be a long term half, then why would you have both playing in different positions next season? My guess would be Powell would be Green's direct replacement with Hampshire contuining as Bowen's understudy (if Bowen stays on).

We still don't know what the score is with Bowen. Hopefully all the announcements about Taylor, Bowen, Goulding, Dudson and the other off contract players will be made quickly.

They could at least make an announcement to say when they're going to make the announcement.

You're probably right, like you say I'm just a big fan of him and think it would be a waste to have him sat on the sidelines for the majority of another season when IMO he would give nightmares to even the top SL sides already if we gave him a run of full games. I also think it may be handy for him to initially get the experience of attacking at SL level without the added pressure of defending at full back, which can be a very exposed, unforgiving position

Losing him is understandable and suits both parties to a degree IMO although I wouldn't have been against one more year.

Totally different set of circumstances to losing Taylor who's departure really doesn't suit us at all and is pretty surprising.

We are now desperate to bring in some top quality players.

Tautai brings us athleticism that we lack in the pack, but we cannot continue to lose players and promote from within without expecting a drop off in quality.

I am comfortable for Powell or Rocky to step up but we need to add quality around them.

It is becoming a very concerning situation the player drain that we seem to be experiencing and if rumors are to believe will continue to experience.

I always wonder what Wanes thoughts on the situation are! He talks of trying to build a great side and how we're nowhere near yet and if that is his aim we won't get anywhere near unless we can try and keep a pretty settled squad for a number of seasons.

If I we're Wane I'd be fuming tbh and would be looking for a bit of clarity from Ian Lenagan as to what the future plans are. It's a very simplistic view to say Leeds keep their players so why can't we but seriously why is this?

Losing an Aussie to go back to one of the top NRL sides when his contract is up is quite different to losing say Hampshire or Taylor.

I'd say it is a year too early for us ideally, but it does mean that the very talented trio of williams, powell and Hampshire will all have significant targets to achieve in the next year - hopefully they are able to step up and deliver.

To be fair they've lost a few over the years (Lee Smith, Greg Eastwood, Luke Burgess, Gareth Ellis, Danny Buderus) but they do seem able to keep their top British talent.

I think a lot of that is timing though - had Oz had their current TV deal at the time that the likes of Burrow, McGuire, JP, Hall where coming through and making a name it might have been different.

The acid test will be whether they can keep hold of Hardaker, Watkins, Ward in the face of continued English success in the NRL.

Then again, Yorkshire lads do seem more backward when it comes to leaving Yorkshire.

My concern is Greens attitude and agenda when we signed him, and in turn wigans attitude knowing Green simply saw Wigan as a stepping stone to pit himself back in the shop window for an nrl return.
Are we now simply billing ourselves as the best UK shop window for the NRL and even Union?

What about signing players who actually want to play for Wigan and see it as an achievement and goal to play for Wigan?

We can't have stability in the halves if we only hold onto our halves for 1-2 seasons.

IMO Green was brought in on a 2 year deal with the knowledge that there was some outstanding juniors coming through who would be ready for first team action at the end of Green's contract. The club wouldn't have wanted to bring someone in for too much longer if it was going to hinder the development of Powell, Williams and Hampshire, so the deal at the time suited both parties. Personally, from the club's POV, I think him staying on another year would have been good, just because of the lack of experience we have in the current squad.

I hope Williams can make a good go of it over the next year or so now going off what people know of him in the juniors etc as I haven't seen much in him since he has started to gain 1st team experience and I wasn't too impressed with Saturdays performance at 6 either, although in fairness I wasn't with nearly all the team.
wigan definitely seem to be promoting a lot of home grown talent like they have always done, but of late there is a trend of signing big game "stars" with the previso of simply using them to show the youngsters, who they hope to retain long term, how to do it.
pretty gutted to see green go but it was inevitable, he's been a good player for us and definitely has done no worse than some or our other signings over the last few years.
good luck Blake, get yourself fit and healthy and sign off with another SL medal please!

Whilst agreeing with you, I don't think Green would have accepted a one year deal. He'll be 28 later this season, so it's probably his best chance to get a contract in the ARL. He wants to test himself over there and he's served his four year apprenticeship over here.

I would expect that Wigan will try to keep Bowen for one more year which will allow Hampshire, Williams and Powell to continue to grow into the team.
I suppose the other option would be to try and get an experienced #6 in on a one year deal but I don't really see that happening. Another interesting point will be what happens when Matty Smiths contract is up in 2015. Will he be released to make way for a Hampshire/Powell/Williams/McIlorum combination which I think could very well be the long term plan.

If we do go that way then I expect us to change our style a little as we will have running halfbacks so will need to bring in a couple of bigger forwards to create the space for them.

The statement does read a bit like he used us as a stepping stone but I think that is just unfortunate in the way it's worded.

I was always aware he wanted to go back to Aus if he could after two years and so I have no problem with this at all. If he'd left the stepping stone comments out and how we made him good enough for the NRL perhaps it would have been better but I think he is trying to be complementary rather than imply we are a feeder club.

If he'd signed another contract I'd be more concerned in a way as he would only have been doing it as 2nd best as he clearly wanted to go and play in the NRL. I think his motivation for playing for us has been fine but if he was only doing it after this season as he could not get a club in Aus then I think his motivation might be an issue.

He has seen his contract out, done his job so no problem with him leaving on an individual level.

The fact for the bigger picture this means our turnover of players continues is more disturbing but now we will see what the club is made of in terms of retaining players it sees as the future. I always thought part of the reason why Green got the two year deal was not just because [ihe[/i wanted it but because it would be about that time our younger players would be ready to take over. It's been the plan all along.

Is it too soon? Maybe but I think that [iwas[/i the plan and so now the crucial test of the clubs ambition is here. If it decides the young trio mentioned by Wane are the future it simply cannot entertain any interest from elsewhere. It has got to retain these players and if that means improved contracts and having to fight off other clubs with more cash then it's just got to do it. Not cash in as soon as a half decent offer comes along.

Yes I think the initial deal was the one that suited Green the best, providing he could get an NRL deal after 2 years with Wigan, which it appears he has done with Melbourne. I was just meaning from the club's point of view keeping him around as an experienced player in a young squad for another 12 months would probably have been ideal.

Part of me would actually quite like to see a 1. Hampshire 6. Powell. 7. Smith 9. McIlorum combination with Williams on the bench from next year, but we have so little experience in key positions throughout the squad I think SW would desperately want to keep Bowen on for another season.

I think Wane has a lot of faith in the young players but perhaps too much at times. I also wonder how much influence he has if a potential sale of a player is in the offing though that does not apply in the Green case as no fee with be due.

In terms of recruitment I have concerns because if Wane or IL thinks he can build a great side based on our own production line I think they are mistaken and I also don't think signings like Tauati are going to help with that ambition either. We need to be on the look our for players of Kevin Lockes age and ability to add a spark of class to the side.

We have not made that kind of a signing since we got Finch/Hoffman and Lima when the Storm screwed the salary cap up.

At the moment we have our own young players, sign players who[i might[/i turn out to be good like Tauati, sign younger players like Bateman and Sarge/Gelling and if we are lucky and older head like Bowen but I don't think that strategy will deliver the goods.



One of the things Rads highlighted when he came back from that SL forum/knowledge share day about only half the SL clubs bothered to attend

was how Leeds structure their wages.

He wrote about it in the match program and basically Leeds have a kind of carer progression ladder. "Do this and you get that" sort of thing. What that means is players know what they have to do to get a better contract but they also know what that contract will be money-wise as they have a tiered wage structure. I think this lets everyone know where they stand and it seems to work in Leeds favour. It has not led to an exodus because players don't think whatever wage teirs they have are good enough.

Rads seemed very keen on the idea but whether we are implementing it, who knows.

dont get too excited, Tautai wont be the new messiah, but lets hope he is better than Luaki (sp?)

I would go with Sargison at Full back
Rocky and Williams at half backs with Powell interchanging off the bench with MM eventually MM going to loose forward when Lockers retires .

I have seen enough in Tautai to think he will be a good addition to our squad and give us the strike and athleticism that we lack in the back row. If we can get Vea, rumored on the rumors thread we will have added 2 really big dynamic lads that we lack and have lacked for some time.

I'm led to believe that Vea has signed for the dark side over the hill.

While I don't think Green will be greatly missed. Again we see, year after year, our players wanting to leave the club. And once again in that crucial area of half back.

Our best period ever for the club, arguably, was the Edwards/Gregory partnership.

It shouldn't take a 'rocket scientist' to realise that a stability is necessary. Or that the two halves make a massive difference to a clubs fortunes.I just hope that Hampshire will be able to fulfil in that area.