Signs for another 3 years https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/07/ ... -new-deal/

Signs for another 3 years https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2023/07/ ... -new-deal/

I’m happy with that, big athletic lad who should be coming into his prime, had a bit of a lull last season but has been much better this season, another plus for next years recruitment/retention for me.

Think it’s the length of deal we all wanted.

Rads said at the fans forum he’s a player they really think we can improve. Has a great attitude apparently.


Been solid but not spectacular in his first 2 years, hopefully his brain farts are over.

Every team is the league is fighting to sign props so glad we’ve sorted this one.

Coming into his prime years.

Happy with that

Good deal

*Checks Red Vee

He's rubbish

Happy with this.
Just let the lad play more minutes.

Really chuffed. I think we’ve only scratched the surface with him and if he can park the brain fades, that have halted his progress, we can see him kick on a few levels. When he’s been on the field this season, he’s been excellent.

Very happy with this news

He started off well last year but faded, probably not used to playing every game having only played 20 games his whole career before signing for us. Settled into the culture well, spent Xmas day helping out homeless shelters by his own choice. Great attitude to have but a lot of fans aren’t happy (Shock) that he’s extended because he doesn’t break lines however we lack size and power when he doesn’t play.

Yes. To be a good prop at Wigan you seemingly have to knock 6 players over and make 15 yards every run.

Or have a name that fits to a catchy tune.

I made what I thought was a pretty non controversial comment on another forum, that I would love to see him extend his contract due to his good form this season and had a couple of Wigan fans saying they think he’s rubbish and we can do better. I nearly fell off my chair! There have been ups and downs for sure but to dispute him playing well this season (when he’s been available) seemed crazy to me.

I probably concentrate on stats too much but his are excellent game by game and when I factor in his age, likely salary, attitude, level of fitness and room for improvement, I’d ask the question of ‘who would we realistically replace him with?’ We were prepared to pay for Tyler Dupree and at least from a statistical POV, he’s simply not as good.

Pleased he's staying - he's had a good year and is on an upward trajectory. Hopefully that continues now his future is secured. Might not be the flashiest front rower but very solid.

Really well thought of by Peet and the coaches for his attitude and his stats on the field.

Gives us another another middle capable of playing 13 effectively with a handling option.

Good bit of business to secure him for 3 more years.

The props who left at the end of 2021 were Bullock, Burgess, Clubb and Clark. Ellis is a big improvement on all of those.

Happy he’s signed on. I’d shift Byrne out though now along with the obvious Mago release and really go at sorting the rest of the prop positions.

He’s got 2 years left on his contract so going nowhere I would say, I also think he’s a good 4th/5th prop option and at only 23 he’s got time to improve.

He’s not playing great at the minute but if he became available I’d think every club in superleague would be interested.

Young, English props are a premium.

He’s shown decent signs and one of these years it’s going to fully click I reckon.

We’d be crazy to let Byrne go. In prop terms he’s still a baby and yes, he’s having an iffy season, but nobody goes through a career without having years where they drop off their best. He needs to be challenged IMO. His position has been to safe for a while now but unfortunately when we’re missing other props, we have no option but to keep playing him and I think extra responsibility on him looks to weigh heavy. He needs to be pressed for a place next year and I think that’ll kick him on.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but for those who are knocking him or have knocked him, my observation is that other than Havard he's one of our props who consistently makes metres. His stats are usually only second to Havard in terms of metres gained.

Prop is an area we've struggled in for a long time I don't think we've truly had a dominant offering in this position since the days of Coley, Fielden, Jeff Lima and Paul Prescott and although there's still room for improvement in this area we are looking better during this (2022-2024) period than we have for a long time.

I for one am glad he has signed for a further three years.

He’s a bit of an enigma is Byrne.
Built like a proverbial brick outhouse, relatively energetic, usually dependable but rarely if ever shines.
I can have a blind spot for lads who come through the system but I do think that somewhere within Byrne is a decent prop. I had high hopes for Byrne this season but he seems to have regressed from his performances in 2022. I’m clinging to two possibilities that this season is just a blip. Firstly as a young guy following a World Cup year he maybe is just a little stale. Secondly, he’s still a baby at 23 and the best years are to come. Maybe Waney could do some extra special mentoring with him to get him his mojo?
If I could pick one lad to have a top game on Sunday it would be Byrne. I’d love him to really kick on but he needs to be aware that the clock is ticking and that he needs to pick up the mantle or when his current contract expires he could become another potentially good prop to fall by the wayside.
I like a bet and I’d back Byrne to produce the goods. Current form suggests that’s a long shot but I’m hopeful that he will deliver his potential.

We need to keep our federation props on board. We have Havard, Byrne and Hill who are all young guns and could be the mainstays of our pack for the next ten years.

I could be talking nonsense here but I always think a player’s personality has a real impact on how they play and how they cope with certain situations. He doesn’t strike me as the most confident of lads does Byrne and I think he seems like a guy who would really like to have strong leaders around him and to be able to just concentrate on doing his part.

This season, he’s been the only prop that seems to be available every week and the absences of Cooper, Ellis and Havard, combined with the poor form of guys like Singleton and at times, Mago, has meant Byrne is suddenly bearing much more of a burden. I don’t quite think he’s gained enough confidence yet to deal with that very well and he looks to have lost some confidence. He’ll be fine over time, especially if we can get the right support around him both this year and definitely next.

Made up Ellis is signing for 3 years, I think he could become the prop that was promised.

Everything is right with him, size, fitness, stats, attitude and I just think he’s missing a partner at prop. I think he needs someone very similar to him, another Aussie in place of Mago would be nice.

I will happily take a brain fart a season where he whacks someone, much better to reign a prop in rather than get them up for it every week.

Been snooping on Red Vee and Ellis is another rubbish player unfortunately. Not good enough for the bench of a mid table team came one call.

I suggest they go and do a statistical comparison to Lees, LMS, Wingfield, Knowles or even Paasi. It doesn’t make for pretty reading for those guys if Ellis is not good enough for a mid table teams bench.