Lee coming back to Wigan on a 3 year contract. Apparently there's a clause in there to protect the club from re-occurrence of his shoulder injuries too. When he's on top of his game he's a force to be reckoned with. I just hope he plays better than he played in his last year with us.

Interview with Mossop is now on Wigan TV.

you would say that with Larne Patrick and Lee Mossop coming in does it spell the exit of Scott Taylor...?????

Taylor and Dudson to go. Think Patrick and Mossop in for those two is an improvement. Would have liked Taylor to stay but he obviously doesn't want to be here and we did ok without him for half of the season.

He didnt play the end fo the season anyway did he, is assumed he was gone anyway

Flower, Mossop, Patrick, Tautai, Crosby, Pettybourne, Taylor, Dudson, Sutton, Greenwood - that is 10 props

Taylor and Dudson to go, flower out until April, leaves 7, Sutton and Greenwood to go out on loan?

That leaves 5 props available, Mossop, Eddie, Tautai, Patrick and Crosby.

One by one the lambs are returning to the fold. Just waiting for Sam now.

Great news and to be fair, proof that Ian Leneghan has lived up to his word. Hope that Lee is fully fit.

But great to have him back.

I wonder if these players would return if we'd taken a tougher stance on their contracts, and as a result had players on our books not wanting to play, and not received a transfer fee for them. . .

Maybe IL does have a clue. . .

nah

Lenegan Out!

I am sure IL would like you to think that and he is (if you see the press release) trying to make out this is all part of the master plan. Well the only reason Lee is back is it hasn't worked out for him over there, not because IL is some sort of wizard with contracts so I hope this is not about an attempt to justify players being let go but a decision made purely on the availability of a good player.

I am sure had Lee been on the way out of Wigan following his shoulder operations there would be a queue forming to say we were well rid justifying the clubs stance on that (as happens whenever a player seems to leave, even minor injuries are exaggerated to justify the clubs actions). It was probably said when Lee went to Oz in the first place.

If his shoulders are fixed he improves the squad and offsets the loss of Taylor if he goes so its good news overall but his return is more to do with good fortune, not good planning.

their [/interests to do so. Otherwise they won't.

Part of the reason Lee is coming back is that he enjoys it at Wigan and surely that is (partly) down to IL and his staff. He was offered more money by Leeds, who had cleared out Bailey and Kirke to accommodate him.

So don't be so miserable Dave and give IL the pat on the back he deserves!!!

Well of course! However, a major part of 'in their interests' is being at a club that has treated them well in the past. As evidenced by two returning sons in the last 12 months (plus a strong rumour that Sam is thinking along the same lines) don't you accept that IL is doing something right? I think only the churlish would suggest otherwise. The simple fact is we can't compete with the NRL in absolute terms. That's a given. Wigan seem to be striking the right balance when it comes to letting players go though. I remember you saying that the first refusal on these players return was little more than smoke and mirrors. Events have subsequently proven you wrong. It's not a crime to accept and admit this Dave! In this instance IL has shown himself to be a shrewd businessman both in financial terms and in terms of players returning as was promised. I'm not sure how much more you expect of him. Time for credit where it's due, if you ask me.

Assuming we get to keep all the transfer fee we got for him, that's a good piece of business!

If the correct environment hadn't been established then it wouldn't be in their interest in coming back. IL must get some credit for that surely?

I thought it very telling that there were a number of ex Wigan players at the play offs.

Always leave on good terms if possible as you never know when you may meet again. It doesn't guarantee that you will, but it does mean you're likely to have an ongoing relationship in some form if you so.

Alternatively you can try and screw down as much as you can while you have them in your grasp. . .

If we get shut of Dudson as well it's even better!

This is a complete guess on my part but I reckon Dudson will end up at Salford and Taylor at Leeds.

You are flogging a dead horse. There was nothing surer than that Dave O would respond very quickly, in near knee-jerk fashion, to that previous post of yours.

In the club's statement about Lee Mossop returning it says there will be "consequential changes to the squad for 2015". I'd imagine these changes have already been advised to Red Hall to enable us actually sign Lee.

As our three close season signings are all props it is reasonable to deduce that it will be props who will leave. Taylor is the obvious one. He surely will end up in some transit station so he can go to Hull FC for 2016. Dudson has also been talked about as leaving.
Neither figured at the end of last season.
That would leave us with eight props with Flower missing for a couple of months.
As Waney likes to name five props in his 19 each week that just gives room for rotating players and injuries.

I have a feeling Taylor will end up at Leeds as well, maybe for just one season before going to Hull. As much as it's tough to see Wigan dealing with Leeds we need him off the wage bill and they've obviously got some space now.

The next Wigan vs Leeds game would be interesting if that happens!

Can't you just imagine Taylor's reaction if that happens. "Oh damn ... not another top club with great chances of winning silverware! Can't I just go to Hull?"

Well I'll hold my hands up. I was annoyed at the way IL seemingly allowed players to renege on their contracts but with Joel and Mossop's return how can you say that IL hasn't been vindicated? I fully expect Sam to return now!

But, but, but everyone wants to leave because they hate Wane. IL is running the club into the ground to finance his football team... Who would want to come back to a club like that?

I tend to post less and less on here these days, mainly because of time, but often because it's always the same-old same-old from certain people. But a quote like "... his return is more to do with good fortune, not good planning" leaves even me flabbergasted. It's an assumption of failure on the club's part despite all evidence to the contrary. But then I suppose it ranks alongside the theory that we somehow got Michael Maguire through pure luck rather than because we went over there and persuaded him to come, so as I say, it's nothing totally new.

But the certainty with which some people post stuff like that is amazing, especially when they don't actually know anything. If Moose returns and is fit, that is great news for Wigan. But regardless of contracts - which none of us will ever have at our fingertips - it wouldn't have happened if the lad's prior experience at the club hadn't been good enough for him to want to come back. You can call that 'good fortune' if it fits your agenda, but most people would argue that it's the sign of a reasonably well-run club.

Genuine question. How does the signing of Mossop affect the salary cap?

Isn't it a live cap now? I thought Dudson and Taylor needed to leave to fit Mossop back in?