No toys to through out the window and not crying just stating facts what other clubs are doing, if we had 17 playing from the academy I would still watch them home and away,

We need an injection of at least 4 new players, inclyuding 2 marquee level signings.

I think we need a right centre, a half, a hooker and a big aggressive prop who can play long minutes.

I think we need much more if I’m honest. I’m taking it for granted that Williams has gone so for next season I’d say we need to prioritise a 6, 7, 9 and 3 props and we’re gonna have to make use of the marquee rules if we’re hoping to challenge for honours. After that we need a naturally right sided second row and centre but I can’t see how we could bring in 8 players. Huge overhaul required though.

Like you say, we aren't getting eight players (I also think that's a bad idea to be honest, as we would lose any consistency with the teams that won trophies). I'd settle for a marquee half to replace Williams and two props to replace Clubb and Lockers, with Flower moving to loose to add size to the pack and give us some leadership/experience. All that is assuming we keep Gildart, which I imagine must be a challenge.

If we keep Sarginson, Leuluai goes round again and we lose Williams, Escare, Clubb, Tautai and Lockers then we at least 2 half backs and 2 props as a bare minimum.

Ideally we would need 3 props, 2 halves and a second rower.

Next year our team could look like this:

1 - Hardaker
2 - Manfredi
3 - Sarginson
4 - Gildart
5 - Burgess
6 - Atkin
7 - Hastings
8 - PROP
9 - Leuluai
10 - Bullock
11 - Greenwood
12 - Farrell
13 - Flower

14 - Clarke (Prop)
15 - King (Hooker)
16 - PROP
17 - Isa

With the rumoured signings, we still need another 2 props with those props needing to be ones that regularly make 2 drives a set, 150m a game, 35 tackles plus and long minutes.

I’d look to swap Craig Hall for Hankinson, Hall is a free agent at the end of the season and might be good back up. I’d also look at that Will Lovell from London Broncos, big right sided second rower, could be a good project signing.

King?
I like Craig Hall, but would he be willing to be just a squad player?

King, that Chinese lad.



Is it Cameron King from Fev?

With regards Hall, you don’t ask you don’t get, it would put a bit of pressure on the centres to perform.

As an outsider the decision to have a “baby sitter” coach for a year seemed very odd. It was almost a white flag for this season, the Edwards fiasco has just compounded the problem. Whoever is to be coach next season needs to be fully tied in before the season ends to do the planning and agree signings etc or next season could be worse than this.

Escare and Tautai are under contract. I could see someone signing Escare on a free, but not Tautai. I'd go

1. Hardaker
2. Davies/Marshall
3. Sarginson
4. Gildart (

)
5. Burgess
6. MARQUEE SIGNING
7. Sammut
8. Bullock
9. Leuluai
10. SIGNING
11. Greenwood
12. Farrell
13. Flower

14. SIGNING (prop)
15. Powell/Jake Shorrocks
16. Navarette/Tautai/Partington
17. Isa/Smithies


Escare, Hankinson, Smith, Byrne, Borough, Wells, Joe Shorrocks and Kibula in reserve. I don't like calling for Lockers to retire, but I do think this season should be his last.

The first thing has to be is to decide who the coach will be, I have a feeling that has already been done and we should hear in the next two weeks what the signings/leavings are.

Cameron King appears to be a decent hooker. I’ve not seen a lot of him but from seeing him a few times, he seems to have plenty of positive attributes that I like to see in hookers. His passing is sharp and accurate, he scoots when the opportunity arises, he can kick reasonably well and tackles hard. Those comments are made having seen him against lower division opponents but I’d like to see him against SL teams. Could be a shrewd bit of business.

Lam 2 seasons
Sarge to fullback
Atkins to centre
Clubb & Lockers to go round again

Well that's going to save me a lot on travel and tickets.

Edited for accuracy.

Not a bad idea but we would desperately need more creativity in the pivots. I could see Smithies getting more of a role there. For those who worry about Kibula lacking a bit of mongrel I see he got sent off for fighting at the weekend.

But is it...


More than a feeling?

Yeah I'm kind of working off the premise we sign a superstar 6, maybe deluded

. Yep I can definitely see Smithies getting a starting role eventually. Sharing a bench spot with Isa would probably do for next season though, I'd hate for us to put the pressure of replacing Lockers on his shoulders after only one season. Glad to hear it about Kibula! I wonder who he was fighting with, given that nearly every Swinton player is either on dual reg from Wigan or ex-Wigan, could be awkward!

Knocks a ball boys glasses off. 3:30 on here. [urlhttps://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/the-good-the-bad-the-ugly-huddersfields-promise-player-strikes-ball-boy-wildly-inconsistent-hull/[/url

That ball boy is bigger than most of their forwards.

Wow, the ball boy shouldn't be doing that, but classy from Kibula! What is he thinking?

I'm surprised Wigan don't get Wane back in charge under an alias. Pulling the strings remotely with Lam as his hands on assistant, putting the managers wishes into practise. I'm sure Wane can't be very busy working for the Scottish RU.

I’d rather he gave Scotland RU a good go.

Like for like...do you think you have equal too or improved on what moved on?

Hardaker for Tomkins?
On best form Hardaker is MOS quality...has/ is this an acceptable like for like.

Greenwood for Bateman?
No doubt Greenwood had class written all over him at Saints and looked every bit a match to Bateman...has the Saints form flattered him?

Jarrod Sammut for....
Well I can't work it out, Powell or Leuleui cover looking like he was a like for like with Josh Woods...
However the conspiracy theorist in my told me that by signing Sammut, you effectively make the relegation rivals weaker...thus strengthening the Wigan position whilst not actually having any meaning of purpose for playing anyway.

Lam for Wane...
I'll leave out my summary of this.