I’m not looking for a bite. Stop being so sensitive. It’s a pertinent point. I’m assuming Wigan are operating to the full cap and if so, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a poor squad from a team utilising the full cap which is why someone needs to take responsibility

What makes anyone think Wigan are up to the cap? The highest paid players which I's have thought were Williams and Lockers both have massive SC discounts. There are other discounts too.
IL was looking to reduce the wage bill from last year both on and off the field so if we were up to the cap last year one would deduce we're under it this season.

dont think Lockers is massive

They have a lot of backroom staff working for FREE, getting people to do work experience and so on as a way of getting things done.

No, but that wasn't the question

The question was who have we signed who was better than the player who left. I've named a few there who all match in terms of season and position. IMO pretty much all SL squads have got worse year by year due to the increase in the attractiveness of the NRL due to the disparity in salary caps, and UK players seeing other UK players go there and succeed. I wish they would drastically increase the cap to help combat this, but they won't. I'd be very surprised if we aren't close to the limit on the cap.

Nu'uausala came with a big rep and had a few good games in the 2016 super 8s but other than that he was bloody awful. Never seen a prop forward surrender so regularly. I was made up when we managed to get him offloaded last year, as was pretty much everyone IIRC. Bullock doesn't have the same rep but has performed way better so far, presumably for a lot less cap space.

Spot on Grimmy

I do wonder if they planned to announce Lam extending his contract as part of this 'wave' of signings, but had to withdraw that announcement when Lam flew back to Australia.

Either way it didn't warrant 4 days of build up - and extending Clubb is criminal.

he just hasnt. FPN hardly missed a game or a tackle. He surrendered easily as all our props do as the emphasis was a quick PTB which he got, not yards after contact. So in effect he played to the game plan perfectly. Bullock is lazy in defence and doesnt run his weight after the first run as hes knackered. People are saying how good he is but seriously I think hes been poor.

Nobody has said Bullock is a perfect prop and of course he has areas to improve on. However, to say Dudson was better is miles off. Most of us are happy with Bullock’s progression from lower league to England call up in a short time. He’ll continue to improve, Dudson didn’t.

he said he was better than FPN

I’m glad you’ve said that because if I said it I would be accused of being a troll. Bullock isn’t that good. He’s rubbish in defense and has one good run a game then goes missing

get back to your own board

I wouldn’t say accused, I think it’s well proven.

He also played in every single game in 2017, whilst other props were missing games left right and centre. Not saying he was a world beater in anyway in 2017 but i will he was clearly homesick but stuck it out and was crucified by sections of fans who at the same time sang BFUT’s name from the terraces after 2 off the ball tackles, 4 missed tackles and 2 carries. Bullock has performed better so far but i will remind you that the signing was ridiculed on here at the time.

I hope that we already have Bourouh and Roden tied down as they look like proper modern hookers.

Sorry yes, it was ‘Post’ who said Dudson > Bullock

Dudson weren’t a bad player, I’d have him now over Bullock. Not that Bullock is poor, he’s half decent. Think it was Dudson discipline on and off the field particularly with diet that was his down side.i heard Wane had to ban him from Kebab King in Wigan at one point.

Moral of the story is the 2013 squad was better in quality than his years, I think we are 2 stars short. We are definitely 1 short as we have a spare marquee spot.

I would suggest that most teams squad was better in 2013 than it is today.

Go further back than that and the Wigan side of 2000 is better than most of our title winning sides and they won nothing.

It's an interesting point that's open for discussion. For what it's worth I think you're right.

I'd agree too.

I've always argued that whilst the price of a ticket has increased slightly, the on-field product has decreased at an alarming rate. That for me is why fans stay away. 20 years ago Saints Vs Wigan was full of world class players, but sadly it isn't the case anymore. More people choose the easy option of watching at the pub as the entertainment factor over the course of the night is far better imo.

That might be a self filling prophecy, in that the less fans that go to the games, then the less money the game has. All in all that equals an even worse product on the field.

Definitely, if you go on RedVee some of the Saints fans think this current team is the second coming of the '82 Kangaroos, where as IMO they'd get mullered by their Sculthorpe era team.

Summer rugby hasn't helped, in that the window of opportunity to sign top class Aussies, during the antipodean winter, has now gone. I believe that home grown players benefited from the experience of playing with and against the likes of Lewis, Sterling, Kenny, Maninga etc.

20 years ago in 1999 we averaged 9,200. Our crowds currently are well in advance of that but well down on our crowds of the Maguire years and early Wane years. We’re just crying out for some excitement and buzz. That can come from a new coach with fresh ideas and a new style of play, exciting new players playing entertaining rugby etc but currently we don’t have that and on the back of what people felt was grinding rugby league for the last few years and a lack of investment our crowds are going one way.

In other ways it has helped. I remember Joel Tomkins on return from Union spoke of how the handing skills of the forwards was way below that of league. On further discussion it was cited that handing skills in RL had massively improved due to more months being played in warmer conditions over summer than previously in winter etc.

Warmer weather, theoretically is supposed to be produce a better product, faster running, more ball in hand and entertaining rugby.

But yes... I do see your point.