I certainly don't think IL is lying. I believe he's totally honest with great integrity.
It just isn't working out the way he wants it to.
Quality props are in great demand and short in supply which immediately says that the price will be very high.
This will not be the "right price" IL refers to but the price the player demands which I was getting at in the previous reply.
In the end IL won't pay the right price for anything he'll have to pay the market price. Which in terms of quality props will be very high.
Either IL pays the going rate or the players we need will sign for our opponents who will be paying the going rate.

IL said the first time he went to Aus what must be nearly 18 months ago that it was for quality signings for the 2010 season, we still havnt got any in the bag. Unless IL delievers some quality im going to be convinced hes just a PR specialist who blows hot air and delivers little. Hes brought in good numbers but little quality, our best players are either ex academy players or players who was at the club before IL himself.

Do you see the irony in this post given that you've got a picture of Martin Gleeson for your avatar?

Bear in mind that he's also re-signed several quality youngsters on improved, longer term contracts.

At the bottom of the article it states that Leeds have signed Gregg Eastwood, is that a mistake or are they trying agian with the visa application?

The process he's put in place overall since coming to the club in terms of getting a squad together has been very good. He seems to know that we won't win anything without compatition for places or without producing and keeping our own players. He also seems to acknowledge unlike Lindsay that you won't build a good team just by throwing huge money at any player with a 'name'.

In saying all that i think a few fans get frustrated at how long things seem to take and at the minute because i think alot of people including me believe we're only 2 players short of having a very good side.

Overall i'm happy with what Lenagans doing but i'll be a whole heap happier if he can just get us those 2 players we crave.

Doesn't that article cite Hull FC as being the main suitors for Kite? I can't see any mention of St. Helens in there at all.

It's an article from 6 weeks back anyway and since Hull have signed 4 more players with one being an out and out prop and the other being a guy that can rotate to that position if needs be.

He won't be going to Hull. I'd be suprised if he came to superleague at all because i think all the props in the NRL of note are waiting for the day to finally come when Price and Civoniceva hang up their boots for the Aussie test team leaving to spots open.

It was an article off the Saints site I was referring to the possible availability of Brent Kite and the rumour he is linked with Saints. It would look bad for IL if anyone signed him never mind Saints after he has said "It's proving to be tough to get the right quality of people at the right price."

But it wouldn't suprise me to see Kite in super league with a different club. He has already contradicted himself by saying that because in a interview with GMR he said we were looking at quality young Australian players who are yet to make a test appearance. Why he thinks that when we have one of the best reserve sides and vast pool of homegrown talent in Wigan I will never know. He gives the impression he does not have a clue

Is that something Lenegan said or am I getting the wrong end of the stick. Because if it is why would a young Aussie want to come over here when he's in the process of trying to play SOO and tests.

It was an interview from a while back. We must have won a home game (because I never turn GMR on if we have lost otherwise) and there was an interview with IL on it and he stated something along those lines.

I agree 100% with all these points. But this thread - which is supposed to be about signing rumours - seems these days to consist mainly of very repetitive moaning.

You can, quite literally, watch people talk themselves into believing that every single thing at Wigan is wrong. The main thing that's wrong on the playing front is the poor coaching. We still have a team of players - and quite a few of them, most of whom would get into any other first team squad in SL.

It is what he said and it was after the Salford league game and the interview was played at the end of the game on GMR. He had just got back from Oz.

IL seemed to think they could come over here, do a few years and go back to Oz and still get rep football.

Dave

Two problems with this IMO. First we don't have competition for places in the eyes of most fans. Secondly there is a difference between throwing huge money at players and being prepared to pay thre going rate. If we do not sign some genuine top quality players (one or two) and other clubs do and they also have a good team besides their marquee player then IL will be failing.

I also think his signings have been haphazard so far. Roberts a year early just because he was available (IL said this was why he was signed), TL re-signed but we still want a half back and have two hookers contracted for next year ??? and now its rumoured Phelps has a new deal when his quota spot couild be used on one of the players we really need when we have two players who could slot into his position.



I think we could be in the top four with 2 high quality additions but there I don't see how the recruitment so far is making it any more likely we will get these players. Particularly Phelps given his quota and none federation status.

Dave

So if Phelps has resigned for one year that leaves us with Bailey and Carmont as overseas players yet to be signed for next year, so with my limited knowledge of the quota if we resign both will we be unable to bring in another overseas player?

Bailey to go imo regardless of quota.

He's decent and he's a leader but we can allow Hocks absence cloud our judgement. He hasn't been good enough in all honesty to warrent a quota spot for the past 3 seasons and that doesn't change because Hocks been banned.

May have been mentioned before, but why didn't we sign Gilmour to cover for Hock?

FFS. We have a game-breaking left-sided international 2nd rower -

[size=200Liam Farrell[/size

Him and Mossop are the future core of the Wigan pack. We would be stupid not to start playing them both with these injuries.

Agreed both fantastic talents, rate them both better than Flanagan. Regards Gilmour would have been a great replacement for Hock if we were weak at the backrow position but our strength in depth meant it wasnt happening

Believe me I know as much as anyone that Gilmour would of done a good job but playing our young players will only do us good in the future and even this season and next season. I want to see at lest 10 players who have come through the academy in our 17.

Gilmour would have counted in that then



In all seriousness i'm glad we didn't go for him. He's been a great servant for Saints but in reality we had little to gain from taking a 32 year old second rower rejected by Saints on.

We have players as good as Gilmour in the squad already with lads waiting in the wings who can potentailly become as good in the near future.

Oh yeh thats right he would

but still my point still stands that he is not long term. If we could get 10 players in our 17 that is the backbone of a team sorted for years to come, it also means we would have more space on the cap to blow on some proper stars from overseas.

The whole point of scrapping releagtion has to be to help us produce more homegrown talent and improve Englands player pool. Clubs can afford to give young players a shot because theres no threat hanging over them but i suppose clubs like Wigan still want to achieve success aswell.

I don't see any reason why we can't have both success and a steady stream of young players coming into the side aslong as the core of the side is experienced and of the right quality.

Thats why the 2 signings we need have to be of the highest quality possible.

I'm not holding my breath for us signing top draw players.

Darrell Griffin and Danny Brough are my bets