It does make some sense doesn't it.

We've got three options as far as i can see;

1-Promote/shuffle from within. A number of options here with either bring Mellor back, move Sam to 6 and Finch to 7 or play Lockers at 6 with Finch at 7 again.

2-Pay a fee and get Smith in early or make a Dobson type signing from the NRL.

3-Get Deacon out of retirement

The first option is the one we will probably go down but it's very messy moving players around. Your moving two settled players from their normal positions and asking them to play 6 whilst moving Finch to 7. I know Sam and Lockers are good enough to do it but it's a lot of swapping and changing. Looking at players within the club Mellor doesn't look up to, Russell has question marks and Powell is injured isn't he?

The 2nd option defo viable and we've seen it work with Dobson in the past. If we get the right player in they will probably have some match fitness but will take a few weeks to get up to speed and also get to know the club

Deacon and the 3rd option is all based on his fitness. We can guarantee he knows the systems, players, coach and club so he will be up to speed in that regard. I'd say it's move convenient to bring Deac's fitness up to speed rather than trying to fit a new player into the system.

Very interesting to see what happens

Deacon? Are we being serious? It isn't like we've lost two or three of our pivots, we've lost 1. There's more than enough experience still there in Finch to enable Mellor or another young HB to take this opportunity.

It's unfortunate, yes. But it's not panic mode, we were planning to rotate over the next few weeks anyway, chance for someone to step up.

He'd kick more than Charnley, the guy is a phenom

One point has been overlooked, Tommy's , DEFENCE, we are going to miss that no matter what.

If Mellor was seen as good enough he wouldn't have been sent to Widnes on a full season loan. He would have been given opportunities to impress for a new contract. If he was in our plans I'm sure we'd either have signed him up by now or give him more opps in the first team like we've seen with other youngsters like Logan, Crosby, Spencer etc. After that Powell is currently injured and not played 1st grade rugby.

I'd rather see Williams or Hampshire than Mellor don't thinks he's mentally a Wigan player from what I've seen of him. Throw a youngster in vs Widnes and Bradford while we look at options.

Have people forgotten deacon from last season? Poor in defence that was masked by an inexperienced joel charnley partnership and regularly making poor offensive decisions. Massive step back for me.

Every option from Chase, Smith, Mellor to Lockers is a step down from Tommy.

I don't think Mellor is likely to make it at Wigan but the reason he's out on loan at Widnes is not because he's not as good as the other young players at Wigan, it's because he needs first team rugby and is good enough to play in Super League regularly.

What would be the point in keeping him in the under 20's every week or sending him back to the Championship on dual registration? He's been there and done very well and was ready for the next step up.

The reason Logan Tomkins, Crosby and Spencer are still at the club is more likely to be because no team was interested in taking them out on loan.

If we went down a temporary Aussie option would you take Matt Orford on a short contract?? Not got a club ATM but he did only manage 6 games last year so wouldn't be too sure on his fitness

I think that if Mellor was considered good enough to be kept at Wigan past this season he'd have had more game time than he already has.

If he was in Wane's plans and good enough for the first team he'd have benched a lot more than he has. If we can afford Logan on the bench then we could have afforded Mellor on there a lot more as well.

Are these suggestions of signing out of contract Aussies or bringing back Paul Deacon some sort of in joke?

Is that how clubs are supposed to deal with injuries? Sign overseas players who haven't played in ages and weren't even good the last time they were in this country or bring back a player who was on his last legs before he even started his final season?

Except he wouldn't be playing in the first team regularly if he was here would he? The reason Mellor wasn't an option on the bench is because Wane made it pretty clear right from the start that having four forwards on the bench was how he wanted to go.

The only reason Logan Tomkins has made the bench is because of injuries. He's not getting regular first team rugby whereas that was something that Mellor really needed.

The idea of sending Mellor out on loan is to allow him time to prove that he's good enough to play regularly in Super League because he was never going to oust Leuluai or Finch and was only ever going to get a few starts off the bench had he stayed at Wigan.

I don't know are the people suggesting playing a out and out LF like Lockers at HB having a joke? You wanna potentially go to Wembley against Wire with Lockers and Finch as the HB's? That's a joke

Are the people suggesting bringing back a player like Mellor who is neither good enough or really wanted at Wigan having a joke as well?

The biggest joke I've heard on here is paying a fee for Smith to bring him early when he can't play in the cup and once Tommy returns in 10 weeks he'll be sat in the stands. That's well worth the money for 7 or eight meaningless games against Widnes, Bradford, Wakefield, London, Castleford and Hull!!

You really think that using players that are actually part of our squad, that have actually been included among the top 25 players in the team for this season is as ridiculous as suggesting signing players like Orford, who wasn't very good at Bradford and hasn't even played in months, or bringing back Paul Deacon who hasn't played since last season and was struggling even then.

What planet are you on? O'Loughlin has already played at stand off for Wigan countless times so of course that's a sensible option. He played there at the start of last season when we needed someone to fill in. And Mellor was clearly seen as good enough to be part of the squad when he was picked to start against Widnes, or when he was picked on the bench against Salford, or when he was included among the top 25 players going into this season.

Is the idea of playing one of two players who have already played in the halves before during this season really such an outrageous suggestion? More outrageous than the ridiculous notions of panic buying a player we are linked with, or signing players who haven't played in months and were past their best even then?

Richard Myler is not cup tied.

If he wasn't really wanted, he'd have been allowed to leave permanently, not just loaned. He deserves a few games playing behind our pack rather than one that's always second best, to see how much of his pre-injury talent is still there.

Give him the next three fairly easy games, if he doesn't impress we can use another option v Leeds.

How good is Hampshire going to be?,I keep hearing on here that him and Williams will be the halfback pairing for years if they keep on developing as they have been.
For the Widnes match put Hampshire on the bench and see how he goes,he may surprise people.

Alex Murphy ,Andy Gregory,Shaun Edwards and others where playing first team Rugby at 16/17 and they did not get the protection from Refs that they get now.
Radical I know but it could surprise people.

Against Widnes if we get a good lead and the pack is dominating I'd definately have one of these 2 on the bench to play 15-20 mins at the end

I think playing one of Williams or Hampshire is a risk that simply doesn't need to be taken. They've only had a handful of games for the under 20's and were playing in the under 16's last year. We're not in a position where we have to take risks so I can't see them being called upon.

Having said that, of the two Hampshire looks the better prospect at the moment and would be the best bet out of the two as his running game is better, and if you stick a young player into the halves it's best to have them playing a simple running game rather than trying to organise or dictate play.

And to meet the salary cap he pays at the turnstiles to watch himself play. Simples!

Interesting to see myler at wire isnt getting a run

Apparently he hasn't been considered for selection ever since he tore his abductor and then had a hernia operation. Very interesting.

Just spotted Brett Kenny in a pie shop in Wigan, apparently he's going to be replacing Tommy for the rest of the season.

He must have broken in then..................Do we really want that kind of person at Wigan?

What sort of pie was he after?