Selective statistical interpretation on your part.

Hampson started his RU career at Wigan from a second string RU side - Vulcan. Preston also came from an RU side. Forget which one but neither were poached of a top flight RU club.



Wigan brought through plenty of home grown players through like Goulding, Wane, Dermott, Edwards, Betts, Ckarke and so on during that era.

It was a mix of home grown, bought in players and a few quality imports.

To suggest the Wigan teams of the 80's and 90's relied on buying in talent is a joke. The club has always produced a lot of its own players.

I'd suggest during that period Saints had more home grown players in its ranks than it has had recently as well.



Don't talk rubbish. Your trophy winning sides of the SL era were built almost entirely on bought in players.



Are you for real? Your teams of the past few years were based almost entirely on signings.



It always was! The successful sides were always built on a core of home grown players with some astute signings both from the UK and overseas. In contrast to Saints recent teams where they were built on signings a about three home grown players.

Dave

Just take the first choice Saints 17, that's still one of the oldest in Superleague.

Starting 13 from Friday

Saints - 27
Wigan - 25

Not that much difference.

Because most of those 'old' players have been there since they got there chance as youngsters.

But in a first choice 17 Armstrong would be nowhere near a first 17 place.

Saints had 5 overseas signings on display on Friday, Wigan had 9.

Saints recruitment from the UK includes Long, Gardner and Wilkin from lower divisions and Hargreaves and Gilmour who were apparently surplus to requirements at their previous clubs.

And would 20 year old Goulding be in our first choice 17 if 25 year old Mathers was not suspended?

And last week 29 year old Coley was the squad ahead of 20 year old McIlorum.

How many from your own academy?

Yeah, thats a good idea to encourage teams to bring their own lads through and not have to use the exuse of not having room under the cap. Half of what the homegrown players earn counts on the cap.

6 I believe, Wigan had 7 I think!

How would you rate the relative quality of those who played from the youth set ups?

I am a big advocate of scouting in Union for talent but i think you are living in cloud cockoo land if you think we can realistically target the top international players.

In my opoinion very few international players are suited to our code anyway, i think a much more feasable group to aim at are players in the lower leagues whose style may not suit Union which is holding them back. Being a good Union player does not mean you will be a good league player and vise sersa, it is about which code suits you the best, i think there are many players capable of being good SL players in the First Division of Union, who cannot make to top flight Union as they are not suited to the game but skill, size and mentality wise are suited to League, this is one reason i was hoping to see Jones at the club in some capacity as he will have the eye to pick up on these players, have the contacts and will lift the ignorance that exists in some League peoples minds.

From Wigan on Friday.

Goulding
O'Carroll
Hock
O'Loghlin
McIlorum
Hansen
Tomkins

Saints
Wellens
Armstrong
Cunningham
Roby
Graham
Clough

.....and the relative quality question?

Noble only wants the finished product - he doesn't want to develop young talent - he never did at Bradford - I would be amazed if he is still in charge by Easter.

The club will be investing hundreds of thousands on youth development for Noble to bring in the likes of Smith, Riddell, Bailey and Phelps - who are no better than the likes of Goulding, McIlorum and Tomkins who will not see the first team unless the Aussies get some serious injuries

I'd take any of The Wigan backrow forwards over Clough.(Doesn't mean I don't rate Clough)
Obviously there are the two International hookers at Saints.

You're quite welcome to Wellens.

Graham over Eamonn (Doesn't mean I don't rate O'Carroll)
Goulding before Armstrong.

On Friday night Leeds had 11 players out of 17 that had come through their academy and that excluded Burrow

How many are locals?

"Wigan - A local team for local people"

Marketing at it's best

The Clough one is a big call, although back row is probably Wigans strongest area of the pitch.

Graham / O'Carroll is a no brainer

Amazed you wouldn't take Wellens given your full back strength.

Cunningham / Roby are the best combination in SL I feel.

Goulding has the edge due to his experience so far, can't fairly judge Armstrong on just one SL game.

Noble saying this is somewhat daft, as mentioned, given his reluctance to put more than one young player in per week.

I did not see the show but if he did say it what chance have the youngsters at wigan got with him in charge????

Some people obviously didn't understand.

What he said was that EVERY Superleague Club should be allowed to bring in ONE top class Rugby Union player.
Only £50K of that players salary should be counted on the salary cap.

The reasons

1) We could target top class British players

2) It would be good publicity.

3) It would help the International squad.

With the obvious dearth of quality outside backs in our game, it's not such a stupid idea.

Difficult one this, I can see the merits of this if the correct players were signed.

I would prefer to reward the promotion of youngsters through our own academies though.

Let a fixed % of a players contract be removed from the salary cap if they stay with the club that has developed them.

As you know that's something I've always advocated.
The Rugby Union one is interesting. Another Jonathan Davies, yes another Iron Man Davies no.

But for International Rugby League it could be great help.