Its interesting that he has been made captain.

Ive not seen Bird play for a number of years and putting is off-field issues aside, he seems to be regarded as a quality player both over here and in the NRL.

Im also led to believe that he is very tough and no pushover on the field.

He seems to have some qualities that the current Wigan side lacks.

Accepted

Not necessarily the young players we've let go, but management and development.

Would have liked

Briscoe to stay, Newton, Ashton.

Often younger players haven't had contracts improved, instead the money has gone to overseas older players.

Good player but you have got to ask yourself if he is the kind of player you want. He is over in Europe because nobody in Aus will touch him till he is cleared (or not). If he is cleared then he will only be a short term fix as as soon as he can he'll be back over in Aus. Talented player though he is I wouldnt have wanted Saints to bother with him and I think Wigan are definatly better off sticking to the young lads coming through.

Agreed. Lets hope things are changing with a new owner and backroom staff, although it's still early days yet.

Briscoe was behind Rads and the 20/20 was in force then so he and the club had no option.

Newton - Millward who was coach then favoured Higham so regardless of who was best ML deferred to the coach which is what people were crying out for. That was purely a coaches decision.

Ashton got hawked around by his agent (Phil Clarkes brother I think) and went way beyond a sensible price wage wise.



We have quite a few who have. And both Lockers and Hock from the previous generation got new deals also.

Dave

Who enforced the 20/20 rule? The club. Who employed and gave power of transfers to Miward? The club.

The is a lot of nonsense going on about what Ashton wanted. He didn't ask for a massive wage what so ever. During the season which we very nearly went down he was one of our best players regardless of age and deserved a better contract.

Maybe you think the club has made the right move with such players/decisions. I don;t.

Birds a bit of a hard knock, something I reckon you've lacked for a while.
You could in theory of kept Tomkins in at 6 and had Bird at 13.
He looks overweight to me at the mo though.

He does look over weight. Problem is, our backrow is one of the strongest areas within our team with the likes of Lockers, Hock, Hansen Tomkins, with other options with the likes of Bailey, Mossop, Flanny and Farrell all looking for a chance.

A possible option would have been to play Bird at 6 Tomkins at 7 and Tommy at 9 interchanging with Riddell.

I agree thou, we are lacking that bit of 'bite'.

Would be nice! And despite his lust for biting folk I do actually rate Lee Smith! would have him in a shot at full back!

Amen to that brother, hope he doesnt go to union, would be bad for RL if he does, we got better chance of beating the Aussies with Smith in the team if he keeps his form up.

was chatting to a leeds fan last week who told me it was more or less a done deal and all he had to decide was if he preferred wasps or saracens.
sarcens would now look likelier as wasps have recently signed 3 players, one of them a winger.

If this is the case it's about time the RL woke up and did something about RL losing players to RU.

It's terrible.

SBW
Gasiner
Hape
Big Lesbian Volcano
Ferrell
Ashton to name a few.

All top players.

The biggest losses are Owen Farrell and George Ford.

Ironically, Bird himself very nearly went to Union, Oh the irony.

To fair, Rugby Union might learn their lesson.

How many have those have succeeded?

Chuck Chev Walker, Karl Pryce and Gareth Raynor in there too.

If the players were or weren't a success isn't the point.

And there's even less came back as better players!

What recent players have come from RU to RL? Just out of interest...

Pryce/Walker????

Good post.

We should never had let Briscoe go, and despite what some peope may want to believe....Wigan did have the option of keeping him but made the decision (which was the wrong one imo) to keep Radlinski (who struggled with injury after this).

Briscoe never wanted to leave Wigan and was devastated to be shown the door, im glad that this decision has proved to be a mistake.

Im gutted we let Briscoe go and Newton for that matter, I would rather have lads like this in the team.

Briscoe
Richards Ashton Carmont Ainscough
Tomkins Tommy
Fielden Newton O Carroll
Hock Lockers
Tomkins
-------------
Feka Riddell Prescott Hansen

newton would have been better than higham but i wouldnt have in my team now. seen his better days.