Pretty sure Thompson has now said he will get the vaccine?

Yes sorry that was my point which I accept wasn't clear - clearly a top half back can be transfromational and I don't have Wigan's options down as amongst the best (accepting Field could be a star for all I know) but you do have a 7 in Smith with TL as backup and you do have a 6 in Field with French as backup.

You've played with Jackson Hastings, a top HB, and struggled and I think that was a lack of a front ine prop (or two) to get you playing off the front foot and some strike in the centres which made you quite easy to defend against. I think improving those positions would improve your halves without new halves if you catch my drift.

All that said the biggest signing would be a proper coach - that may or may not have been addressed, hard to tell.

Saw an update this morning that said something about him saying he’ll have it but not yet and Canterbury not being happy with that. He is trying to delay it for as long as he can according to the Sydney Herald.

He surely just has it and it all goes away but it’s not the first time he’s not gone with the majority when it comes to issues stemming from Covid.

Fair enough, bloody stupid imo

The coaching appointment will absolutely be the biggest difference maker for us. There’s no way of knowing it it’ll work with Peet but there’s a minimum of 20% plus in each and every one of our players IMO and Lam just didn’t get from them.

I look at Man United at the minute and I hear family/friends saying ‘why does the manager always get the blame?’ and I smile. I look at the transformation in Rugby League of Wigan in 2010 and Saints in 2017 onwards and in football with teams like Chelsea last season or Liverpool under Klopp and they absolutely prove just how important the manager/coach is and why they get the blame when things aren’t going right. I’m not saying we have a squad of comparable quality to a Man U but good coaches improve players and even ones that you feel are a basket case/write off. Those examples above just highlight what can be achieved with largely the same set of players as before a new appointment.

We need a bit more quality in a couple of positions I believe but the first priority has to be improving the players already here.

It's funny you mention Man Utd, because I was thinking about how the two clubs seem to be travelling along similar lines in terms of underperforming given their status and resources, For me, they both seem to be stuck (in part) because of two things, nostalgia (even recent) and entitlement, you could even say they are linked.

United have turned to Solskjaer and have even re-signed Ronaldo (who while scoring against low to mid team hasn't had a sniff against a good team like Liverpool and City). We've done the same in terms of the stupidly large number of ex-player we continue re-sign. We've even gone back to Wane in some form. We were successful when these players / coach were around, so we'll go back to that, which doesn't seem to appreciate that other teams have moved on and are looking to / have improved. We've even recruited our new (untested) coach from within instead of that new thinking we had in 2010.

The number of ex-players we've re-signed could be a case study for future sports leadership / psychology degrees.

I’m a Wigan rugby league fan and a Wigan Athletic fan but I do also have a passing interest in United and watching the Liverpool and City games recently felt like sitting at the Saints and Wire home games this season. That feeling of just being totally devoid of even a crumb of hope that the side could compete and just knowing the outcome within the first 5 minutes. That sinking feeling became combined with the realisation as the games went on that the opposition weren’t even having to play that well to win at a canter.

Now United have been in a lull far longer than us and the fix is way harder because of the sheer volume of teams awash with cash and World Class managers but we need to make sure we don’t keep drifting and falling further behind. I’m probably a bit different to you in that I see Wane coming back as a real positive. I think unlike United we’re fortunate that we can bring back a legendary leader like Wane because he’s young enough, unlike Fergie, who was too old even at the start of this poor period for United. I’m more worried that his role won’t give him the total control needed to make the difference that we need him to make. To me Wane is our Fergie and certainly not our Solksjaer. Ole was a great player for United and a youth coach before moving on. He has no history of managing huge clubs and no history of top level success as a manager. That job is too big for him but that won’t be the case with Wane here.

All interesting stuff and the similarities are certainly there. The big thing that sticks out for me is what a difference one man can make. I watched a documentary recently about Matt Busby, Jock Stein and Bill Shankley and it was fascinating. Three absolute legends, all born within a few miles of each other and then Fergie also came from a similar area. It has to be more than coincidence that all four became World Class managers. I see Wane as a man who has similar values and like those guys, he puts a big emphasis on the players knowing they’re in a fortunate position and are representing working class people. He drives that culture and I just hope he can help do that again from this new position.

I must have missed that one where the club have said we don't have the money to purchase a half back?

Or maybe we will announce the signing of a half back in the coming days/weeks?

Possibly. I'm sure it will be a top draw one too.

I think we’re probably going to have to accept it and get on with it. Is it ideal? No but we have a squad capable of being far better than we were last season - I’m not saying winners but I’d expect a better output week to week.

Moving in to 2023 we can start the search for a half next season and bring in the right half at the right price. We made a mistake putting all our eggs in the GW basket and for some reason God only knows, not planning ahead properly. But that doesn’t mean we should make one now by panic buying.

Ryan Hampshire leaving Wakefield

I think he will be joining Hank at Toulouse or heading to Leigh or an outside chance he could end up at Newcastle.

As much as I like the lad he isn’t what we need at Wigan.

Who is next cab off the rank in the halves and centres from the younger grades?

Another bad boy? https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... c478e9e3a4

Another bad boy? https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-pr ... c478e9e3a4

The elephant in the room needs addressing and IL and KR are too soft to deal with it, that is we have 3 x fullbacks or 4 if you count Hanley.

French, Hardaker and Field are all fullbacks and 2 of them are being played out of position. What the management need to do is let 2 of them go and recruit either 2 x centres or 1 x centre and a hakfback.

The whole squad needs and overhaul, we seem chock full of utility players.

We have signed 2 x props for next season but have let Clubb, Clarke, Bullock , Flower and Burgess go in recent times.

We have let Gildart and Hankinson leave and replaced those 2 with Thornley.

Hastings has gone and we haven't replaced him at all.

The squad is so unbalanced its unreal, years ago we would have a strong 1-17 of players playing in their natural postions with a few journeymen and academy players making the squad up to 25-30. Now what do we have? 3 x fullbacks, 1 x winger, 1 x centre, 2 x scrum halves (1 too old, 1 too inexperienced), 1 x hooker who doesnt offer much in attack, a light back row, not enough props and a few players who work hard but are too small or not good enough.

Well we've replaced Gildart with Thornley because Hank hasn't been with us for a season. I'd say Bibby replaced Hank.
Flower has been replaced by the young lads coming through. Clarke, Clubb and Bullock hardly played, so I think the 2 NRL lads are more than enough replacement for them.
Regardless of where you think Zac's best position is he's played centre for us and England/GB unless there's an injury at fullback.
We've signed a winger, Miski, and Hanley, Halsall and Bibby have all done well there when needed. Bibby being our top try scorer.
Filed has played almost all his RL in the halves and looked completely lost in the game he played at fullback for us.

Whilst there are issues, you've definitely exaggerated them with that post.

Fullback - French with Zac/Hanley as cover
Wingers - Marshall & Miski with Bibby & Hallsall as cover
Centres - Zac & Bibby/Thornley & Hallsall as cover
6 & 7 - Smith, Tommy, Field (Field has played most of his rugby in the halves)
Props - Mago, Evans, Singleton, Havard, Byrne, Partington
Hooker - Powell & O'Neill
Back row - Loads of them

I think that if the right halfback becomes available we may see Tommy retire, again.

Yeah but, but, but, but

We are at least a centre and a halfback short. Smith isn't good enough IMO, Tommy should be back up 7/9.

Well we've replaced Gildart with Thornley because Hank hasn't been with us for a season. I'd say Bibby replaced Hank.
Flower has been replaced by the young lads coming through. Clarke, Clubb and Bullock hardly played, so I think the 2 NRL lads are more than enough replacement for them.
Regardless of where you think Zac's best position is he's played centre for us and England/GB unless there's an injury at fullback.
We've signed a winger, Miski, and Hanley, Halsall and Bibby have all done well there when needed. Bibby being our top try scorer.
Filed has played almost all his RL in the halves and looked completely lost in the game he played at fullback for us.

Whilst there are issues, you've definitely exaggerated them with that post.

I’m thinking this is a likely scenario too.

I wouldn’t discount Field at 1 just yet. He’s had a stinker of a first season for different reasons, but there is without doubt ability there and in my opinion.

I’ve made the point a few times-if you’re replacing players who were not playing with ones who will, you’re stronger if only by default. In my mind we’ve lost Hastings and not a great deal more. We’ve signed 4 players and should have French and Field back from injury, making it 6 players to add to what’s left from last season.

Is the squad perfect? No, I don’t think it is. I’d like a halfback and another prop personally (and a centre if Hardaker goes) but I can’t for the life of me see that we’re weaker in general (a halfback aside).

I honestly cannot see Zak going this year. I think it’s all white noise personally and he’ll be off next year instead.

I’d be intrigued to see Field in the halves. We may all be wanting a new half but we’ve got one in the squad now. One thing I am certain of is that he isn’t a FB.

Hows it going Simon? Any more cheap signings to announce sometime this year?

Bibby replaced Sarge