If Sam's signing is announced on Thursday, that will hopefully take some of the attention away from Flower - I am sure Sky will be having an "exclusive" interview with Sam if Thursday is the day.

If that's the case I'd so love to see Flower not play. Take Sky's f###ing exclusive off them.

Not so sure about Wakefield, the French army put up more resistance in the 1940's.

There is a bit of extra emotion in a derby match...will he be match fit/sharp enough? didn't the ban extend to training with the team too?

I hope Sam goes back to Wigan if anybody. I like seeing homegrown players at clubs.

FWIW I'd still look at moving him into the halves. If anything his time in the NRL has shown that some of the weaknesses in his game at fullback are pretty important - the occasional flap at the high ball and lack of real yardage/threat running back long kicks. But they've also shown that he's a good one-on-one defender (I'd have no problem at all with him in the front line) and his role in attack would be almost identical whether he's got 1 or 6 on his back. For England I'd go that way anyway, and let someone who likes charging back at the defence take on that role (probably Hardaker).

Full agree. He's lost half a yard of pace so it makes sense. His game had changed before he left Wigan and it certainly has now. He's creating space for others more but he still offers that running threat.

We've also got great pace in that fullback position now with Hampshire. He could be devastating working off the back of Tomkins at 6. Until these last few weeks I couldn't see Hampshire at full back working but he's been magnificent and I'd have to backtrack. There will be bigger tests to come (a game like Good Friday for example but with two halfbacks in the oppositions team) but the signs are good.

Would be brilliant on Thursday for Sam
To come out before the game and run to either the north or south stand depending on who he has signed for! I reckon if he ran towards the North stand the ground would be nearly empty before kick off!

Is SW genuinely in the dark about all this or is he being deliberately obtuse? I'd be a bit concerned if it's the former.

Of course he is being deliberately obtuse, he has said in the past he speaks regularly to Sam on skype since he moved over to New Zealand, both the Wane and Tomkins families are very close.

I think its pretty obvious the deal has already been done, just a waiting game for the big reveal.

You surely don't believe that, whatever the outcome here, the Wigan head-coach won't know it in advance?

Can you seriously imagine Sam being announced on Thursday and Shaun Wane being as surprised as everyone else?

In which case he's just given out a huge porky on the radio. I'd be amazed if he's not aware of every minutiae, I just wish he'd engage brain before offering an opinion - but then we've been here before....

What was the question and what was the porky?

essentially denying all knowledge of what the state of whether or not ST is or isn't signing - & IL tells him nowt. I'd hope he had his fingers crossed when he said it, but it was pretty unequivocal

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/32299159

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/32299159

Sounds likes a standard denial of knowledge to me. The sort Michael Maguire would routinely give out.

Seems like there's only an issue with this if you want to make one.

Unless, of course, Sam isn't signing for Wigan and we're all putting two and two together and making ninety.

So you'd be happier that he just blurts out that Sam has signed ahead of any big media announcement that may be planned ??!

well, actually, yes

for now ill go with same saying he wont be pulling a wigan jersey on until february in that interview the other day

Well that's not going to happen is it?
Why not call Sam a liar as well? He knows every details but says he hasn't signed or made his mind up, so if he doesn't know how does SW know?

So back in the real world all parties will know what they're working towards but agree not to blurt anything out to social media wannaknowitalls or press etc.
Not the crime of the century is it?

I do question the sanity of some posters on here. Wane is doing the classic politician answer which is required in this situation until all contractual matters are finalised and media agreements are fulfilled. He's actully improved massively in this department compared to when he started and he was too honest e.g. hatred for Saints etc.

Still some work to do though.

As funny as it is saying that we'd have beat Saints by 30 had Flower stayed on in the GF it's probably only going to do one side any good and it isn't us.

Haha I actually just heard this comment about 15 minutes after my post! Oops

I agree with SW, though. 30 points may have been slightly excessive, but over 20 is a confident prediction. Wigan's form in the last few matches of the regular season ( wins over Leeds and Warrington) and again in the play offs against Huddersfield and Warrington had been most impressive. And as Saints fans keep telling us, they had no half backs!

Saints tactics right from the first set were clear - and they paid off because Flower retaliated and got sent off. Rightly so, but the jury is still out as to whether LH should also have been dismissed. 12 v 12, it would have been a comfortable Wigan win. Even 12 v 13 for 78 minutes they still created far more chances, but fatigue and the handicap of being a prop forward down understandably played a major role in the second half.

This is brilliant. Actually brilliant!

Do you actually believe Saints would have won if both teams had had the same number of players for the whole game? Saints played a busted Cas team in the first round of the playoffs and then a semi - busted Catalans team in the s/f and had the benefit of some "dodgy" refereeing calls. And you had no half backs - as Saints fans keep telling us. Fair enough, you make your own luck and can only play the team in front of you, but.......

Come on mate it was an embarrassing comment from wane there's absolutely no logic in with having a full complement would equal a 30 point win