I’ve heard that is on the cards.

I was worried for Salford in 24 financially but they are turning down bids for Brierley and Partington by all accounts and pulling together a reasonable squad.

I had them down at the bottom with London and Cas but I’ve a feeling if they get these signings over the line they could be a solid mid table team.

I knew I'd missed some, just couldn't think who it was.

Quote from Redvee:

Ok, so I'm now officially depressed. Couldn't get hold of my guy yesterday but did this morning. I asked him about the Welsby deal and he said he's definitely going but not likely for twelve months. I was about to ask him a couple more questions when he said, "You do know Wigan are in for Lewis Dodd - big, big money?" I said that sounded strange as they already have Harry Smith and Jack Farrimond. But he was adamant the interest is there. He also said Dodd has been rehabbing his ankle all year. Still not right.

I'll bet good money this "Jack Moves" is WW69, joined week after we won the GF, bigging up everything Wigan while pretending to be a Saints fan

He's winding me up. He's coming up to 400 posts in a month. Clearly has way too much time on his hands and talks absolute e.

Wigan signing Dodd when they have an excellent 7 in Smith and a generational talent in Farrimond is his best yet.

Would be a great signing, if our reserves our going to play in league one next year Dodd can be the captain.

Bad for Dodd if his ankle's still rotten. Nothing worse for a player than the same injury dragging on and on. But I don't believe any of the rest. There is such a thing as a salary cap, and though we've made some space now, the players leaving are mostly forwards, so that's where we're likely to recruit.

Saracens posted a video to twiiter showing Owen Farrell back in training for them. Not sure what to make of it, obviously their season is still in it's early stages so makes sense for him to be back. But if he was signing for us i would have expected us to buy him out of his current contract and for him to be resting up now in preparation for our pre-season as it would need to be a big one for him i feel. Just doesn't seem to add up. https://twitter.com/Saracens/status/171 ... gr%5Etweet

Saracens posted a video to twiiter showing Owen Farrell back in training for them. Not sure what to make of it, obviously their season is still in it's early stages so makes sense for him to be back. But if he was signing for us i would have expected us to buy him out of his current contract and for him to be resting up now in preparation for our pre-season as it would need to be a big one for him i feel. Just doesn't seem to add up. https://twitter.com/Saracens/status/171 ... gr%5Etweet

Quote ="BoredWiganer"Saracens posted a video to twiiter showing Owen Farrell back in training for them. Not sure what to make of it, obviously their season is still in it's early stages so makes sense for him to be back. But if he was signing for us i would have expected us to buy him out of his current contract and for him to be resting up now in preparation for our pre-season as it would need to be a big one for him i feel. Just doesn't seem to add up. https://twitter.com/Saracens/status/171 ... gr%5Etweet'" As I've said before, Owen Farrell coming in would be a commercial signing bordering on vanity. We don't need him and it would be an unnecessary sideshow. I personally feel Kaide Ellis is the best option as a longer term 13 and we have more than enough options at front row to cover his role there.

Quote ="BoredWiganer"Saracens posted a video to twiiter showing Owen Farrell back in training for them. Not sure what to make of it, obviously their season is still in it's early stages so makes sense for him to be back. But if he was signing for us i would have expected us to buy him out of his current contract and for him to be resting up now in preparation for our pre-season as it would need to be a big one for him i feel. Just doesn't seem to add up. https://twitter.com/Saracens/status/171 ... gr%5Etweet'" As I've said before, Owen Farrell coming in would be a commercial signing bordering on vanity. We don't need him and it would be an unnecessary sideshow. I personally feel Kaide Ellis is the best option as a longer term 13 and we have more than enough options at front row to cover his role there.

I’m so glad someone has said this. Because if I said it I’d be accused of being bitter etc.

You’re spot on. It would be a signing that screamed “look at us and how much money we have.” It would make sense commercially and I appreciate how big the story would be because of who he is, his name, his stature in world sport. But from a playing point of view I just don’t get it.

For him to play at 6 it would mean French or Field going and trust me, every opposition fan would rather play you with Farrell at 6 and Field/French at 1 than your current set up.
At 13 he wouldn’t do half the work that the likes of Smithies or Knowles do. He’s not taking 15 carries and doing 35 tackles a game. It just won’t happens.
Centre? You’ve signed Keighran to play alongside Wardle so again it wouldn’t make much sense.
2nd row? Again, he’s not the type to making those types of carries and running lines.

It just doesn’t make any sense from a rugby point of view. I’ve been told by someone at Wigan they’d be amazed if it happened but he doesn’t know for 100% certain. Personally I’d be shocked if it happened but it genuinely wouldn’t concern me from the point of view of playing against you.

The Luke Thompson deal worries me far far more because if you get the 2019 version then it’s the signing of the season by a country mile.

Thompson is the great unknown, if he's finally got over his injuries he'll be a massive signing for us even if he's just come here to put himself back in the NRL shop window, two out of the four years he's signed for then a transfer fee is good business, if he turns out to be G Burgess MkII we've dug a big hole for ourselves.

You’d think with Farrell back in training with saracens, that pretty much puts the rumours to bed. As someone previously said, if he was coming here he would be most likely resting up ready for pre season here.

I think Ellis is a great realistic shout for the loose forward spot. Has more than good enough hands to be the middle link like smithies this season. Clearly got the work rate and big mins in him too. I thought he was outstanding at the back end of the season!

There’s a few options I suppose, looking forward to seeing what the club do with the 13 shirt next year!

Have we signed Knowles as you have mentioned every player we have signed or plays for us in a position that Owen may need,hope we havnt signed knowles as a replacement for Smithies as surely that is bringing in a lesser player maybe he could be the next project player we take on

OF isnt signing for Wigan

Owen Farrel is 10x the player Thompson ever was, or ever will be again.

I'm sick to my back teeth of this RL is great, RU players are bad BS.

You’re comparing apples and oranges though.

Farrell is 10x the player at what sport? Because it certainly isn’t Rugby League as he is 100% untried, untested and unproven in that sport.

At no point have I said anything along the lines of “RL is great, RU players are bad.” I’ve come absolutely nowhere even close to suggesting that.

What I have said is that I don’t see how Owen Farrell fits into Wigan’s line up for 2024, as either you have better options in some positions or he doesn’t have the skill set for others.

Do you disagree with any of that?

You're just bitter

Sorry, couldn't resist..

Personally I tend to agree with this. Farrell is a great rugby player and, maybe 2 years ago with time to transition from what is essentially a different sport, I would have said a definite "yes". But I don't see the need for him now at Wigan. As you say we are well covered in all the possible positions he might play. I'd add Eckersley into the mix at centre too as he definitely needs to be getting game time this year.

That said, if he did come, I wouldn't put it past him to be a roaring success. Very much a case of Que Sera, Sera for mine.

With Shorrocks and Powell both likely to depart we will have the salary cap to strengthen further.

To be fair, I know that Welsby has had discussions with teams in the NRL. Why wouldn’t he if they are likely to quadruple his salary.

I was really looking forward to OF joining but him being back at Saracens rules it out IMO.

Agreed.

With with dad looking likely to be named Lions coach for the 2025 tour as well I’d say he will want to be involved in that too.

I’ve always wondered with Farrell what the overlapping seasons of League and Union would mean. I don’t have a clue if there has ever been any sort of chance of it happening but even if it was going to happen, would that be immediately or would it be when the Union season was through? Looking at Google, it seems like that has just started and finishes in June. We’d have about half a season left then. Could it be that he comes on a contract that starts part way through our season, with him spending that first half a season bedding in, getting minutes in a couple of positions and then looking to push for a regular position at the start of 2025?

As I say, not a clue if there’s any truth in it but I would still say him not coming in immediately doesn’t kill it stone dead. That will come as and when he signs a new deal in Union (which won’t be too far down the track if he is staying).

On reflection, it might have been difficult for OF to adjust back to League in any effective way. It would have been a fun signing to make, especially given the various salary cap discounts we could have called on, not to mention the wave of publicity ... but would that have been enough for us in the long-term?

Being hardnosed about it, it's unlikely he'd have made a satisfactory replacement for both Smithies and KPP. Once the fuss had died down, we might still have found ourselves wanting in the back row.

Taking a strictly common sense approach to this, if Mike Danson is really ready to stump up big cash, there are probably better options out there.