Agree we've had a great return from French and it's been a pleasure to have him here for so long.

If he does go I hope he kills it in the NRL and doesn't just end up as cover playing in the 2nd tier.


Obviously there are big expectations of Farrimond and we have to have a pathway for him to progress otherwise there's always the chance he moves on - next year maybe one too early though. Realistically we'll only know once he starts to play in the first team. ?

French has certainly exceeded my expectations since he moved to 6. At the time it seemed like a makeshift option, that got him more involved in the game.

That being said and like others have mentioned, we've had an excellent return from him. If he leaves, then he does so with everyone's blessing.

Either way, I just hope we sort it out early. If he stays, I'm happy. Likewise if he decides to leave, then announce it early and use the quota spot and salary to recruit a top draw replacement.

French has been nothing but great since he came but honestly if he decided to return to the NRL I really don’t see him as anything but cover as good as he is for Wigan,such is the gulf between the 2 comps,personally I hope he and Field for that matter end their playing careers here rather than return on a pipe dream and end up playing second fiddle

I agree - too lightweight to be on the wing over there, too inexperienced to be trusted at 6. At fullback - possibly but only for one of the lower sides.

I feel like French has a really good opportunity to prolong his career over here as a stand off. If he goes back he’s really limiting his playing opportunities and potentially cutting short his career by a few years.

From a professional point of view, staying here would seem to be the best option, but if it’s a personal decision to go back then fair play to him.

One thing is for certain, he’s been absolute magic to watch and we have been lucky to have had him! Really hope he stays as most of our key players are on fairly long contracts now…it would be the cherry on top keeping him!

JWH signed 1 year deal at HKR

Be good (interesting) seeing him in SL

If he plays 5 games they'll have done well.

I love JWH and will really enjoy watching him play but he’s just not the type of player the modern game in SL is about.

I’m sure though he will be entertaining whilst he is over here.

I thought he’d be a huge risk when we were being linked in 2022, so to think a team is getting him in 2025 has shocked me tbh. The new rules, his disciplinary record and his age wouldn’t fill me with much confidence. Interested to see how it goes mind.

I'd have loved him this time last year and certainly instead of the pudding that was Singleton.

Now, we're pretty covered and it's 12 months down the line. I'd have made an argument that, if he'd have come in 23, I'd have him over Thompson. Likewise I'd have had Tom Burgess over both of them.

Fair assessment of their playing abilities, but JWH is a quota player, while Thompson and Burgess are both English.

Wigan would have needed to unload a quota player in order to have signed JWH.

Love JWH, spoke to him at the Maguire night a couple of years ago. Top bloke and has a massive respect for SL and Wigan.

Will enjoy him in SL but he wasn’t the right signing for us at this time.

Feel the same, but he's on the other side of the world from home; he may just want to get back to Oz. But he's been brilliant for Wigan, and every good wish to him.

Let's enjoy him while he is here.

French will leave at the end of the year and I'll honestly be happy for him - I think it will be the right move for him now he's won everything and given Wigan almost 6 years of great service. Hope to see him in a prominent role for an NRL side so he can prove what kind of player he is over there.

He's a better player than the one that left Parramatta, that's for sure.

Bevan French will be one of those players we talk a out for a long time to come. He's given excellent service to Wigan, created some amazing memories, and owes us nothing. If the time is right for him to go home then good luck to him, I hope he goes to a good club and enjoys more success.

I'm sure he has a healthy salary and we are well placed to search for a replacement if we need to. We are the premier team in the SL, any big name Aussie looking for a change of scenery would have us as No1 option. I thought Mr Cleary suited red and white hoops on Saturday

If the club decided to go with a similar explosive player, at a good age and maybe in need of a change of scene, a Penrith player who travelled but didn’t play might be a shout in Dane Laurie. He has a 12 month deal at Penrith so we’d have to see how the year plays out.

It’s clear that if he goes or stays we need to know early as it’s critical we get the succession planning right.

We don’t have anyone in the 5/8th role that French plays waiting in the wings.

One thing the club did very well under IFL was manage the retention and replacement process very well and I’m sure that will continue to be the case.

In my opinion we pull out all the stops to retain him including going big financially if we need to, an offer he cannot refuse, but if he is set on a move home as others have said he will go with nothing but best wishes.

French stayed for 2023/4 to repay the club for the loyalty they showed him (a good salary mind)

In that time he’s delivered us a man of steel, the GF and written himself in the history books of the club last Saturday.

He goes with my blessing if that’s what happens, we’ve had his best years and hopefully another trophy before this year is out.

Part of me wonders whether Penrith might go for him. They'll need a replacement for Luai - may replace from within but French and Cleary sounds pretty good to me.

I have been thinking the same, they had a bloody good look at him on Sat

If he does go back I hope he gets a gig at a big club like Penrith and playing at 6 (or 1) and not as some sort of utility back up at Wests/St George etc. This rubbish that lads like him and Field can't handle it physically got shown up on Saturday. I watched that bloke in a bar podcast and they spoke about how surprised they were that KPP looked like he could cope with the pace of the friendly against Melbourne. These Aussies genuinely think these lads are coming from a pub league, regardless of how many Grahams, Batemans, Hodgsons or Burgess brothers turn up and show it isn't all that different if you're a good player at a big club over here.

Transfer news........Just heard from good authority that Wigan have put a bid in for St Helens trophy cabinet as apparently it's no longer in use

Cheeky!









I also heard we enquired about stocking St Helens bitter in the stadium bars but didnt have enough room for it