I agree. It really is time to move for players like Kirmond as opposed to Clubb.

Why would it take revenue away from takings inside the stadium? It wouldn't be in the stadium or near it I assume and wouldn't be a game-day venue would it?

In Australia as someone else mentioned they used to have their leagues clubs that generated a lot of revenue for the teams but I am sure this was based on the fact they operated as small casinos with slot machines and the like and this came to end (the gaming aspect not the clubs themselves) a while back.

So the idea of a bar/club that generated revenue for the team would be good[i if it did in fact generate enough revenue.[/i

You would want a really high and pretty quick return on any such investment to make it worthwhile and while I have no figures or idea how much you could expect from such a club my gut feeling is not a lot. Pubs and clubs don't seem to be big money spinners!

More Ethan Hunt technology.

The investment in disguising Adam Blair this season has been good but the technique needs some improvement.

According to Mark Bitcon the club are preparing to use more of this technology to disguise players such as Billy Slater and Sonny Bill Williams in 2014.

Tony Clubb and Dan Sarginson? - Yeah right.

Not good enough if true.

The whole article is pretty depressing and IL's usual platitudes such as it being flattering are worn out.

Possibly the best players from the teams in SL which don't really challenge for the CC or GF?

Clark from Cas
Tom Briscoe
Kirkmond
etc

or even try to offer a big money move for one of the best players from the other top clubs?

Watkins? Lomax? Dealings from SL team to SL may be more likely, it's common in Aus for a top player to leave one club to play for another.

Briscoe wouldn't require a fee.
Etc here clearly means you couldn't think of anyone else!

Lenagan could lauch satellites into space and use mind control devices on ... hold on a minute, he's already doing that, perhaps he could construct a death star to rule the universe.
Failing that he can spend some money on hanging baskets like the local council have done.

Simply unacceptable to anyone with half a brain.

As an example why don't we offer Saints a large amount for Lomax?

What about offering Wire a huge amount for Chris Hill?

The whole thing is totally disgusting.

Wigan - a selling club. Who would have thought it?

Still you can't blame IL- there are plenty of idiots who can't see what's happening it would appear.

Fancy that, your using George "slit my wrists" Riley as a basis to have a go at Lenagan.

So what about it, Chris Hill? Surely any Wigan fan would love to see him in cherry and white and we have the money available?

Break the bank for Chris Hill?? I doubt that very much, decent player but no better than Scott Taylor, Wire would demand ridiculous money that wouldn't be worth it

Atkins or Watkins

You don't think Chris Hill would strengthen our pack? IMO he is one of the best young British forwards in the game.

Chris Hill has been Warringtons top metre maker this year and only 3rd behind Peacock and Crabtree as far as Props/Metres go.

Warrington don't need the money, and won't want to have to replace Hill as well as their older leaving/retiring players.

Signings like Lomax, Hill, Watkins etc just aren't realistic. They would require huge transfer fees which we simply won't pay and they wouldn't come here as they're playing for comparable clubs already and like Tomkins, probably see their next step as the NRL.

Signings like Clark, Kirmond, Bateman, Briscoe, Collis (just throwing random names of decent players around) and so on should certainly be within our reach though. If they're out of budget then you have to worry where things are heading.

I'm all for the majority of things Lenagan has done and continues to do but he needs to get the balance right. We look like we want to be a top of the table club spending mid table teams money at the moment.

And here lies the difference. We are a selling club willing to swap our best players for money whilst most of the other top teams are not.

Would it be possible to secure the services for someone like Robbie Farah for 2015? Now would be nice but not likely, however there are always other options. There has been a trend for teams to sign players/coaches mid-season for the following season, perhaps we could start a new trend

I'm not sure I'd want us to pay it though. How much would Saints want for Lomax, for example?

If we got 700k for Sam they'll know we've got the cash and would ask for an absolute fortune. He's good but he's no Sam and probably no Bowen. Give me 700k and I'd gladly take on Bowen and strengthen other areas of the team with realistic options, players we could improve but already have a good base to build from.

I'm not in the camp that thinks Lenagan can't do no wrong but he'd be wrong to throw big money at players no better then ones he could get for free and at players that would hold our own juniors back. I see a gap at hooker behind McIlorum because I don't rate Tomkins so therefore I'd be willing to pay for Clark. We have an excellent young centre in Gildart but he's a kid so I'd be willing to pay for somebody like Collis to step in for a few seasons. They're just two examples of players we could look at to fill holes.

Personally i think Briscoe has already signed for Leeds.

I would love to see Lineham, Kirkmond and Sammut here.

Sammut, Green, Smith and Hampshire. Quality rotation that. S. Powell to No.9 when Mickey Mac is injured(unfit)

Burgess to step up and rotate with Lineham and Josh, and Kirkmond is just a machine. Well he has been this season anyway. Think Tuson has been good this season but i fear his days here are numbered.

Dudson and Flower have come on leaps and bounds and have bulked immensely.

Please, please IL, Spend some of the money wisely and we could be fearsome. As far as the centre position goes i think we should prepare for the fact it will be Goulding(obviously) Hughes, Gelling and Sarginson.

T Briscoe will probably go to Leeds.
Clarke will go to Wire as their two 9s will retire in the next 2 years.
Kirmond looks good in a Wakey shirt but looked anything but in a Hudds jersey.
Would cost too much right now and with all our money we couldn't match the fee and salary Wire could offer.

We have Hopkins signed and Leigh fans who've come on here say he's a far better player than Chris Hill. Can play prop, 2nd row and 13.
Burgess and Manfredi to compete for Pat's shirt.
Bowen in for Sam, I'd expect him to be stood down for games v London, Cas, Wakey, etc with Hampshire, Tierney and Burgess trying the fb position.
Carmont has been missed but Thornley has done as well as I expected him to do after only 3 SL games prior to this season. See how he goes 2014.
The biggest worry for me looking at next season is not positional but that of a top quality goal kicker who is also a top quality player.
Any names anyone?



IMO this is the wrong time to try and buy someone's best player. They know we are cashed up and will raise their price to a unacceptable level.

Going against the grain here, but I see signings as a complete and utter waste of money under a salary cap. The money should go back into improving youth development even further - youth is the only way to get an edge in the long run, mercenary players will always end up overpriced.

Further developments of pathways in Wales, and if things really collapse in London then I'd love for us to take over the mantle over there. London will start yielding results in the next few years and I'd hate for it to just go to union when we could benefit massively from it.

At the VERY LEAST the money MUST be spent on some new players. Wigan cannot be seen to have sold their star player - a year earlier than necessary - for a 'record fee' and to have not spent a penny of it on players of any kind of stature. You're just Arsenal FC - a selling club. You lower the standards and reputation of the club. Wigan are the biggest club in British RL. The most successful, most prestigious, most famous - you name it. We are the big dogs of this sport whether people like or not. So test the resolve of Leeds for Watkins, test the resolve of Hull for Crooks/Lineham, test the resolve of Saints for Lomax, Walmsley etc. Start offering some monster fees and cherry pick the best talent in the competition. The NRL will continue to sh-t all over us with their astronomical salary cap and superior competition, but let's remain the premier team in this country at least.

Settling for scraps from lower end clubs to spend the money we have got for Tomkins is just not acceptable.

The fact we've bent over and sold Tomkins a year earlier than necessary is an absolute disgrace. Facts are that the money is useless - Tomkins is a once every 20 years sort of player. We've replaced a lad heading into his prime with a 31 year old on a one year deal. We have a record fee, but can't do much with it in a salary capped sport. For our chairman to hint it will go on the backroom stuff is disgusting. We shouldn't have to sell our best players to do that - and we don't have to sell our best players to do that. How thick does he think people are?

Ian Lenegan - get onto that market and headhunt the best talent in Super League. Invest that money back into the squad. A healthy bank balance does not win you trophies. Record fees do not win you trophies. Sam Tomkins wins you trophies. Hit the recruitment drive and bring some top talent to this club!

We can save up for years and sign Meshut Ozil!

Seriously though that's how I'd liken our situation at the moment. Like Arsenal we're in danger of being left behind because we'll have a raft of promising kids supplemented by decent but not top class players.

We're not at that level at the moment, we still have top class talent like Charnley, Lockers, Farrell, McIlorum, Hansen etc but I'd guess all of those bar Lockers will move on over the next 2 or 3 years unless Lenagan has a policy rethink.