I wouldn't imagine that the fringe players who have featured this year have too much bearing on the cap. Assuming the under 19's qualified players who aren't on first team contracts aren't earning enough to be counted we're only looking at the likes of Partington, Paisley and Byrne as having their salary counted. Maybe the club is leaving a significant amount of room left over to allow fringe players to play, but I'd say we're looking at around a 30 man squad, with the rest not counting because they won't play. The players who are loaned out will presumably stay loaned out.

If that's the case, the overwhelming majority of the cap will still be tied up in the top 25 squad players like most other clubs. The 15 or so players with squad numbers outside of that shouldn't be hampering our spending power too much.

Discipline and attitude in defence awful again. Some of these players are really letting the club down.

Overall it was a gutsy effort I thought. There’s some real issues with our defence around the middle and our go forward in that area but the players did just enough. Our discipline (well Isa and Tautai’s discipline) is another area needing urgent attention.

We’re absolutely desperate for another prop forward from somewhere.

It's a good job we were playing a team with even worse discipline than us, otherwise that would have been another game down the pan.

I thought we did really well considering the battering we took Friday . I thought Salford would dominate the last 20 mins as we tired but we dug in and showed some guts and spirit.

Discipline or lack there of is absolutely killing us.
What should have been a straightforward win turned into a get out of jail win thanks to a miracle play.
Thank god for the two points though.

If only Williams realised he could pass to his right. We telegraphed the moves to Gildart & Greenwood too much IMO.

Good game that could have gone either way,the lack of discipline is at times shocking and against better teams will finish Wigan off,still after Friday a win is a win

Yeah, it's Williams fault.

Astonishing today after Williams first 25mins where he created a try ,created an opportunity that burgess should have scored, nearly scored twice himself, got 3 repeat sets, made a dozen tackles and was basically outstanding - he then kicks to corner on 2nd tackle and Burgess doesn't get to it and the wall of deafining criticism from the experts was astonishing!

He put one average bomb up in 2nd half (shorrocks put 2 terrible ones in) and they're at it again, despite him putting Greenwood in for 2 tries, made another dozen Tackles, takes a quick restart after Salford fail to score over line where he's involved in the tackle amd makes 15yards, and chased his own bomb and recollects and offloaded for hardaker try.

Said on way back, I'm going to cherish his last 20 or so games for Wigan, because I'm not sure where were going to find a player who does What He does for Wigan over and over again.

Absolutely bang on mate, some of the criticism he gets sickens me, he’s our most creative player buy a mile and has been good this season, year after year he tops the try scoring charts and often gets into double figures for tries, those “experts” will soon realise next year when we have Woods and Shorrocks in the halves

We’d be knackered (and soon will be) without Williams. I said after the game today that him along with that left edge in general will steer us clear of any trouble. Don’t get me wrong Williams can be frustrating but only because he’s a fantastic talent who sometimes could produce even more then he does.

Williams certainly can't be faulted for his attitude, wherever he goes. He continues to put a shift in and as said upthread, did some great things today. If every player in the squad had his attitude, we'd surely be better off now.

Our defence is as bad as any team I've seen at SL level, it's embarrassing. This has been a consistent issue Lam this season. After 11-12 games it massively needs addressing, we seem to have lost our structure and aggression completely.

Well said Jukes. We will miss him badly, who do fans think that we are going to sign to compensate for his loss? They may be disappointed! I am sure all the would be coaches will soon disappear like they have with Sutty.

Some fans have short (or selective) memories. Last year when he got injured we really struggled and our unbeaten run started when both he and Gildart returned to the team.

Sutton’s doing a Mike Cooper down under and I thought he would. He always looked like a guy with a couple more gears in him and whilst it’s frustrating that he seemingly couldn’t find the motivation to step it up at Wigan, it’s pleasing to see him proving that he’s a very good player. He was always a good player for us and we’ve missed him.

It's only 6 weeks ago Gildart wasn't big enough!
Last season when some Social Media "Rumour" went round he was getting pelters with some absolute rubbish

Sarginson finally gets some praise early season when in fact his game was the same as it's always been - On the other site (Which Luckily I have lost my password for or else God knows what I would have replied with) they've started slagging him again when all that's happened between being praised and getting slagged is he missed the Saints game!!!

As for Sutton - Spent 2 years on here pointing out that we had a young 21/22 year old lad who was Belting Much more experienced props around for the last 3 years and playing 30+ games a year and doing Very Good minutes (Usually 50+ every game) and the experts do nothing but slag him off!!!
Maybe he should have had a song like Tony Clubb has (Who seems to get nothing but praise) for the fans to sing then he may have been appreciated more. You know, That Tony Clubb who plays about 15mins a week if were lucky

Anyway - I suppose now he's doing well in OZ it'll all be down to the improved coaching etc and it was all Wane's fault he was rubbish when he was here because of Wane

Not a big George lover at all but can see him really kicking on the rest of the season with the close return of Sammut, I think hes just what George has been missing

With all due respect mate he was Very good for us - I never saw him just go through the motions - He suffered from Scapegoat ism and just like George/Sarge/Powell etc. the Myth becomes a reality when people just keep repeating it over and over again.

Played something like 35/31 & 28 games in his last 3 seasons at Wigan at 20/21 & 22 years of age (Usually doing 50mins per game).
Kept saying over and over again how much we would miss him
Nothing he is doing at Canberra has surprised me - He's a Big lump of a Lad who's playing 60mins or so each game and can play Prop/2nd row at a push or LF and was never Bullied by anyone.



Now remind me again what is it that we are crying out for at the moment?
(Slightly different with Sutty in that he could have gone to NRL in 2016 but was persuaded to stay for 3 years before going - so he always had has sights set on trying it).
But just never understood the criticism.

theyve trained him well. Lost his puppy fat and looks proper toned

When George goes, and I don't blame him, all that it will free up is £75K of cap space. Wigan will sign Chris Atkin. The message boards and social media will go into meltdown, mainly from the sat at home/pub "fans"
They got their wish with Wane, they'll get it with Williams and maybe Sarginson, who's next? Ian Lenagan seems to be the BIG target, despite the published accounts showing how much money he is putting into the club.
"Old hooker" for example on the other site doesn't believe the figures, even when it was pointed out that it would be fraudulent to publish the accounts incorrectly.

I’ve always liked Sutton and as you’ve pointed out, he always held his own against more experienced forwards but I think he’s showing now that he’s always had even more in the tank then he gave us. It’s not to say he wasn’t good for us because he certainly was. My main issue with him now is why has it taken a move to the NRL to get himself in prime physical shape? That improved fitness/physique is certainly helping him but it would also have helped him give even more to us then he did.

It’s not a criticism of his overall ability or even what he brought to this Wigan side to say he could’ve given even more. It’s actually a compliment of what I believe he’s capable of.

I agree NK. He was a very good player for us but there was undoubtedly more in him as he is showing now. In mitigation, he is a year further along in his development and props do tend to come into their own a little later than backs. That said, I think the new challenge has had a bearing on his desire to get better. His improved fitness, for example, is self evident.

100%

Like Mike Cooper at Wire first time round, I think Sutton was in a comfort zone to a degree at Wigan after coming through the system and didn’t push himself as hard as he clearly could. That is as clear as day from his physique now at the Raiders. He’d really worked on his fitness going in to 2018 for us and call me cynical but I think those were the foundations for his work this past off season with him having the knowledge he’d be going to the NRL in 2019. Im happy for him, he was a good player for us and we may see an improved version back here in the future, a bit like Cooper at Wire.

Good comparison, and I agree with your assessment. Hopefully he'll continue to see game time out there to help his development, from what I've seen Sutton as been filling in at 13 to cover the injured Joe Tapine. Another exciting young forward.