He was actually at home

in Yorkshire

No the new Leeds



Tony Smith will take over mid season next year

It's fairly easy for us to be honest, next season we are going to be working at virtually full salary cap amounts, this season we have only spent around 1 million of the cap, we are releasing Alker, Talau, Littler, Fitzpatrick, Swain, Sibbit, Leuluai, Jeremy Smith all of which are amongst our highest earners, so I would think that would take off around another 500k thus leaving circa £1.1m to spend on next year's team. (On top of what we already have contracted of course. I don't fear any salary cap breaches on our behalf, I have been told that we are nowhere near salary cap for next year and that we could expect one or two more players will be coming in.

Do you want K Pryce, comes with free delivery and Free BUPA (you'll defo need that)

Thanks for the offer but.... Now lets talk about Goulding

Well I'll settle for Hanson anyway if the rumors are true!

He's too busy with the France coaching job at the moment...

One of Cameron Phelps' Tweets late last week was;

I remember noticing that too.

Seems not all the contracts are sorted yet after all. Maybe the reason why announcements are waiting

Hope Salford have enough money fro the transfer fee

Whether Salford have a transfer fee ready or not It would be a big mistake letting Hansen go. He's 24 and had loads of SL experience.
Hoffman and Joel maybe first choice 2nd row next year but H and Mossop as back up are essential. Hoffman may depart after one year and there's no certainty about Hock as yet.
With Coley having a rumoured one year deal and Fielden maybe two, the last thing we need is to lose a 24 year old forward with bags of experience.

now that is a sensible post and i full agree with that

I have been told today that Fielden has signed his new deal and it will be announced tomorrow. Happy days.

Happy with that.

After reading numerous posts were has the micheal ennis rumours come from ?? I know piggy is going home at the end of the season and we tried to tried to sign him before piggy came to us. I for one hope that it is true and we are in talks with him as he is a class hooker logan tomkins isnt ready yet for a few yrs and i think tommy and micky mac wont be good enough through out a season given micky macs injury record.

I will also add that i dont think wigan will be near the salary cap next year as the replacments we have brought in are on lesser wages (reportedly)than what we have got rid of plus =

fielden lower wages
coley lower wages
carmont lower wages

feka = lima
bailey = hoffman
riddell = finch
ainscough ???
phelps ???
pryce ???
thornley ???

I know gaz hock is coming back but he wont be on nowhere near the wages he was on before. So i think we will ave a few quid to go for a player if we want one plus a quota spot free.

We probably actually have, with all the signings it shows we've got money to spend on wages, losing several of our top earners, money from sponsorships and we could use some of the loan we got to buy Hansen, although I very doubt it.

Good call sir!



Whispers on the other forum though that Ben Davies is leaving to Huddersfield. He is usually impeccable with his information.

Lets hope he's wrong on this one.

We'd not only be letting a talented prop forward leave but we'd be opening ourselves up to a hell of a lot of abuse regarding our retention of younger players as well.

We need to keep Davis and see how he progresses, letting him leave now would be criminal.

Fingers crossed it's a loan deal like Mossop. I'd be more than happy for our developing players to go to Huddersfield.

I'd be disappointed if we let Davies go, but something probably has to give somewhere in the forwards, or else players aren't going to progress because they're not going to get the game time.

Looking at our forwards for next year:

Props: Fielden, Coley, Lima, Prescott, O'Carroll, Davies
Back rowers: O'Loughlin, Hansen, Tomkins, Farrell, Tuson
Either (or in Hock's case potentially neither): Hoffman (I'd much rather have him in the back row), Mossop, Hock

14 players competing for 8 places. The likes of Davies, O'Carroll, Tuson, maybe even Prescott and Farrell are going to struggle to get regular first team rugby in my opinion.

I'd look at trying to give those mentioned a full pre season with Wigan and then maybe loan 3 of the 5 out to other SL clubs if possible, preferably with the option to call them back within a week's notice say.

Pointless having good young talent sat frustrated on the bench, and then becoming disillusioned and signing permanently with the likes of Salford, Wakey etc. at the end of next year.

Widnes people tell me that Davis has been outstanding all year.
Only bettered by one forward, Liam Farrell.
Yet when he has been in the first team he has not had much game time and appeared to be someway off being a SL player.
If this is a loan deal to Hudds then it's good for all three parties, Hudds, Wigan and Davis.
Surely they wouldn't allow him to leave the club on a permanent deal?

It might well be. Another chap on there has said he has heard it is a one year loan deal to Huddersfield.

If this is the case, then I think it is a fantastic move.

Well it could well be that Ben Davies will join Huddersfield Giants on a one year loan deal. That would be an excellent move for both Ben and the club. A year at one of the better Super League clubs under a reputable coach in Nathan Brown will do him wonders in accelerating his development as a player.

That would leave us with five prop spots for four places in - Stuart Fielden, Andy Coley, Jeff Lima, Paul Prescott & Eamon O'carroll - with Ben out on a one year loan deal.

As it stands, it looks like we have 6 second row forwards battling it out for only 3 spots in Ryan Hoffman, Joel Tomkins, Lee Mossop, Harrison Hansen, Liam Farrell & Chris Tuson. I think it would be excellent if we have these six players toughing it out for a second row spot. Opportunities during a season will occur for all of these players. Injuries is unfortunately part and parcel of the game. However not only that, you can bet that the form of certain players will fluctuate during the season & so the competition for places keeps everyone on their toes in that regards. Even should we stay injury free/everyone in form it gives us the chance to rest a few players.

And if all that wasn't enough, we hopefully have Gareth Hock to add back into the side. For the first time in years I think we have a forward pack that is absolutely sorted.

The one area where we could fall short is at hooker. I rate Mike McIlorum, but whenever he seems to find some form he gets an injury. Injuries have really hampered his career so far. Then you have Tommy Leuluai who I believe could do a good job at hooker coming on from the bench, but he is relatively inexperienced in this position. It is the strength in depth that concerns me too. Either one of these players picks up an injury/suspension - who covers?

With all the top quality forwards we now have at the club..its going to be hard if not impossible to keep them all

fielden
coley
lima
presscott
o'carroll
farrall
mossop
tuson
davies
hansen
tomkins
hoffman



hard decisions will need to be nade in the off season..I hope davies is going on loan to a SL club.

Don't want to see Davies leave.



Hopefully he won't be leaving, and he'll be on a season long loan to Huddersfield. Which actually would be the best for all involved.