I'm sure Burgess will go at the next opportunity, because his heart just doesn't seem to be at Wigan. I won't have too much of a problem with that, because I'm fed up with players taking space on our cap who don't want to be here. But I'd hesitate to get rid of Marshall as well, because that would leave us with Davies - who was Mr Reliable and not much more until this season, when he's suddenly proved to be Mr Not Quite So Reliable, and Manfredi ... and let's admit what we're all thinking: we all love Dom, but it doesn't look like he has a future in RL. He seems to be permanently injured. Some lads are just unlucky with injuries and some haven't got the bone density to withstand heavy tackling. I don't know what it is with Manfredi, but I'd be far from comfortable if he and Tom were our only wingers.

I wouldn’t actually get rid of two at the same time I was just responding to the question. But if two did have to go then Burgess/Marshall would be my choice. I can’t argue with your comment about Manfredi, he’s a great player on his day but we don’t get enough of these days unfortunately. I wish we could turn one of the Fab Four into a decent centre, that would give us even more depth in the back line and out of the four I think Manfredi could possibly be the one, but it’s a risk.
Or possibly Manfredi as a full back and Hardaker at centre.

I sort of agree with you, however that wouldn't have worked over the last one, maybe two years. Both Burgess and Manfredi have had long spells out, Marshall and Davies were "rookie" wingers.
If we have to let one go it would probably be Marshall IMO, but we don't know how well Manfredi and Burgess are going to play. So I think we're going to have to wait and see.

At the moment Tom Davies worries me a little. He was the best metre making winger in Super League last season but this year due to the style of rugby that Lam wasnt us to play isn't being used to make those big carries from deep. Strangely Saints seem to have gone the other way, with Makinson, Grace and Percival doing a lot of that work from their own half.

it's a fair debate. I agree, I don't think Marshall and Davies are the quality we need, but just look at how often Burgess and Manfredi are injured, cover has been needed.

PS, as controversial as this next point will be, I'll say it anyway... I'd swap both Davies and Marshall for Josh Charnley.

It's ironic that the one who's actually come back firing on all cylinders is the only one we haven't taken. All the others we've welcomed back have either been crocked or useless. Charnley, however, looks like he's never been away. He's still a turnstile, but then so is the whole of our threequarter line, so I agree ... I'd happily have him back.

If we didn’t get Sam back and he went somewhere else, there would have been mass uproar. He obviously suffered with injuries but when he played he was a better rugby player than we he left and we are sure as hell missing him right now. I stand by Lenagan/Radlinski because of the success they have brought us, but letting Micky and Sam go I struggle with. All that said, I would much rather see Charnley in a Wigan shirt.

I agree with you,like it or not Charnley has been excellent for Wire I’d have back in a shot,maybe though a little more could have done to keep him ?

From what I can gather Josh wanted to try his hand at Union after a very successful early stint in league. He went, but when he was looking to come back there was no room at then inn for Josh at Wigan. I was sad to see him sign for Wire, I know we didn't come in for him even though Wigan was Josh's first choice at the time.
I even thought Josh could be moved into the centres.

If we would have signed him on his return from Union, he would have got into our team each week without doubt.

I got the impression that he was the first player who wanted to leave who Wigan refused to provide a safety net for ... i.e. 'if it goes wrong for you, you can't come scuttling back to us'.

Either way, it's us it's backfired on.

We can't seem to win with this. I don't agree with the other poster that Sam was more of a player after he left than before, and this season he seems to be even less for the Cats. Joel was nothing when he came back, same with Mossop, while Budgie has been injured a lot, has clearly lost pace and seems to talk endlessly about leaving again. None have added much to Wigan since they returned. But then Charnley comes back for Wire and looks the real deal straight away.

It's very frustrating, but even more so is the endless attention that we seem to attract from the NRL.

For example ... has anyone anywhere suggested that Mark Percival or Alex Walmsley might want to go? How about Greg Eden or Luke Gale? Or Jamie Shaul, or Mark Sneyd or Stefan Ratchford, or Kallum Watkins? Ryan Shaw only went when he was in his 30s. Danny McGuire and Kevin Sinfield never went.

All of these guys are quality performers, and yet it's a Wiganer again - George Williams - who's in the NRL crosshairs, despite his huge price-tage and his continual underperformance.

I honestly don't get it.

Greg Eden signed for the Brisbane Broncos.

Lot of talk on here about wingers but lets be honest, they are hardly the problem here.

1. No organising scrum half,
2. No props at all - thus negating the need for 1 really (unless we're signing a vintage Andrew Johns),
3. Centres are undersized,
4. Hooker isnt providing any attacking value other than passing the ball off the ground.

The big problem for Wigan is physicality, as I see it. The entire pack, bar Greeenwood and Lockers, is undersized, as are our starting centres. The last time we had a truly undersized front row was c. 2003/2004 when Faz was playing prop, and you know what - we played tactics to maximise our chances. We didnt try and 'mix it up the middle' as we had no muscle, we took the ball out wide regularly and ran the opposition ragged. It seems we arent smart enough to see this currently.

Top to tail, there are a number of issues with Wigan and it all boils down to being cheap in the market:

1. Hardaker
2. Davies
3. Gildart
4.
5. Manfredi
6. Williams
7.
8.
9.
10. Flower
11. Greenwood
12. Farrell
13. O'Loughlin

14. Leuluai
15. Bullock
16. A.N. Other Impact-making prop
17. A.N. Other Impact-making second rower

Get rid of: Isa, Tautai, Navarette, Sammut, Sarginson, Clubb (retiring?), Hamlin, Joe Burgess,
Fine backups/depth: Escare, Powell, Marshall, Hankinson, The kids (i.e. Jack Wells, Paisley, etc).

It’s a shame the Burgess at centre experiment didn’t work out. Has the size and pace we need but get the impression it’s just not for him.

Fair enough. I stand corrected on that.

Said the man in the orthopedic shoes

I’ll get your coat

Utter poppycock.

He never wanted to comeback to league. Wire chased him to revert more than once.

Poppycock?



Actually he was dying to come back to league, couldn't get in at Sale. Stuck it out for as long as he could until he come to the conclusion that it wasn't happening. So then he took up the offer from Wire.

Anyone who has a absolutely zero link to the lad but could work a couple of social network sites in recent years could see he was desperate to come back (not that I blame him).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when Burgess filled in at centre wasn't it generally on the left? One of his best skills as a winger is his ability to deliver a good left to right pass back into the hands of the centre, second row or stand off. I'm pretty sure we scored quite a few tries where Williams would put Burgess through and Burgess would then lay a well timed pass back to Williams, Faz or Gildart to finish the move. If he played at right centre he might be a little bit more comfortable when attacking (but whether he could defend as well on the right is another matter).

From my limited chances to seeing both Davis and Marshall play I've always thought Marshall looked the better try scorer which would be my primary requisite for a winger.

Davies looks in need of a rest to me. I actually think he’s bounced back pretty well from a couple of dodgy games against Leeds and the Roosters but he looks a bit down on his usual energy. The tour over to PNG with the Knights May have had an impact on that.

Let’s go with size!

Get Kibula and Byrne in the pack ahead of Isa and Tautai/Naverette

And Manfredi and Burgess ahead of Marshall and Davies.

Hardaker
Manfredi
Gildart
Sarginson
Burgess
Williams
Sammut
Flower
Powell
Bullock
Hamlin
Greenwood
SOL

Kibula
Byrne
Tommy
Clubb

Burgess back in a few weeks

Kibula is a long way from being ready yes he’s a big lad but he needs a season in the championship to roughen him up and knock those nice edges off him.

When you see it written like that...(not trolling too much)...is that not one of the poorest Wigan teams (I can recall seeing) in the 39 years of top flight football?