I wonder who chose the squad numbers?

I would hope Maguire and Wane. Would be confused as to why anyone else would. Obviously you still have the input from the marketing team for the cheesy number 18 I would imagine.

If Andy Coley had an "excellent" season last season, he would have been considered for the England squad. The truth is that he played very ordinary, and was a liability with dropped balls and consistently giving penalties away.
Take your blinkers off, he is NOT superleague class, never mind good enough for Wigan.

Fear not, the new coaches will transform our 3 English props and improve their games by 20% making them certainties to make the plane to Australia

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How did Riddell get the 9 shirt when he is still supping Pinacaladas in Bendidorm on his jollies - Cue Rogues telling me off

Haha think he got back Friday a little overweight understandably.

He was more than that before he went!!!!

Not enough Weetabix in his diet I hear

eh?

I think he means of the those that we've signed from other clubs (and not brought through our system) 5 are english born and 2 are wigan lads.

Interesting selections.

Phelps, Gleeson, STomkins, Coley Hansen all deserve first 13 numbers and have rightly been put up the squad numebr list.

Looks like Joel will play a bigger part this year with him gerring number 12 shirt, as with Coley.

Bailey looks to be more of a squad player judging from his 'demotion' and Fekas number reflects the way he has gone from a starting prop to a impact prop.

Goulding at 24 is it? Big Big Drop.

He's always been an impact prop. There was only a short period when Noble had some sort of Brain Fart about sticking him on from the off.

And under Millward of course. But I guess that would make sense...

It was a long brain fart because he was a regular starter during his [url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=783first two years[/url. Much better as a sub prop, if only psychologically.

Can't argue with the stats, but everyone knows he is and always has been an impact prop.

It was a shame that ainscough wasnt given a lower number as he was top try scorer for a while last year, hope he gets at least 10 starts this term.

What's wrong with 22? What number would you have given him?

I would not read too much into Bailey and his "demotion". He is mature and experienced enough (and i am sure MM will have had a word with him also about it) to realise it will probably boost Joel Tomkins to get a "starting" shirt.

Guess you can't see the irony in your post can you?

If you can't see that Coley is most definatly a SL class prop then it's you that's got the blinkers on. Coley was far and away Wigan's best prop last season and seeing we finished well above teams like Warrington with all their so called England class forwards i'd not put to much into him not getting a call up.

No matter what he does fans like yourself will never give him credit for it even if he has an excellent season like the one last year.

I've lost count how many times Coley was named in the top three players last season and IMO after Lockers he's the 2nd forward name you'd stick on your sheet every week to start.

Your not as daft as you sound

I'm a big Ainscough fan but if he did, as suggested, come back to pre-season training not in the best of condition you can see why he is down the pecking order.

2

But that's just down to your unshakeable opinion that he's the best right winger at the club, even though he's never actually played there

He won't get any as long as he's in 'fat camp'.

1 Cameron Phelps
2 Amos Roberts
3 Martin Gleeson
4 George Carmont
5 Pat Richards
6 Sam Tomkins
7 Thomas Leuluai
8 Stuart Fielden
9 Mark Riddell
10 Andy Coley
11 Harrison Hansen
12 Joel Tomkins
13 Sean O’Loughlin (captain)


14 Paul Prescott
15 Michael McIlorum
16 Phil Bailey
17 Iafeta Paleaaesina

I think that would be quite a team if we put that out on the first game against Celtic.

Although Paul Deacon may come into the reckoning depending how Riddell is training i suppose.