Viewing the replys up to now this means that the average age of the Wire team will come down.

No. Next!

I hope he signs for wire.

I thought Wire had bought Ratchford to replace Hodgson long-term?

Never been the same player since he kept picking up serious injuries about 04/05. He is solid and dependable but offers nothing going forward like he used to and is still on big money. Won't get another NRL club.

There is no way we would consider signing him.

If wire want to throw a large chunk of their salary cap on an aussie with injury troubles and at the wrong end of his career thats fine by me!...

No doubt a great player in his day but it would be a gamble, It could pay off and he could be another Brett Hodgson though

I hope so, it has been a joy to watch Tomkins and Charnley run rings around him

minichello was absolute quality back in the day, really hated watching him for Aus against GB back in the Ashes tests

Well played by Minichello's manager I say. If Maurice was still at the helm he'd already have the Henry Hoover out at his new 5 bed Chorley home.

I can't see Wire being remotely interested in him nor the majority of Super League initially.

However throwing in a false suggestion that a top UK team are ''favourites'' is bound to create interest and discussion amongst clubs.

How dare you use the terms "salary cap "and "wire" in the same sentence - I can assure you if he comes, it will be for family reasons as he wants to be near his wife when she takes up her new extremely highly paid 2 day a week part time job in a sports orientated retail facility located quite close geographically to Tesco Warrington.

Id have him straight away as long as we can get him at the right price and not some riddiculous inflated wage

....gives us options again to have a pivot on the bench....with losing riddel and deacs in the last 2 years we've not had that this season, and have had to resort to SoL going in at 7 to put tommy at hooker. Plus the fact, with another FB we could start the game with our number one hooker rather than having Mcllorum, who, despite what Wane thinks, is not good enough to be starting hooker for Wigan IMO.

IMO

1. Minichello
6. Finch
7. Tomkins
9. Tommy

Bench: Mcllorum

is much stronger than

1. Tomkins
6. Finch
7. Tommy
9. Mcllorum

Bench : Tuson (and the additional disruption of moving SoL!)

I disagree anyway but its a moot point with tommy leaving at end of season.

Shall I point out the one obvious mistake or are we going to play lets believe?

We should put a total stop to signing Australians.

he is about 2 seasons past his best and has a few serious back operations under him. I am a roosters fan and love mini but i wouldnt have him its just to big of a risk

Minichello and Ellis, they must have a lot of room in Morans brown paper bag

Tommys already said he's going and Finch is also OOC.

I was more thinking of the immediacy of this season.....a stop gap to give us options. Personally I think we're too short of options in the middle and feel this is our weakest link this season. Id take minichello on a 12 month contract in a snap just to free up tomkins and give us options up the middle- but we also need to look longer term too imo, which is why Wane needs to be giving Mellor and Powell a run sooner rather than later, and we also need to be looking to recruit a world class hooker as a priority for 2013 with the loss of Tommy...if we end up running with Mcllurum and Logan Tomkins next year as our two hookers then god help us!

It must be a sign of the times, but i no longer get exited at the thought of a big name Aussie possibly heading our way.

Quite happy to put an 20 year old in the squad ahead of a 32+ year old antipodian.

I agree. I would much rather never have signed the likes of Dallas, Barrett, Pat, Finch, Riddell, Hoffman....

What works best in super league is a nucleous of home grown players or British players who have played together for years alongside top players from overseas.

All the teams who have won super league have shown this.

Bradford - Pryce, Deacon, Fielden and Peacock playing with Hape and Vainikolo...

Saints - Long, Sculthorpe, KFC along with Lyon, Talau

Leeds - Burrow, Maguire and Sinfield with Webb, Donald, DB

Wigan - Lockers, Tomkins, Coley, Hansen... with Pat, Carmont, Riddell...

IMO with the future ecconomic climate in mind, the link of 1,6,7,9,13 must all be players who are british and be here for the long hall.. IMO players in other positions are replacable, just look at leeds... webb, mcguire,burrow and sinfield.

In the youth we trust.... but IL already knows that..

Look at Leeds?

Webb - NZ
Burrow
McGuire
Buderus (last couple of season) - Aus
Sinfield.