Think Wane is hell bent on a Wigan/English team tbh though the way changes continue to be made and I would expect us to continue to promote from within.

With only Lauaki, Pat & gelling set to be overseas next year though, I would like to see a marque signing at 7, as I think without it we could struggle.

Lets hope matty russell also makes the step up for next year and we can give thornley some game time this to hopefully fill carmonts boots. If they can step up, with only a couple of shrewd signings, our line up for 2013 actually looks pretty good;

1. Russell
2. Charnley
3. Goulding
4. Thornley (Gelling or new centre)
5. Pat
6. Tomkins
7. NEW MARQUE WORLD CLASS S/H
8. Mossop
9. Micky Mac
10. Dudson
(hope the injury isnt as bad as thought - if he continues with game time this year he could step up to be one of our best front rowers IMO)
11. Hock
12. Hansen
13. SOL

Subs / Reserves: Lauaki / Prescott / Flower/ Crosby / Spencer/ Farrell / Tuson / Hughes / Lloyd / Mellor / Matty Smith / Logan / King / Powell etc.

Still one of the best line ups in SL IMO with only one or two quality signings - just hope IFL and Wane dont think this though, and think we can do without a quality half, as without replacing the quality of Tommy and Finch we will struggle!

The other worry for me is that if we do win SL this season, which without wanting to put the mockers on is a distinct posibility, we'll probably again fail to win the WCC as we will have a completely new half back pairing for that game, and wont be anything like clicking.

For me this is exactly why the WCC should be at the end of the year - I honestly believe if we played an aussie team at home, as we are playing at the minute, or at the end of the season, we would be more than a match for anything in the NRL at the moment. Problem is, we almost certainly wont be come february!

Finch/lima signed in feb for there new clubs.
Wigan have made an offer to ben roberts off a 2yr deal, roberts wants a 1 yr deal on big money.

i hope ian told him no thanks we have better in are academy!! i hate all this delaying that goes on at are club why not just come out with it soon as it happens?

Keep us updated pal - you're always spot on with the gossip.

I was hoping the first time I heard his name mentioned as a possible target was just unfounded speculation but hearing it again doesn't bode well.

From what I've seen of him, Ben Roberts is rubbish. Why Wigan would offer him a 2 year deal I'll never know. A very cheap 1 year deal as a gamble I could understand.

I've not seen Soward play, but he sounds an exciting player - well he did until I read this:

[urlhttp://www.zerotackle.com.au/esl-side-wigan-jamie-soward-5668/[/url

To some, they cant get rid of him quick enough.

How exactly is Wane "hell bent" on an English/Wigan team? He signed Lauaki and Gelling and would have wanted both Finch and Lima to stay. The fact is a lot of our players who were exempt under the quota rules are set to leave and we have a good set of quality players coming through from the youth system. IMO we won't be signing Matty Smith as a squad player, he'll be the direct replacement for Tommy, it's then a "marquee" stand off to play alongside him we need.

Completely agree about the WCC comments btw, I hate how it is played at the beginning of the following season, often with completely new playing staff and sometimes even coaching staff. Imagine if Madge had led us to the SL last year and Souths had won the NRL! Or if it had been us and Melbourne, Hoff could have won it with us then been playing against in the resulting competition!

I cringe everytime someone suggests moving Tomkins from full back.

Agree with the rest of your post though.

Some big players leaving Wigan this year. I've heard Mossop wants a crack at the NRL aswell has anyone else heard this? He would be a huge loss for you. I think he is one of the best props in SL at the moment.

Gutted he is leaving but that's rugby people move on !! Hopefully he can take a super league ring back to Aus with him and a challenge cup medal !!

2 Challenge Cup medals.



Then we'll beat him in the WCC next year.

Yes 2

That would be good !!

He's contracted till the end of the 2014 season...not that contracts seem to mean that much these days!

Mossop will be in aussie AFTER his current deal, not before.

I can't complain, it was a stroke of luck for us that the club got the three fantastic Melbourne players, all who have done a brilliant job for the club and I wish Finchy and Lima well.

huge loss, but lets not get selfish...hes done a great job, and i wish him all the best in planning his life after rugby league

Big loss, he's a major reason we're such a force this year, but he isn't irreplaceable. Best of luck for the future Finchy, it's been a pleasure, now bow out with another CC medal and a GF ring

We'd be an even better team this year if the likes of Joel and Hoffman were sill here. That is obviously true but equally there loss has not proved the teams undoing. However the fact we are where we are is hugely dependant on Finch (especially), Tommy, Lima and Carmont's contributions. Unless we replace these four with quality players we will not be as good next season. You deluding yourself if you think we won't miss Finch and the other three. With Joel and Hoffman we have covered their loss from within the squad but we do not have squad players anywhere close to the likes of Finch, Tommy and Lima and there is disagreement over whether or not the rumoured signings are any good such as Soward and Smith.



You haven't seen [ianything[/i of Thornley playing at SL level since he left the club so speculating he will do an "excellent" job in place of Carmont is based on hope rather than knowledge. The fact we have numerous players to compete for front row spots doesn't turn them into a Lima clone. However the worst situation is half back and here we have got (by the sounds of of it) one average squad player in Smith and we might get a.n.other.



We need to sign some good players but no one seems to think there are any available of a similar standard to those we are losing.

You would hope there was enough over for a marquee signing but they club can't spend the money if there is no one available so it wouldn't surprise me if we upgraded contracts, signed Smith plus a couple of squad players and went with what we have got.

If we had lost Tommy and Carmont and had got Smith alongside Finch and gave the centre slot to Gelling or Thornley we might have done the same next season as this in that we would have covered the losses because the backbone of quality in the side was still there. Taking out Finch and Lima as well is too much.

I read it but it is all after the event isn't it.

I also read this in March:

[urlhttp://www.wiganwarriors.com/WContent.aspx?id=6931&type=news[/url

"[uI'd definitely like to extend my stay her[/ue, but I understand Wigan have got plenty of young fellas coming through - local players as well - and they might want to head in a different direction.

"I'll just play it by ear. I'm enjoying my time here and [uI'd certainly give Wigan the opportunity if they want to keep me[/u."

We should have taken it in March. Every player has his price and we didn't meet Finch's or we left it too late.

Look at the style of half back that we included when we moved Sam to full back: Paul Deacon.

The game is evolving and so are the roles of half/full back. Full back is now our main point of attack, like it has been in Australia for the last 15 years.

Sam will not be moving from full back.

Dave - what if we had signed him for another 2 or 3 years back in March. He is clearly missing Oz. Next season he may have asked to leave on the basis he wanted to go home. We would be in a worse situation then.

I think you need to respect what IL has done for the club and trust the fact that he will be doing his best to get the best for the club.

What would you do if you took over the running of the club tomorrow?

I saw him at Haydock Park Races the other week and he said that Wigan will definately release him by the end of next year on the condition that he returns to Wigan when he comes back to Super League. I hope it's not true though as much as I want to see you lot lose your best players and come down to the rest of SL's level i'd hate all the best players to head to the NRL.

Anyone considered moving Sam to 6 and playing Russell at fullback? That could work.