I'd be surprised if attitude was an issue because that above all else is what I hear him being praised for.

One thing we shouldn't forget is the player may have wanted this move. He's getting to an age where he needs regular rugby and that's unlikely to happen here.

I know that Hooker isnt Powell's position so surely, given Salfords current half back injury situation we should have offered Powell tothem rather than Tomkins...

Those of you who watch the academy u19's will know that Luke Waterworth is a very good #9 with a passing game that is the best I've seen since Martin Dermott. My only reservation is his size, but he will get stronger as he gets older.
Maybe Wigan have decided that he will get a chance in some games later this year with the possibility of making the first team squad in 2016/2017.

Helpful addition as we've been struggling in the 9 position since Tommy Lee picked up his season ending injury over Easter. With Tomkins, we should also see the best out of Liam Hood again who undoubtedly plays his best RL coming off the bench as an impact hooker.

I think this move could be the final nail in the coffin of the DR partnership with Workington. Last week Town were without their main hooker and Wigan allowed Logan to be named in the DR's for Town's match with Halifax. He was named in the 19 man match-day squad but on the Friday evening Wigan withdrew him just in case they got an injury in that weekends games. Now today he is going on loan to Salford. We had Gildart and Greenwood on DR one week and then the next they were off to Salford as well. It seems that Wane just sends up who he likes not necessarily what Workington need and the fans are now heartily sick of it. Our own players have been moved around to accommodate some of the Wigan players and it has caused unrest in our camp. I'm afraid this system has always been for the benefit of Wigan not Workington but not for much longer hopefully.

isn't this the basic problem with dual registration? The bigger club will always look to bully the junior partner to some degree. And, let's be honest, realistically a few months at Town isn't going to do that much to prepare a player for top flight SL.

I can't agree with that as a few months playing against the likes of Leigh, Bradford, London, Featherstone, Halifax, Sheffield I would have thought ideal preparation for moving up in to SL.

Tomkins is a much better starting hooker than he is a bench hooker but he isn't going to start in front of McIlorum anytime soon, probably best for his career if he moves on.
Re Powell, he suffers from the same basic problem as Tomkins, lack of pace, so where he's going to fit in the great scheme of things I don't know.

Don't think he does, TBH

End of this season could spell the end of:

J Hughes
G Burke
L Tomkins
R Hampshire
S Powell

I'd much rather have Logan playing hooker off the bench than Powell. However, Powell does also provide cover in the halves if one of Williams/Smith were to get injured.

It's a tough one, but I can understand the reasoning behind Logan leaving. Powell is a top halfback who I expect will also leave after this season. The lad needs need consistent game time to progress.

We'll find out whether the Championship sides are truly ready to step up in a couple of month's time. Those you mention probably are, but with Workington where they are at the moment I'd question the current efficacy of a DR relationship. Old chestnut, but it's really beyond time we had a properly representative Cumbrian side instead of trying to maintain the status quo, and only end up as perennial also-rans.

Powell signed a new 4 year deal earlier in 2015 so can't see him going anywhere. Not sure what's going on with Hampshire but I suspect he could well end up leaving. The best option for Wigan IMO would be to get him out on loan for next season to play in the halves to see if he can cut it at SL level there. Right now, he's not going to displace Williams at 6 or Tomkins at FB but he's far too talented to let a Leeds, Saints or Wire snap him up.

The frustration I believe is that if he isn't selected he isn't busting a gut to get more game time or particularly worried or upset on missing out on a place. This nonchalant approach certainly isn't the current Wigan way.
Maybe a move to somewhere like Wakefield where he could work with Brian Smith and learn a totally different approach would benefit him. For me he just lacks that bit of devilment that all hookers seem to have.

Im not sure what position Powell would consider to be his natural role. The constant chopping and changing certainly isn't helping the lad and my comment on him wasn't intended to be critical per se just that he isn't an hooker. I personally do not like this view that a player should be capable of playing half back or hooker equally well I personally can't recall anyone in recent memory who actually could do this.

How about Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield. Leeds have never had two out-and-out hookers in the 17 (apart from a short time when Buderus and Diskin shared duties). And as the most successful club of recent years maybe their coaches know something?

Last Saturday having SOL spell MMc for ten minutes worked well, and that is something that Matty could do as well. IMO there is no need for a second hooker on the bench. Whoever starts at 9 can do 65/70 minutes no problem. If MMc gets knackered doing that then give him a few weeks off in July. He'll get one week off at the end of June anyway!

In reading Matty Peats summing up of the Wigan academy grinding a result out against Cas away, Matty gives Waterworth a lot of praise for the way he controlled the ruck.
He went on to say that the work Luke is doing with MM in training is starting to pay off, so it seems that Waterworth is next in line to push to get into the first team squad.

Best for all concerned, really.

I don't think he's cut out to make it at Wigan. He's too lightweight in defence and doesn't offset that with a great ability to attack the opposition (like say Clarke).

We will have to disagree on this.
Rob Burrow is for me the perfect example of a player who has played both roles and has been average at both.
Why can't we have a hooker who plays 80 minutes? The only reason hookers get spelled is because of the totally ludicrous number of substitutions that the game currently permits. It may be an old fashioned point of view but nothing and I mean nothing can convince me that the increase in the number of subs tuitions has had any long term benefit to the sport.
By the way good to see you back as I always thought you were well balanced in your views and respected others views even if they differed from yours.

Well I strongly agree about the substitutions, the game would surely be improved by a reduction in them.

I have a much higher opinion of Rob Burrow than you do, though. Even now I'd be happy to see him in a Wigan shirt (not that there's any chance of that happening).

Thanks for the kind words.

Yes I do agree that MMc should do the full 80. Certainly no need for a hooker on the bench

I am with Moto about Burrow. He almost single handedly won the 2011 (I think) GF against Saints. He still puts the fear of bejaysus up me when he comes on!!

Powell was much better today after a shaky opening.

Was that the game where he ran down the left wing, threw a dummy, and the defender nearly ended up in the stands? So funny!

Maybe he's leaving due to the likely reduction in interchanges from 10 to 6.
They will still go with three props/back row so who will the fourth be?
Perhaps they are looking at a half who can play a number of positions be it 6,7 & 9.
Maybe the specialist 9 off the bench is going to be redundent when the reduction come into force?

Aren't there rumours it is going to come down? If so I think 80 min hookers will be back in fashion pretty quick.

Yes and as Father Ted points out, the presence of utility players to cover more positions will likely rise amongst the subs as there would be little point in naming four props/backrowers on the bench with only 6 substitutions.

It would help too (and this is a bugbear of mine) if the same damned rules were used in every competition.