I've always thought Tyrell looked bang ordinary at Souths. Mind you so did Cuthbertson at the Knights and he turned out well. I think with Cuthbertson and Parcell, Leeds have certainly struck gold with players who were lets just say, unfancied, so Tyrell might be worth a punt.

why on earth aren't we making moves for Ben Currie... he'd be my top priority, I don't care who we have in already or who would have to go. he is a must IMO.

Ratchford: Salford to Wire
Hodgson: Huddersfield to Wire
Briscoe: Hull to Leeds
Moon: Salford to Leeds
Lytham: Hull to Wire
Brown: Widnes to Wire
Percy: Widnes to Saints

To name a few since the Fielden signing.

I meant from one big club to another rather than small club to big club as with all of those examples. If we had cap room we could poach a big name from a small club like the above examples, certainly, but I can't really think of any big names at Salford, Huddersfield, Widnes etc who I would want, can you? Maybe Carney if his head is screwed on, but I suspect he will earn more as a top earner at Salford than as a mid-earner at Wigan.

That list proves his point because the only one that was a top player when they moved was Hodgson, and arguably none of others are top players even now. Oh and one of them doesn't exist.

Moon would walk into our team. We chased Briscoe but he chose Leeds. That's just our team. Transfers from SL club to SL does happen.

So would Ratchford for what it's worth.

Do you think Warrington would let him go to Wigan? We tried to sign him as a junior but he turned us down.

It does from small clubs to big clubs, like all the examples you mention, but not big club to big club unless there is a secondary reason (off field issues, for example). Even then, the majority you mention weren't top players when they signed, but kicked on afterwards.

Why would you even think Ben Currie is available or that Warrington would even listen to offers? New coach just installed and looking promising on the recruitment side of things. Even if he was available, I doubt the lad would even want to join us tbf.

He is a Wigan fan tbf

Haha, then I stand corrected! Just read an article by Dave Woods on BBC stating Wayne Bennett might opt to play him in the centres...that is an interesting idea!

Precisely my point. Add Jake Connor and Albert Kelly to thet list.
In the past we picked up the likes of Barrie Mac, O’Connor, Hall to name a few. We don’t target this area.

We have, Navarrette recently , Sam Hopkins was another, just not a good record in this area in recent seasons,

I mentioned this mid season in relation to our recruitment and I think it is a telling stat given the timely announcement of the England squad.

If you were an established first team player at another club and were out of contract or a free agent why would you choose to go to Wigan? We have a history of struggling with our project signings with most leaving or struggling to establish themselves.

Even the ones that look to kick on like Taylor want to leave and add to that we have managed in this regimn to turn established England players into lads not capable of selection for a World Cup.

For me it is a cultural problem with the club. This whole Wigan Way thing that Wane bangs on about may work for the lads Wane has brought through the ranks, but it is a culture that doesn't seem to really sit well with lads coming to the club.

I'm not sure I agree that we wouldn't be an attractive proposition for any project style signings due to our record. Yes there's been lads like Hopkins and Navarette but there's also been guys like Escare who was brilliant last year, Willie Isa who is a good player for us right back to guys like Flower, Clubb and Gelling. We can't forget that Bateman came in as nothing more then a promising youngster.

We've had a poor season granted but things can't be too bad around the place when lads like Williams, Lockers, Tom Davies,Escare, Isa etc seem delighted to sign back on and stay at the club. As a player I'd see Wigan as quite an attractive proposition. A side who've been in numerous finals, who develop young players and who aren't afraid to push the boundaries with games like those coming up in Australia.

Our UK based signings are more project signings/development than established, who often don't add enough to the success of the team. Since fielden we've had 2 top signings; Bateman and Taylor. One of which has left, the other wasn't an established first teamer.


I would have taken Moon and Ratchford, in fact I still would. Possibly even Todd Carney (moved from SL to SL) Dobson (moved SL to SL) Albert Kelly, and as I much as I hate to say it, even possibly Myler for Tommy. All of which moved SL to SL.

Lots of the lads you quote are overseas playes not English lads. Flowers form under our current regimn has been very patchy certainly like our team performances declined over the last few years. Bateman, like Faz has had his worst season for us this year, all be it still fairly good in my opinion his performances have declined. Taylor I'm sure had already played for England when we signed him and he didn't hang around too long. Clubb fair play to him and Wane, massive risk to sign him, another international however his career was on the decline and generally for us he has reinvented himself and going reasonable well.

Guys like Sarge, Hampshire leaving under a bit of a cloud with rumours of discontent with our methods, to me it just seems from the outside looking in a tough system for English players to grow in and adapt to.

I know he's a Golborne lad and it really can swing between Wigan and Warrington.

It's the recruitment of rival clubs that makes ours look terrible - Cuthbertson, Parcell, Fifita, Minichello, Fonua, Kelly, Talanoa, Tuimavave, etc. Where are our good signings? That lot would all stroll into our team. We can't have tied up all our money in Wiliams, Tomkins and Lockers, surely?

Hoffman has gone back to the Storm for 1 year so that's one rumour put to bed.

[urlhttp://www.seriousaboutrl.com/hoffman-rejects-super-league-returns-home-10355/[/url

Not disagreeing with your overall point, but I'd class Deacon & Gleeson as 'top signings' as both played big roles in our first season under Madge.

Of all the talk about Cuthbertson at Leeds I actually think Garbutt is more like the player we need. He always seems to do the tough stuff and makes meters with little fuss.

If we stick with our current system of forwards not doing the hard carries then I'm afraid neither of them would be very effective at Wigan!