There is a middle ground.

Rogues, your post suggests that there will be another overseas player coming in, are you aware of any future signing?

I hope there's nothing in the Lam rumour.
Be very surprised if the club brings Lam back to Wigan.
Hope it doesn't happen!

I was told about the Hamlin signing last week but haven't heard of any others.

Wigan Today website is reporting FPN is heading back home. If true I'd imagine that gives us a bit of cap space to play with.

Do they mean for a holiday or for good?

If FPN is going it should give us some cap space to start to fill some very large holes in quality that we don't have compared to our rivals.

We're missing three types of player that I'd say our major rivals have at least two of (some all three)

1. A half with an excellent long and short kicking game.

2. A multi-dimensional dummy half (i.e. good at running, passing and creating)

3. A tough, yard eating, hard-working prop. (some have more than one - we have none)

Over time we have to fill these three holes.

If true, I'd go with the props we have got rather than replacing him, use the cap space on a scrum half with a bit of creativity and a kicking game

. Not saying I'm particularly happy with our props, but a halfback is surely our number 1 priority.

I would have thought that the first priority would be a player of first team quality who can kick goals. Many fans bemoan our attack, yet we were second in the Superleague for tries scored. George and Tommy both have decent short kicking games. Escare really surprised me with his long kicking game, it's a pity we never got the chance to see Escare #1, Sam Tomkins #6 and Williams#7 that may have helped, but I don't think it solves the goalkicking issue.

I guess what I'm saying is that we just can't sign a goalkicker like Jamie Foster if they aren't good enough to be in the first team on merit.

Totally agree. That would be a massive error.

I agree with most of the stipulations made in these last few posts. But if the club is thinking this way too, then unfortunately it may be a while before we can secure someone who fulfills these criteria.

When we were at the start of our injury crisis Early season we suffered quite a lot of problems in the backs 3/4qtrs.
Whilst undoubtedly an issue at the time the big problem for me was the loss of Clubb & Flower (And to a lesser extent Bretherton) for 3/4 months and the rest of the season respectively.
We had lost 2 props end of the previous year in Crosby & Mossop with around 45 appearances between them and I think the emergence of Bretherton & the Navarette signing were intended to fill that gap and possibly due to salary cap issues I could see the reasoning along with the potential to use Lockers there.

However

Losing Clubb & Flower (in particular) left us very lightweight and we ran basically with 3 props in FPN/Sutton & TT for around 4/5 months until Clubbs return. Even though I haven't been massively impressed with FPN I have always defended him based on his game time this season, TT has been disappointing compared to 2016 however Sutton for me has been fantastic for a 21 year old and 30+ games this year to supplement an almost ever present 2016 (Missed 1 game I think?) is a fantastic return but also a Worry.

We didn't replace those 45 games Mossop & Crosby played & we lost 30+ games from Flower & Clubb and to me that is the Cornerstone of our issue this year (Not saying the scrum half issue isn't a problem, I just think it's been magnified by our lack of Game time/options etc. up front).

Now to say if FPN goes we would be ok without replacing him is way off the mark to me - Yes we will have Flower back - But that would only replace FPN to a front row we already acknowledge is short of bodies, Yes touch wood we will have Clubb for the whole season but that would still only leave us with 4 x front line props plus Bretherton.
I think we need at least 1 more Battle hardened 30 game a season Prop to supplement these 5 (And use Lockers/Hamlin as a prop sparingly) to share the workload far better than we've been able to this year.

With the return of Escare, the possibility of using Sam T at 1 or 6 - The return of Shorrocks Hopefully & the emergence of Ganson it leaves us with enough options at FB x2 (ST & Escare - Poss even Davies if needed?) - Halfback x 5 (GW,ST,SP,TL & JS - Poss even Woods) & Hooker x 5 (MM,SP,TL,JG,& Shorrocks).

I just don't think 5 props would be enough

If I were Tom Davies/Liam Marshall I'd be kicking and kicking and kicking again all through the off season, try your best to get yourself over 80%, when (hopefully) Manfredi comes back, winger is going to be a very crowded area.
Make yourself undroppable.

I think recruitment all hinges on what the club decide to do in the halves next year.

If we go with Tomkins at FB and TL & GW in the halves then we could look to strengthen the pack.

If we are looking to move Tomkins to the Halves or recruit a half back then either TL, SP or MM need to move on and we need cover for FB/Wing.

For me I think we should be looking at a big second row forward rather than a prop. We have Flower, Clubb, TT and Sutton with Hamlin and Bretherton backing up, I'd expect JT to continue to play in the middle rotating with SOL leaving us light in the SR. A Ben Murdock Masilla (sp?) type player to provide size and impact off the bench would suit me.

Do you not see J.Tomkins moving into the prop role? Assuming Bretherton and Navarette have gone, that would make 6 (J.Tomkins, Flower, Clubb, Tautai, Sutton, Hamlin), with 5 of those having plenty SL experience. Isa also an option there if needed (i.e if we had 3 missing), with Wells or Field coming into the back row. I think that's reasonable depth/experience, though whether they perform is obviously another question, you can say that across the board though.

In the halves, agreed we have options, and my preference would be giving S.Tomkins a run there if we can't sign anyone good enough. It's a big ask for him to re-invent himself as a controlling 7 though, and who knows whether any of the others are ready. I just think it's such an important position to have uncertainty over, like an NFL team going into a season not knowing whether they have a good quarterback.

Absolutely!

To be honest I do see that argument however I'm not sure we'd get 30 games out of Joel (And that's a different Argument) plus I kind of see Joel & Wells still being needed to add Size to a Small 2nd row of Faz/Bateman/ISA
Now I do get it that Hamlin comes in but at his Age I would see him being more of a back up, learning from Lockers?

All in all for the 8 Forwards we play each week (4 props 3 2nd row & a LF - I'm not counting Hookers) We have 9 Players plus Wells/Field & Hamlin (Only leaving them out as they're Untested I guess)?
I'm not sure that's enough and I'd rather see an extra Natural Prop with the make-up props (JT/ISA & Poss Wells/Field/Hamlin) used as sparingly there as possible.

In writing this I do acknowledge that those 5 or so players such as JT/Hamlin/ISA/Field etc. do give us good options and it "May" work out ok, I just would be more comfortable with an Extra Big Guy with 30 games and 50mins each week (I'd love an Andy Coley type signing) and I think this would give the platform our backs/Halves need more consistently.

PS
If moved to half back I see Sam Playing Right with George Left not as Scrum Half or Stand off's in the main.

I am with you on this. We need at least 2 new props over and above Hamlin. I believe Bretherton has gone and FPN is going therefore, we must recruit 2 big experienced units if we are to see any improvement.

No plans to sign a goal kicker according to Wane in the WEP.

No, apparently the winner of the crossbar challenge will kick goals next season

Danny Brough one year deal

rumour or suggestion?

good shout!

No thanks, goes missing in big games and is a penalty machine. We need someone for longer term not a short term fix.

This!! Our fans already complain about penalties, petulance and dissent, it would be off the scale if Brought was added too!

Just looking at Bradford Bulls Twitter account and Geoff Toovey has not made a decision about next season. They say he and the club will come to a decision in November. Might be a good option for assistant coach at Wigan?