I remember reading an article a few years back interviewing Dean Bell in which the policy at the club was to focus on home grown talent. I don’t think having all Wigan grown talent in the team is realistic but certainly British talent could be the way forward. Imagine 1-17 british players? or even with three overseas players. Brian Foley must be gutted seeing all his hard work and youth development slip away from the club; we don’t need reminding how many former Wigan players are gracing SL today, just look at Huddersfield Giants. The impact during the game on Saturday from some of the youngsters could be seen by all.

Which youngsters should we have kept?

I appreciate the sentiment, but isn't this crying over spilled milk?

The people who released all those youngsters have now left. Noble has been criticised for not promoting youth sufficiently - rightly most of the time - but things seem to have changed recently. All of a sudden there is an entire 'accelerate squad' lining up for first team opportunities, several of whom have at least equal promise, if not more, to the likes of Aspinwall, Briscoe, Robinson, etc.

Personally, I feel we should dwell on the positives, of which there are several this week, rather than agonise over things that happened a couple of years ago.

We should have kept hold of Sean Long, Briscoe, Wild, Robinson, Brown, McDermott, Bobbie Goulding, Aspinwall, Danny Ellison, Ricky Bibey, Paul Johnson, Lee Gilmour, Phil Jones, Simon Houghton, Dave Allen, Mark Smith, Neil Budworth, Chris Melling, John Clarke.

Anymore I've missed?

Aspinwall, Briscoe, Robinson, Wild..........

Apinwall - decent player but nothing special
Briscoe - Was never going to get a game while Radlinski was fit, so moved on.
Robinson - Personal issues
Wild - Probably should have kept.

1 out of 4

I can see it Now!

That Robinson/Long is stopping Tomkins Progressing!
That Aspinwall is crap he's stopping Goulding/Ainscough coming through!
Why we perservering with Budworth/Clarke he'll never be as good as McCollorum and he can't get a game!
Haughton/Johnson/Gilmour are all stopping J Tomkins/Hansen/Mossop etc coming through!

Give it a rest will You (Not You Mini the ones who keep startin these threads!) it's getting boring!

Wigan produce 5-10 Youngsters every Couple of years that are of SL Standard.
They Can't keep them all, Some go on to other clubs and do better some go on and you never hear of them again.
The club will make some mistakes and others they will get right!

If other clubs Like Saints (Sorry to pick on them again but they are the ones we have rammed down our throats every day as a good example) produced half as many players as Wigan did then they would have exactly the same problem and doubtless would make as many mistakes as we are perceived (And that isn't neccessarily the truth!) to have made!

I remember seeing a couple of years ago a table that showed number sof players produced for SL split into Service areas I think???

Wigan prodcued more SL players than anywhere else, we are going to have to make more decisions than most other clubs - I bet they wish they had the chance to make them instead of relying on Wigan's cast offs!

Well said.

Seconded. These threads are like groundhog day at the moment and prove or dis-prove absolutely nothing. We've got a squad now of close to 25 experienced SL players and people are bemoaning the loss of Martin Aspinwall? Move on.

Oh a different note young winger Andrew Thornley, who was in our reserves last season, is expected to debut for Salford at St Helens on Friday.

I'd watch your back after saying that.

And, if people have to do this, can they leave Sean Long out of it? That was so long ago it's utterly irrelevant. Even if we'd kept hold of him back then, he'd still likely have moved on by now. Same with Haughton.

We had the best of Haughton and he didn't play Rugby League at a decent level after that injury he sustained at Valley parade.

He joined Orrell RU and played on the wing. He played at Oldham too.

In fact, anybody know what he's upto these days?

Agreed. It's ridiculous to include the likes of Long and Gilmour - Wigan were top of the tree in those days, and well endowed in near enough every position. Whereas Haughton was a regular first-teamer and GB player, but seemed to run out of steam for no apparent reason. He had more than enough chances, but diminished as a force with spectacular and bewildering speed. If he'd kept it up, Wigan would never have released him.

We're really only talking about the likes of Aspinwall, Brown, Robinson, Briscoe, etc. And as has been said repeatedly, it's entirely a matter of opinion whether that lot would add anything to our team now. Most fans feel they wouldn't.

If you watched the Huddersfield vs Hull game the other week...there isnt a single former Wigan player i'd have back. Not a one. Really.

Brown & Robinson for Tommy & Tomkins? No chance
Tickle/Wild for Hock/Hansen/Tomkins? Nope
Calderwood/Aspinwall/Hodgson/Briscoe for Pat/Amos/Ainscough/Carmont? Never

I'm very happy with what we have right now and these youngster would never have made us a force in SuperLeague so good luck to them in their respective teams and thankyou to them for their loyal service.

I'd take Brown over Goulding and Tickle over Hansen.

I was being sarcastic about all my inclusions, I'm happy with what we have now and which youngsters we are bringing in. Long term IMO they will be better than the ones we have let go.

In hindsight Briscoe at Wigan, Phelps int bin apart from that im not sure any of the others would be worth it. Tickle is 50/50 i suppose and im not bothered about Hargreaves either.

People mention Tickle but he doesn't deserve to come any where near the Wigan shirt again after his attitude and performances in 2006 (Both on and off field!).

Exactly, and to be honest I wouldn't have him ahead of Hock, Hansen or Joel Tomkins.

This topic rears it's head over and over again. The same answear comes back everytime from the majority which is there are very few players we've released in the last 6-8 years we'd have back in the squad. It's spot on.

Briscoe would probably the only player guarenteed a spot in our 17. The other 2 you could argue for are Brown and Tickle but it's a matter of opinion on those 2 and not everyone would want them.

I would have Prescott and O'Carroll over Hargreaves anyday.

Of 3 props of all a similar age I think we retained the best ones.

I don't think we should be too concerned with the players that we have released in the past.It is more important that the club retains and continues to develop the current crop of Wigan youngsters.

Already we have seen the impact that Sam Tomkins and Shaun Ainscough have made.Hopefully the likes of Ben Davies,Liam Farrell,Lee Mossop and Josh Veivers can push on and also challenge for first team opportunities in the near future.

If most of those players that have left had left any other club than Wigan, nobody would bat an eye lid.

Its funny how Wigan get slated for doing it yet Leeds allow Raynor, Carvell and Dowes to slip through there fingers pretty much all superior players to lads we have allowed to leave and it hardly gets a mention.

If you invest in youth and have a good youth system in place it will always happen. It is impossible to retain all your young talent if you aim to be a successfull team, if you do retain them you will forever be in a period of transition.