Looking at next seasons squad, im filled with confidence we will have another very good season. People on here have mentioned 'marquee' signings, but im pretty happy with what we have got now. The only slight worry is that im not sure Burgess is completely ready to start most games. But when you look at the strength in depth we can literally field a second string and probably beat the lower placed clubs.

If rumours are to be true about Clubb, Sarginson :

1. Bowen
2. Charnley
3. Goulding
4. Thornley
5. Burgess
6. Green
7. Smith
8. Flower
9. Micky
10. Taylor
11. Hansen
12. Farrell
13. Lockers

14. Pettybourne
15. Dudson
16. Crosby
17. Hampshire

Second team

1. Tierney
2. Manfedi
3. Hughes
4. Gelling
5. Sarginson
6. Williams
7. S. Powell
8. Hopkins
9. L. Tomkins
10. A Powell
11. Lloyd
12. Clubb
13. Burke

14. Greenwood
15. C. Farrell
16. Lever
17. Gildart

I reckon out of the 34 mentioned, at least 25 of them will all get runs in the first team next season. Hopefully, we'll get it right again.

Nah. Tough one next season www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24419836

Nah. Tough one next season www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24419836

Quote ="Conroy"Nah. Tough one next season www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24419836'" Yep - I don't mind if everyone writes us off again!

Quote ="Conroy"Nah. Tough one next season www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/24419836'" Yep - I don't mind if everyone writes us off again!

Thats a cracking 2nd string. in fact, that team would put up a decent fight against an awful lot of SL outfits.

My only worry is that wing. That's replacing a former MOS and one of the best Wigan players ever with a youngster who's not played 5 first team games.

Maybe we need to sign a winger? If we don't I'm not going to second guess the club though, they've made the right call by putting faith in youth before so I'm sure it would be the right choice.

I'm also worried regarding that wing. I'd imagine at this moment in time if we had a big game next week we'd go with Thornley and Gelling as a wing/centre partnership but I'd like to see us sign a stop gap signing on say a one or two year deal. Carney from Cas would be the my choice as he'd help our forwards with the hard yards when they're struggling. Plus the the young wingers (Burgess,Manfredi) would still get game time as he seems to get banned pretty often.

Burgess has looked great when he's played in the first team and he's absolutely stormed it in the academy. I don't see the point in producing a player like him and not using him when a spot comes up. If I was Burgess and Wigan signed a winger I would leave, I bet most SL clubs would try to sign him as well. When will people start to realise that our success over the last three years has been very largely built on the back of producing and retaining talented players, not making signings every time a top player leaves? If you're good enough, you're old enough, and history has shown we have had far more sucess with home grown players than we have with signings

I'm sure that between Thornley, Gelling, Burgess, Manfredi and Sarginson we can cover ONE wing spot next season. Speaking to Burgess on Sunday he said "I want Pats shirt next season"

As we should all know by now Wane will give them their chance dependant on how they perform in pre-season and their attitude toward training.

That #5 shirt is there for the taking, it'll be very interesting too see who gets it when the squad numbers are released. It'll give us some idea of the desire shown in pre-season.

That's fair enough and I really do hope that he takes the chance with both hands, nails him name to the 5 shirt and goes on to be a top player. Surely you can see why people have reservations though? To ask a 19 year old with only 2 previous games in SL to come in, replace Pat Richards, and form a partnership with a centre who's only had one full season under his belt, and had is own defensive issues, is a massive ask. Like I said I really hope he does, Charnley took his opportunity in 2011 and never looked back, hopefully Burgess can too.

Crooks and Lineham. both rookies. Dream team members.

Ben Jones Bishop and Zak Hardaker in 2011. Bjb bad been on loan to Quins in '10 came back and in '11 he and Hardaker, who was a rookie(and only played a few games at centre) won SL.

I understand what people are trying to put across, but its a overreaction from people. We have options, we wont be destroying anyones confidence as we can protect them by playing another combination of the players. But why would we not put faith in someone who has been tearing it up in the reserves and impressed at first team level.

Let the kids play, you never learn until you are thrown into the fire. Sink or swim, we will find out. If it is sink, we have options. Lets be perfectly honest, I am not scared by any set of wingers in SL. Leeds have the best set, apart from that I think the wingers at top teams are pretty average, bar doggy at Wire.

I do understand people having reservations of course but when you look at the options available I think he's the obvious choice. All the best wingers are either in the NRL or wanting to go to the NRL, Briscoe excluded of course but we did try to sign him. So you're left with either:
A. Signing a 30odd year old who has to call it a day in the NRL - not the best idea in a position requiring speed, plus in 2 years he retires and Burgess has probably signed for St Helens, leaving us in an even worse position
B. Signing a SL player who doesn't play for a top team already and won't get a gig in the NRL/Union - Can't really think of anyone I'd want who fits that bill. Lineham I suppose but he's tied up. Other than that I'd rather have an inexperienced but talented youngster than experienced average SL player.
C. Give Burgess a go! If he's rubbish give Manfredi a go, if he's rubbish we know Gelling at 4 and Thornley at 5 or vice versa will be at least solid as they have already shown in the last two seasons.

Everyone talks about the risks of giving Burgess a go, I'm more interested in the risks of not giving him a go and letting a potential star slip through our grasp. Aside from the WCC there will be months of fairly meaningless games to test out Thornley, Gelling, Burgess and Manfredi to find the best 4 and 5 combo, I'm confident 2 of those 4 will shine through before summer

That's the 1 positive of the top 8 system, cos the regular season means jack nack, you can try out younger lads knowing if they make a hash and we lose it doesn't matter.

all this reminds me of what was being said re centre slot last year.
at the end of the season we have a young lad who now has CC/GF winners medals, he's a CC try-scorer and all that at the end of his first season.
Thornley still has lots to learn, but in the 2 biggest games of the year he did not fail. with the confidence that gives him, that has proved to be another piece of good judgement from wane.
the same goes for wing - burgess and manfredi have a full season to see if either of them can nail down the wing spot. having 2 of them pushing also means no guaranteed slot, so no complacency.
the same will be true with gelling pushing thornley and goulding.

IMHO, it's the internal competition for places that has kept this team so strong. no one has a nailed down jersey. and as the OP shows, this will definitely be the case next year. I would not be embarrassed to see any of that 2nd string in the 1st team.

Burgess or Manfedi probably at this stage. Given an off season and their "form" in that period will no doubt determine who SW gives the 5 shirt.
It wouldn't surprise me either if we didn't have a 5 shirt next year with a season's long contest between Burgess and Manfredi.
Thornley did as well as I expected him to. With only 3 SL outings before last season he was not going to be a like for like replacement for Carmont.
I thought his tackle on Bridge at 6-16 down was crucial in the GF. Wire had been given a penalty and their players wanted to take the two. T Smith decided they run it for an attempt at the 6 points. Richards waited to give Thornley time to cover on Bridge and he did with a tackle that took him into touch on the 2nd play.
That was virtually the last time Wire threatened the Wigan line and it was an excellent tackle that stopped their attack.
I think Thornley will improve again next year and with a new winger with pace outside him will change his game accordingly.
Anyone who is uncertain of our strength in depth should have a look at the Wire squad for last season. Their squad numbers only go to 24 and the lad who would be 26 is named Bennion who, frankly, I've never heard of.
Our 26 is Dom Crosby.

*edited for accuracy!

You might want to check that one again mate

Personally I think we will be, if anything, a stronger team next season. The majority of our team are at an age that will see them better with another years experience. Winning the double will have given them greater confidence. As much as I like Pat Richards I think we have had the best of him and he is going at the right time. It is only his goal kicking ability that we will find hard to replace. Sam is a unique talent but you have to agree that he was not the major force during the latter part of the season that he had been hitherto even though we won the double in that period. Which brings me to Sam's replacement. Matt Bowen has been in wonderful form in the latter part of the season down under. If he can turn it on in the NRL what is he going to be like in our competition. I think he will be a sensation. The last time I looked he was quoted at odds of 33 - 1 for man of steel. I shall be having a flutter on him and if he wins it you can bet we won't be far off repeating the success we have enjoyed this year. Incidentally Lockers is quoted at 25s with the favourite being Roby at 12s. The bookies have no idea. Take their money.

Agreed.

We look very strong in the forwards. Our pack looks the best in the comp - a great mixture of youth and experience, the aggression (hopefully controlled!) of McIlorum, strength in depth and the best player in the comp at LF.

There's been a lot of chatter about Huddersfield learning from this year's experience and being the team to stop next season etc, Wire still being favourites, Saints dangerous etc but Wigan have the team and squad that is going to be the one to beat. If the bookies and pundits write us off again then that's a bonus, but we should be giving the retention of the league and cup a real go next season, we have the team to do it. As I said on another thread, this is a great time to be a Wigan fan (apart from the fact that RL generally is not in good shape in this country...).

As I stated in my first posting to the site I live in enemy territory. I therefore get delivery of the local free rag and from time to time I get to open it. In last weeks edition there was a letter from a Saints supporter who writes with great optimism about their chances next season. In the letter he goes on to say, and I quote -

"We have a stadium to be proud of, and have brought more young talent into the senior squad from our academy system than any other Super League club."

Now I have just been looking at the Wigan Heritage all time list of players and I notice that during the last two years Wigan have given debuts to no less than 25 players, the vast majority being from the academy. Do you think that Saints can remotely match that.

No.

Love the quote - stadium to be proud of - aw, bless, poor little scousers, happy with Trailer Park.

It's fair enough to be optimistic about your chances, but the two 'facts' he quotes are dubious to say the least. IMO, Saints only made it into the mix in 2013 because of the usual situ developing where the top sides take their foot off the gas near the end. That they finished 5th is laughable given how poor they were during the season overall, and at the start Stevo tipping them to win everything - which was based, apparently, on nothing at all - only served to make him look an even bigger fool than uusual.

But if all that has helped create a false sense of invincibility, then it suits me - they'll be in for another torrid time next year, because at present they still look a long way off being the finished article.

Erm...I was referring to NEXT years Challenge Cup, obviously!

Wigan Evening Post is confirming the signings of Clubb and Sarginson today. Further improves the depth. I doubt they will get into the first 17 at the moment, but good to have options.