Both irreplaceable, but for me Briers is a giant loss for Wire.

The ball has gone through his hands for the best part of 15 years. I've got absolutely no fear of Myler and Ratchford.
And to just compare the pivots

Bowen, Smith, Green, Mcilorum, O'Loughlin

Russell, Ratchford, Myler, Higham, Harrison


I'll take ours anyday

The news today was like an early Xmas present.

Loving the fact that

1-he never managed to win the league
2-he never signed for a big club
3-he never gained any sort of international recognition
4-his last game was a heartbreaking defeat to us in the Grand Final. To send him packing off the back of a defeat makes it soooooo much sweeter.

Good riddance

Nice guy Sgt Pep, the answer is Tomkins btw, as much as I'll miss him there has been a transitional period without many other fans noticing. Ratchford and Myler actually have a very good understanding of each other. Briers has missed a fair few games last couple of seasons and we've still done well.
Your record without Tomkins is worrying, isn't it something like 80% loss rate without?

I'm not sure it's that high, but you're right it isn't great!

I'm sure wires record without Briers in the past 6 or 7 seasons isn't great either

Your right it wasn't but we learned how to win without him, something you guys now have to adapt.

Cry baby Briers is a massive loss for Wire, Tomkins is a massive loss for English rugby League...

In my opinion, Tomkins isn't even OUR biggest loss. Pat is! 11 points per game is tough to replace.

Saints are plenty big

Btw it's not like I wasn't reporting facts is it.

No league medals, no GB caps and his last game was a defeat to a double winning Wigan side.

Sending him out on a big fat L is almost as good as when we did it to KFC.

Very good point.

Tomkins is clearly a significant loss but I suspect that Matty Bowen may well surprise a few next season and could well be the perfect replacement next season (don't be surprised if Wigan extend his contract).

However we still have no replacement for Pat Richards in relation to his record with the boot.

Excellent point.

Briers didn't have quite the same influence for Wire last year anyway so I don't think he'll be quite the loss he would have been a year or two back. His experience will be a loss though and to lose so much in one go must be a worry when you consider Hodgson and Morley have gone through the door as well.

Overall though Tomkins is the bigger loss. He was the catalyst for our rebirth as a trophy winning side imo and whilst we wouldn't have got to where we have without Ian Lenagan, Mike Maguire or Shaun Wane, none of those would have had the success without Tomkins IMO.

Shaun Wane will be coaching a Wigan side next year without Sam Tomkins in it for pretty much the first time in his whole Wigan career. He's had Sam in his sides from u18's to u21's right through to the first team and they've been fantastic for each other. It's going to be a real test for Wane but one I'm sure he'll pass.

You say it as if we haven't replaced him. We have Matty Bowen now and Dan Sarginson who can do a job at Full-Back. We're not going to be using Hampshire/Tierney as starting fullbacks next season so theres no problem.

You say that like they're all as good as Tomkins

Well he's in good company with British Lance Todd trophy winning Stand offs

Lee Briers
Leon Pryce
Kevin Sinfield
Tommy Martyn
David Topliss


I'm suprised you lads dont have a stand off of that ilk.....you know what with all them finals you reached you would have thought a good local stand off from st pats or somewhere would have snapped up one or two Lance Todds.....??

Enjoy it now because time will come back and bite you in the backside.

some people have NO class at all...none. Anybody who gets any sort of pleasure out of the misfortune of others is the bottom of the barrel.....mate you are rock bottom. ugly. Still your happy..so I guess someone won't get beaten up tonight or worst....so that's something I guess.

By the way.
You need to see a therapist as you seem to have a big problem with anger management.

What a end!

One is a born winner the other happened to be in a side that won a few trophies. Stains are the real winners here, its a good job they are rubbish or I'd be worried they might win something......=#FF0000cut out the offensive posts please. Pemps.

If Bowen continues where he left off last season, Bowen is better.

So you're sticking up for player who's last ever words on a rugby pitch were " ref you're a f***ing joke" . Ugly yes.

Your comments on here, on the Wire Site, and was word you couldn't spell really do sum you up.
Let's face it, both are tremendous players and both will be missed by their respectives sides. One point about Briers though, he hasn't actually played that many games in the past two seasons, so we have been learning to play wiothout them.
RL in this country needs every personality it can get. Both will be a big loss to the game in this country and anyone who thinks otherwise, whether Wire or Wigan, is completely deluded.

So you think HH did a hatchet job on Ratchford and your having a go at me? Get real

Both players will be a big loss to the British game. I think Wire fans are naively playing down the importance of Briers to them. Certainly as far as games against us go, he has always been the key man for them.

We have shown we can handle big personnel changes whilst maintaining the club culture and style of play. Big challenge now for the Wolfs.