Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:01 pm  

Every time you take a DR player, your value as a club deminishes, it really is that simple

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:12 pm  

Transfer fee? Didn't he recently sign a new long term contract at Leigh.

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:18 pm  

I've also heard Saints and Warrington are after him.

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:19 pm  

charlie caroli wrote:

Jenky , our squad is low on numbers at the moment , if we didn't have the Wigan players on DR who from our squad would you have replace them?Our reserves are coming on a treat , but nowhere near ready for fitst team duties yet.
As for the partnership being one sided , I disagree , we are benefitting from having lads in out first team,who have a great future in the game , ie ,Scott Taylor , Tom Spencer ,and hopefully a couple of the younger lads , I would love to see George Williams ,and Rocky Hampshire given a go at Leigh .

Lets face it would we feel the same if it was Wire or Saints we were in partnership with?Wigan have THE best prospects in the Country playing for them , just look at their reserves results for proof of this .

But low on numbers due to injuries is part of the game.
In all my time watching Leigh we have never been top heavy on players (indeed Rowley arrived on the scene as a player when we had similar problems) but what we have always done is promote from within.
I'd agree the RFL have made it hard for Championship clubs to remain as a stand alone club but I would really love to know how Sheffield can do it yet Leigh need Wigan to put a team out when we get injuries.
if I'm being honest I'd actually argue that we don't need Wigan in all reality and we are using Wigan as a very easy option, what would we do without DR ?
The other thing is how many players are we really short at the moment and are we saying we have no players who can be moved around (part of a coaches job is getting players to sometimes play out of position to get the team a result), Brierley was a bench player recently now he is seen as first choice as he's injured ?
I'm not knocking Rowley for going for DR as any coach would take a easy option when at the end of the day its a full time job for him and failure means no job but surely our club should be better than all of this.
As a fan I don't really want to watch random players from another club thrown at us who are here to get matchfit for the club that pays them (no doubt giving 100%) but are now creating a problem - how many players have Leigh been in for since the partnership was signed, are we actively looking for players, when was the last time we was linked with a player in the Championship or a promising amateur ?.
The bottom line mate is that Starbugs one liner above is right and that's what worries me when we are barely scraping 1,500 fans week in week out.

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:31 pm  

Well the lad has my utmost respect and if he goes to Wigan he has my best wishes. Which young lad wouldn't want to be signed by arguably one the biggest and best clubs in world Rugby League. He deserves his chance on the big stage so lets all wish him well. It doesn't bother me one bit that he has gone to Wigan. Good luck lad.

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:36 pm  

TV BOY wrote:

Well the lad has my utmost respect and if he goes to Wigan he has my best wishes. Which young lad wouldn't want to be signed by arguably one the biggest and best clubs in world Rugby League. He deserves his chance on the big stage so lets all wish him well. It doesn't bother me one bit that he has gone to Wigan. Good luck lad.

Given the current situation at Wigan, I wouldnt want to go there, the number of outstanding juniors they have would make it very difficult to get game time IMO, I'd be looking at the Saints and Warrington packs, both have ageing players in them ripe to be replaced

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:40 pm  

Fair call that Starbug. Saints are crying out for a pack, and are releasing Perry and more than likely Hohaia which frees up money. Warrington might have to win it this year as I think the next few years might be a rebuilding that Wigan have gone through & Saints, Bradford, Hull are all in the middle of.

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:55 pm  

If, as is normally the case, Hoppy has an exit clause in the contract it then becomes to where he feels he wants to go. imo Wigan is the right move as I don't see a 13 emerging to replace o'loughlin
Maybe we will be strong enough to not have exit clauses and have enough fans to increase our squad so that we don't need DR's, one day. That day wont be with 1500 or less fans though, so lets see out this year and hopefully increase fans for next year to give options.

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 4:59 pm  

mr. chairman wrote:

Was having a chat with Sam before the keighly game , got the feeling something was on his mind . Sam is 24 years old I suppose its make or break time for him . He as served Leigh well . I predicted he would go far to millward . Good luck Sam if its true . Nice man , nice family , lot like Chris hill

Hoppy is still only 22 at the moment Keith

Re: Hopkins to Wigan? : Tue Jun 11, 2013 6:02 pm  

Charlie why don't you just don a Wiggin shirt. You are so in love with them. I can't believe people are so in love with Wiggin about this partnership and about our only decent player joining them. He will be playing at the WSV again but he will be playing for Wiggin when they take the WSV over!!!