Who do we want ... and who can we get? : Sat Jan 11, 2025 10:49 am  

The Salford fire-sale has come at completely the wrong time, both for Salford and the rest of the competition with most quotas now filled. But despite that, I've seen a remarkable lack of interest among the Wigan fans, which seems to stem from the belief that no one at Salford could possibly unseat any of our current first team. There is some minor interest around Brierley as a potential back-up man, but opinions on that are mostly divided.

It got me thinking about whether there's anyone currently plying his trade in the UK who might be a decent acquisition. Off the top of my head, and at the risk of sounding arrogant and inviting 'second season syndrome,' I can only think of one: Tom Johnstone. But that's an attitude for the immediate here and now. Being realistic, as we approach the end of this coming season, we'll be losing players (and not necessarily guys who are finished) and so team rebuilding should already be on the club's mind, even if it's not on ours.

The invincible Wigan team of the mid 90s was not the same team that started it all in the late 80s. Careful and selective replacement of supposedly irreplaceable star names (Hanley, Gregory, Lydon etc) created a winning formula that went on for nearly a decade. We have different pressures these days - not least the salary cap - but the same rule holds. No one lasts forever, and new talent must be found.

I guess the questions I'm posing therefore are: Who do we want? And who can we get?

Major hitters in the NRL are nearly always out of reach, but are there some lesser names knocking around down there who could do a job for us? And what of SL? There must be more than one or two players on British soil who would take our fancy?

This probably sounds like a pompous post, a Wigan fan like me naming names as if it would be that easy. But all we're doing is talking.

We'll have to start rebuilding at some point fairly soon. Which realistic targets could do that job for us?

Re: Who do we want ... and who can we get? : Sat Jan 11, 2025 2:51 pm  

Until players move on for whatever reason, I honestly don't have much appetite for Wigan recruiting anyone just now. Its not that there aren't good players knocking around SL and there's clearly a lot in Australia, though the players SL clubs attract now are usually players that very few fans have heard of prior to them signing. But 1) we currently have a squad of proven Super League winners, 2) we wouldn't want to interfere with the connectedness and positive culture that has been created and 3) we have a fantastic group of younger academy players coming through who look excellent candidates to be replacements in the future (Wigan born replacements as well).

Any signing would have to have a hell of an upside and very little risk and even then it might not be enough to outweigh the proven qualities of our current first team at the moment.

If I had to throw a name in there, I think Edwin Ipape's fantastic but how could you consider bringing him in at the moment with what we have at #9.

Re: Who do we want ... and who can we get? : Sat Jan 11, 2025 3:06 pm  

I was wondering where the squad was at in terms of age. This is how old they will be at the end of this season.

field 28
miski 30
keighran 28
wardle 26
marshall 29
french 29
smith 25
havard 24
leeming 30
thompson 30
nsemba 21
farrell 35
ellis 29

forber 22
dupree 25
byrne 26
mago 30

24 walters
21 eckersley
23 oneill
36 isa
21 douglas
19 farrimond
22 hill

Farrell is the one who obviously hasn't got long left but we already have a potential replacement in Walters.

The wingers are approaching 30 so could maybe do with a replacement but I think Douglas and Eckersley will be pencilled in as potential backline replacements, although Eckersley maybe more likely to replace Keighran sooner rather than later.

Then we have Thompson, Mago and Ellis all approaching 30 but we have plenty of young middle forwards too.

The big one will be eventually replacing Field and French but hopefully we are a few years off that and by that time if Farrimond is as good as people expect he will be that might cover for one of them.

All in all I think we are in a good place in terms of succession planning but I'm sure they will be looking for the next big thing. I don't think anyone knew people like French, Field and Wardle would be as good as they have been when we signed them so it's hard to say who is out there who could really improve us.

Re: Who do we want ... and who can we get? : Mon Jan 13, 2025 1:32 pm  

There are loads of players who are pound for pound better players than some of the Wigan players but it's always going to be a case of fitting anybody under the salary cap and the balance Wigan have at the moment is as good as I can remember. We have a great mix of youth and experience and also balance in terms of skillsets and one player offsetting anothers weaknesses and vice versa (French's individual threat alongside Smith's kicking game and organisational skills being one or Havard and Thompson being great athletes and doing long minutes alongside the impact Mago can provide being another example).

Longer term, I think second row is the position we'll need to keep an eye on, with Farrell and Isa coming towards the end, Nsemba always being a chance of wanting to test himself in the NRL and Walters yet to fully prove himself. Thinking about players across the league, there aren't loads of options jumping out. The lack of development of good players across the league these past few years (outside of Wigan and Saints and more latterly Warrington) is pretty startling and is a major reason why the comp is being dominated by Saints and now Wigan. Maybe a play to bring James McDonnell back as a replacement for Isa, in the workhorse mould. I'd also be keeping an eye on how Nicholson settles in Australia and as much as his exit from here was a bit of a kick in the teeth, I wouldn't cut off our nose if he decides to come back to the UK and we need a second rower.