Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:30 am  

Good read and some big decisions to be made, particularly at Leeds. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... _1_3438107

Good read and some big decisions to be made, particularly at Leeds. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... _1_3438107

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 11:49 am  

Catalancs wrote: Good read and some big decisions to be made, particularly at Leeds. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... _1_3438107 9 players over 30? Ouch.

Catalancs wrote: Good read and some big decisions to be made, particularly at Leeds. http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/s ... _1_3438107 9 players over 30? Ouch.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:14 pm  

Mr.Side wrote:

9 players over 30? Ouch.

That may go some way to explaining their increased lack of competitiveness over the last couple of seasons.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:17 pm  

Cruncher wrote:

That may go some way to explaining their increased lack of competitiveness over the last couple of seasons.

You lot are 7 come season end(that maybe 6 with Gleeson gone)

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:39 pm  

LovesToSpooge wrote:

http://www.runcornandwidnesweeklynews.co.uk/widnes-vikings/widnes-vikings-news/2011/06/02/widnes-vikings-sporting-director-paul-cullen-going-down-under-on-super-league-recruitment-drive-55368-28802380/

Cullen has also hinted that he will make moves to sign dual-registration trio Joe Mellor, Logan Tomkins and Dom Crosby on a permanent basis.
He said: “The three young lads from Wigan have been a revelation since they came in and we would love to have them here full-time.
“But Wigan are yet to name their coach for next season so we have to respect that for the time being.”

I'm guessing he means on loan for the whole 2012 season. I wouldn't want to see any of those three leave Wigan on a permanent never to return basis.

Ahahaha! No chance.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:51 pm  

sgtwilko wrote:

You lot are 7 come season end(that maybe 6 with Gleeson gone)

of that 6 3 are retiring and 1's future at the club is in doubt (and does not get a game in the first team because a 19 year old is keeping him out)

its not going to be that much of a problem. deacon will more than likely be replaced from within by Joe Mellor. Coley may well be replaced from within by either Crosby or Davies. should Carmont retire he will be replaced from outside the club. and if Roberts were to leave i am not convinced we would see a direct replacement, just his cap space spent elsewhere.

Hardly a massive job for the club to manage i would argue.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:52 pm  

sgtwilko wrote:

You lot are 7 come season end(that maybe 6 with Gleeson gone)

Your correct, we'll have six players who are thirty or above before the season ends. But one doesn't turn thirty until midway through this season, Finch.

With Coley, Deacon and Carmont all more than likely retiring at the end of this year.

We'll have four players aged 30 or over for the 2012 season. Fielden 32, Richards 30, Finch 30, and Roberts 31.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 12:57 pm  

LovesToSpooge wrote:

Your correct, we'll have six players who are thirty or above before the season ends. But one doesn't turn thirty until midway through this season, Finch.

With Coley, Deacon and Carmont all more than likely retiring at the end of this year.

We'll have four players aged 30 or over for the 2012 season. Fielden 32, Richards 30, Finch 30, and Roberts 31.

Of those four, Roberts is not being used and his contract will be allowed to expire, while Richards is running around like a spring-chicken. The only concerns I'd have is over Fielden - how will he recover from his injury? - and Finchy, who is still not firing on all cylinders, though he's firing on more than he was.

Wigan have no worries at all regarding the age of their squad.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:23 pm  

Cruncher wrote:

Of those four, Roberts is not being used and his contract will be allowed to expire, while Richards is running around like a spring-chicken. The only concerns I'd have is over Fielden - how will he recover from his injury? - and Finchy, who is still not firing on all cylinders, though he's firing on more than he was.

Wigan have no worries at all regarding the age of their squad.

Agreed, I think Roberts is done for. I just don't see him reclaiming a spot in the 17. If we could offload him during the off-season great. If not like you say, he'll have to wait his contract out. Which will be shame, but may well work in Wigans favor if it encourages him to want to leave.

To be fair to Fielden, I don't remember him missing many game for us during his time at Wigan. Whether times now court up with him, as it eventually does with all players, remains to be seen. But he has had a very hard career, playing a lot of games and hell of lot of minutes for a prop, particularly in his early days at Bradford.

I really am astounded by Pat's recovery. A lot of us were wondering whether he'd ever fully recover from that injury, having seen what it had done to so many other players. But credit to Pat and the Wigan medical team. He's playing as well as he ever has, and that was pretty much from his first game back.

Putting a side Finch's ever improving form. His actual fitness and health appears very good. Yes he had trouble with that neck injury, but I believe that was the only major injury he's suffered in his career to date. The fact that he was able to out pace Briggs in the CC over 60 meters really surprised me, and defensively apart from odd lapse in certain games he's looked safe as houses.

Madge and Wane may get most of the plaudits. But credit where credit's due. Mark Bitcon alongside Madge and Lenegan has been one of the best things to happen to Wigan in a long time. I don't know what Mark's contract status is, but I really hope he won't be joining Madge at South Sydney in 2012.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:30 pm  

LovesToSpooge wrote:

Agreed, I think Roberts is done for. I just don't see him reclaiming a spot in the 17. If we could offload him during the off-season great. If not like you say, he'll have to wait his contract out. Which will be shame, but may well work in Wigans favor if it encourages him to want to leave.

To be fair to Fielden, I don't remember him missing many game for us during his time at Wigan. Whether times now court up with him, as it eventually does with all players, remains to be seen. But he has had a very hard career, playing a lot of games and hell of lot of minutes for a prop, particularly in his early days at Bradford.

I really am astounded by Pat's recovery. A lot of us were wondering whether he'd ever fully recover from that injury, having seen what it had done to so many other players. But credit to Pat and the Wigan medical team. He's playing as well as he ever has, and that was pretty much from his first game back.

Putting a side Finch's ever improving form. His actual fitness and health appears very good. Yes he had trouble with that neck injury, but I believe that was the only major injury he's suffered in his career to date. The fact that he was able to out pace Briggs in the CC over 60 meters really surprised me, and defensively apart from odd lapse in certain games he's looked safe as houses.

Madge and Wane may get most of the plaudits. But credit where credit's due. Mark Bitcon alongside Madge and Lenegan has been one of the best things to happen to Wigan in a long time. I don't know what Mark's contract status is, but I really hope he won't be joining Madge at South Sydney in 2012.

Good post, all of which I agree with.

Roberts may have been awesome in 10-12 games of his Wigan career but no matter how awesome he was, the fact that he's been average at best for the rest of his time here isn't acceptable if you want to be a long term Wigan 1st teamer.

And FWIW, I have a hunch Fielden will have a terrific twilight to his career.