MadDogg wrote:
As I've said before, Owen Farrell coming in would be a commercial signing bordering on vanity. We don't need him and it would be an unnecessary sideshow. I personally feel Kaide Ellis is the best option as a longer term 13 and we have more than enough options at front row to cover his role there.
I’m so glad someone has said this. Because if I said it I’d be accused of being bitter etc.
You’re spot on. It would be a signing that screamed “look at us and how much money we have.” It would make sense commercially and I appreciate how big the story would be because of who he is, his name, his stature in world sport. But from a playing point of view I just don’t get it.
For him to play at 6 it would mean French or Field going and trust me, every opposition fan would rather play you with Farrell at 6 and Field/French at 1 than your current set up.
At 13 he wouldn’t do half the work that the likes of Smithies or Knowles do. He’s not taking 15 carries and doing 35 tackles a game. It just won’t happens.
Centre? You’ve signed Keighran to play alongside Wardle so again it wouldn’t make much sense.
2nd row? Again, he’s not the type to making those types of carries and running lines.
It just doesn’t make any sense from a rugby point of view. I’ve been told by someone at Wigan they’d be amazed if it happened but he doesn’t know for 100% certain. Personally I’d be shocked if it happened but it genuinely wouldn’t concern me from the point of view of playing against you.
The Luke Thompson deal worries me far far more because if you get the 2019 version then it’s the signing of the season by a country mile.