Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:30 pm  

Agree with DaveO, though. Lockers at 6 certainly hasn't worked and Mellor should have been given a chance to show what he was capable of. As has been previously said, not having a proper 7 had a massive impact on the whole structure of the team as both Finch and Lockers had to play out of position. Finch probably had his least effective game on Saturday since his first few games last season - not his fault as he was being played out of position against a fired up defence, unlike Wakefield the previous week.

Bringing in Matty Smith early confirms there was a problem with not having a proper 7 and all the ensuing positional changes - just a shame this may have contibuted to a defeat in the CC semi-final.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Wed Jul 18, 2012 7:00 am  

Well we are grateful that Mellor is deemed not to be "good enough" for you, no doubt that message helped him make his mind up about signing for us.

I think he is a very decent player who has got better and better in the time he has been with us and still has some development left in him.

I can certainly see him getting at least to Smith's level with more experience. SW clearly doesn't think so or wasn't prepared to wait, so it will be interesting to see what happens.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:44 am  

DaveO wrote:

And if that was the reason how stupid was that. Matty Smith was recalled by Saints in 2010 when he was Salford bound the next season when they lost their scrum half. He helped get them to a grand final. Mellor has been developed by Wigan so at least in part owes any future career in the game down to the training he has had here so there would have been absolutely nothing wrong with recalling him for the semi-final and expecting him to do a job. Neither he nor Widnes could have had any complaint especially as they didn't even have a game on the weekend. Wane needs to learn if you lose your scrum half and have one on loan elsewhere in SL it might be a good idea to recall the player. The fact he might leave the club at the end of the season shouldn't come into it.

Maybe recalling Mellor would push us over the SC having signed Matty Smith for the remaining games this season?

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Wed Jul 18, 2012 10:45 am  

jaws1 wrote:

Maybe recalling Mellor would push us over the SC having signed Matty Smith for the remaining games this season?

Surely not! We lost Roberts early in the season who I understand was on a good wedge and we didn't really replace Joel? It might be that but I just can't see it.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:03 am  

how much cap space did it take to keep sam though?

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:05 pm  

When Tommy was injured it was decided to move Finch to 7, Lockers to 6 and either Tuson or Farrell to 13.
Three positional changes for one injured player.
It plainly hasn't worked.
Mellor could have returned the day after the seriousness of TL's injury was known and played in the Widnes, Bradford, Wakefield and Leeds games.
If it is thought that Mellor isn't good enough it would still have allowed Finch and Lockers to remain their true positions. That being the case we would not have looked as disjointed as we have done in those games.
Mellor could by now have been back at Widnes with Smith training for the London game.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:13 pm  

Agree totally with FT! Too may positional changes caused by this when a simple slot into 7 by a recognised scrum half would have been the best option. 2 losses in 4 games surely confirms this.

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:13 pm  

Bigredwarrior wrote:

Surely not! We lost Roberts early in the season who I understand was on a good wedge and we didn't really replace Joel? It might be that but I just can't see it.

Roberts left 5 weeks ago so his money would count and any money to pay of his contract .Thornley signed and Smith ,Joel's wages went on Sam to keep him here.

[DaveO]

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:58 pm  

jaws1 wrote:

Roberts left 5 weeks ago so his money would count and any money to pay of his contract .Thornley signed and Smith ,Joel's wages went on Sam to keep him here.

It doesn't work like that. Roberts retired due to injury and so his "salary cap value" is scrubbed from the clubs books.

You also don't know what the RFL have decided is Sam's "salary cap value". The salary cap value of a player can be more or less than he actually earns. Things like prize money and international appearance bonus do not count. We don't know the financial side of the deal that kept him here but it sounds like a big pay day and so it mustn't all be on the cap or we couldn't afford a team never mind afford to recall a junior player

In any case even if the reason we could not recall Mellor was because taking Smith early meant this would push us over the cap, why would the club be daft enough to do that when Smith couldn't play in the cup and we didn't need him for the league games? Much better to have finch at 6 and Lockers at 13 in the cup than Smith playing at 9 in a league game!

I don't think its a salary cap issue at all. Rather in my opinion it is right out of same sort of thinking Wane showed us when he said we don't prevent players on loan at other clubs playing against us. Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest that he adopted some sort of warped stance that if we aren't going to keep him we aren't going to recall him to play him. Or because we wouldn't play him at Wembley had we won the semi with his help. If I am right he needs to learn his lesson he can't afford this way of working.

[Wigan6/Leeds1 Andy]

Re: Rumours and signings v8 : Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:02 pm  

jaws1 wrote:

Roberts left 5 weeks ago so his money would count and any money to pay of his contract .Thornley signed and Smith ,Joel's wages went on Sam to keep him here.

All of Roberts salary for the year comes off the cap when he left. Given injury was the reason for leaving there shouldn't be a pay-off as insurance should take care of Roberts situation.