: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:51 am  

oh yeah, just another part of a rant,
its just seems like the club is trying to paper over the cracks, and sign a british player because thats what the rugby world want us to, and a new player because its what the fans want, jsut to try and keep the fans interested. i want a new coach first, i think we got the players to push on, i dont think its the players fault, but the coach is what me need to change

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:52 am  

How anyone can question Gleeson's ability is beyond me.

[Pemps]

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:53 am  

Steinlager wrote:

How anyone can question Gleeson's ability is beyond me.

I agree. As has already been said in this thread, he's one of only a handful of English players who came away from the world cup with any credit.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:57 am  

truewiganer wrote:

oh yeah, just another part of a rant,
its just seems like the club is trying to paper over the cracks, and sign a british player because thats what the rugby world want us to, and a new player because its what the fans want, jsut to try and keep the fans interested. i want a new coach first, i think we got the players to push on, i dont think its the players fault, but the coach is what me need to change

We badly need a right centre and a Prop, we may not be able to sign a Prop of the right quality at the moment, we have no quota space to sign one or any other position for that matter from overseas.

If we sign Gleeson we may very well kill 2 birds with one stone if it means we lose 1 of either Phelps or Smith.

We improve our position in the centres considerably and also open a quota spot should a Prop become available from the NRL mid season, it seems like very good business to me if i am honest.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 8:59 am  

Steinlager wrote:

How anyone can question Gleeson's ability is beyond me.

We are rumored to be signing. As the moment Goulding going in the other direction got mentioned we get the usual hes young player, homegrown.

Goulding is average at best. He will never play for England or GB. Gleeson is a lot better than him. Its the fact that a homegrown player going in the other direcction that is the problem.

Tomkins and Ainscough have shown more in a few games than Goulding has in 2 seasons.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:01 am  

truewiganer wrote:

Gleeson simply is not good enough, whats he done at warrington or for great britain/england recently? worst signing ever! if it comes off

There are so many things wrong with that statement it's unbelievable. To ignore Martin Gleeson's contribution to super league and England is plain stupid.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:03 am  

cadoo wrote:

Gleeson is on 150K

Mathers and Goulding are on around 60K each which I think is the average rugby league wage.

120k plus the 30K we have left over means we can fit him in.

fook off

and to think ppl had a pop at warrington for giving penny an 'improved' contract that's about half of that, and that was him making the dream team and GB squad.

whats goulding done to warrant a contract like that?

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:05 am  

ok, well if we sign him and we are still crap, just remember i told ya so, not the players fault its the coach, we need a new one of those before we can do anything with the players. signing him is just a waste of money, so so not happy with this

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:07 am  

truewiganer wrote:

oh yeah, just another part of a rant,
its just seems like the club is trying to paper over the cracks, and sign a british player because thats what the rugby world want us to, and a new player because its what the fans want, jsut to try and keep the fans interested. i want a new coach first, i think we got the players to push on, i dont think its the players fault, but the coach is what me need to change

I too have reservations about this potential signing, especially if it involves exchanging Goulding. But just to rant on and on about Gleeson not being good enough, being a crap defender, uninterested, etc, is making a case that is simply not borne out by the facts.

You're entitled to your opinion of course, but very few, I'd imagine, who watch the British game regularly will share it. In fact, this notion of "he's not good enough for Wigan" - when you're talking about a regular Great Britain centre, who is only 28, and is still head and shoulders above most other British centres - is painfully representative of an attitude that has bedevilled the Wigan fans and subsequently the entire club for years now. We really need to get out of this state of mind created in the 1990s, wherein nothing less than the best in the world will do for us. That ambition will never be realised in the age of the salary cap.

To fit a player of Martin Gleeson's calibre (and presumably, cost) into what's already a healthy-sized SL squad, would be a remarkable feat of manoueviring by the club's bosses.

That said, I reiterate that I'd consider losing Goulding permanently a steep price to pay (though not necessarily TOO steep - some of us have clearly been lulled into believing that signing 'young British' is more important than signing 'quality').

As for the bit about the coach, I don't think you'll get too many arguments about that. But buying in a new international centre - when we've currently only got one real centre at the club - is not likely to prevent us replacing Noble when the time arrives.

: Tue Mar 31, 2009 9:09 am  

i honestly think it is, lenegan aint gonna get rid of his best mate, this just smacks of desperation, i really dont think a Centre is what we need, we have gone for the most expensive name we could go for just to divert attention somewhere else, its just not a good signing at all