Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:03 pm  

post wrote:

We need to tie Mossop up unto a long deal maybe 4 or 5 years that's a priority, in 5 years he will be the best prop in Superleague (if he stays over here ), bold statement I know and you can quote me on it.

At the end of this season there is a chance we could lose Fielden, Feka, Carmont, Coley, Bailey and Deacon, we can't lose all that experience. We need to be very smart and keep a few of them at least.
I would let Fielden go and bring in Bailey/Cross and keep Coley, I know Fielden has been playing well this season but I would still get rid.

Yeah we need Mossop tied down big time. He's already ripping it up and will only get better as he gets older.

I agree with everything but i'd try and keep Fielden and let Feka go although it would be a shame. Out of the Six you mention i'd only keep Coley and Fielden that would be enough experience imo with the addition of a Prop from the NRL.

If we brought in say Bailey/Cross and Shenton plus others as i think we'd have spare cap space, we could have a team/squad looking like this :

Phelps
Richards
Shenton
Gleeson
Roberts
S Tomkins
Leuluai
Bailey/Cross
Riddell
Fielden
Hansen
J Tomkins
Lockers

Coley
Mossop
Prescott
McLlorum

Ainscough
Goulding
B Davies
O'Carroll
L Farrell
Tuson

Plus the rest of our youngsters who are getting close to the first team and Hock mid season.

Looks pretty good to me

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:31 pm  

I think our squad next year will be the biggest in the league, we have so many young players who won't be taking up much space on the cap and the big earners coming off, I think it could be a possibilty of getting Shenton plus 2 marque props from the NRL. With getting 2 marque props we would lose one of either Fielden and Feka, Deacon and Pryce. I would try and keep Carmont because regardless of his age he is still a quality centre. Would be good competiton for places. And maybe even Bailey, he is a steady eddy player and he would be good to have around the squad, I would offer him a similar deal to Deacon for next year with a view to him getting into coaching.

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 1:54 pm  

post wrote:

I think our squad next year will be the biggest in the league, we have so many young players who won't be taking up much space on the cap and the big earners coming off, I think it could be a possibilty of getting Shenton plus 2 marque props from the NRL. With getting 2 marque props we would lose one of either Fielden and Feka, Deacon and Pryce. I would try and keep Carmont because regardless of his age he is still a quality centre. Would be good competiton for places. And maybe even Bailey, he is a steady eddy player and he would be good to have around the squad, I would offer him a similar deal to Deacon for next year with a view to him getting into coaching.

We have to think about the quota though, if we want to bring in 2 'marquee' props can we afford to keep Bailey? Would that mean we would have to get rid of Phelps? I would rather keep Phelps than Bailey.
I think were gonna see quite a few leaving next year we could end up with a squad of:

Phelps
Roberts
Gleeson
Shenton
Richards
Tomkins
Leuluai
New Prop
Riddell
New Prop
Hansen
Joel
O'Loughlin

Mossop
Coley
McIlorum
Prescott

Goulding
O'Carroll
Farrell
Ainscough
Davies
Mellor

Possibly Feka depending on how this season progresses but i doubt it.

And then with Hock to come back half way through the season, its looking good for next year

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:02 pm  

I think it would be a disaster if we lost Fielden, Feka, Bailey, Deacon and Carmont in the same season. I would keep either Feka or Feilden and either Bailey or Carmont for experience purposes.

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:10 pm  

I cant believe what i have read in here and other places over the past few days. people trying to suggest that Goulding is as good/has as much potential as shenton.

Goulding is our 3rd choice centre, shenton is Englands first choice centre.

Goulding is playing in a side playing well, shenton is not, and yet shenton still looks the better player. (Shenton is a player that coaches will try to shut down when they play Cas, out of our backs i hazard a guess that coaches concentrate on the other 6 backs before they try to shut down Goulding, so therefore you have to think about how effective shenton would be in a backline with other players that coaches will look at)

thinking about what MM likes in a player, good defence, goulding is dodgy in defence, shenton excels in defence. shenton is naturally much bigger, and with MM's training will become much stronger and more fit.

put them both in the same squad with MM coaching both, and Shenton wins every single time, Goulding doesnt even get a look in. yes goulding is good, but Shenton is a player to take us to the next level.

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 2:54 pm  

am ready to recieve alot of abuse about this but here goes. Thinking about next year we need to reduce the overseas players and look at our youngsters coming through. In my mind I can see us loosing / getting rid of Feka nad baily next year. as i understand Carmout is on a 1+1 year contract so likely he will still be with us next year. If we sign Shenton then we will have 3 Centres. a good position to be as we will require cover. The area that concerns me is the back 3 Currently we have Richards an Amos for the wing slot and Phelps at FB. However are people really believing that if we keep these 3 where are the youngsters going to come through. We have ainscough is he really going to be prepared to go on loan again, Goulding good squad player and cover but could be relaesed, and the youngsters like Marsh and Vievers Knocking on the door. When I look at this Phelps who is only contracted to the end of the year looks as if he might possibly be released. I think Phelps has been great for us this year but would people prefer Phelps or Ainscough. Right I have opened that can of worms let me sit back and see the replies(yep quiet sunday work day )

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:00 pm  

i would tend to agree, phelps is a good player, but if you gave me the option of having phelps for another year or two, or ainscough for the rest of his carrer its an easy choice. both brilliant players, but long term (and possibly even short term, by that i mean next season) Ainscough is the better option. especially playing the type of rugby we are at the moment. how many times are the wingers getting into massive spaces, ainscough would eat up those yards, and possibly take more of those chances than the two current wingers, not that there doing a bad job.

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:16 pm  

Michael Shenton makes a lot of sense IMO. MaGuire is very, very big on defense and what is one of Shenton's greatest strengths?. He ran Carmont/Richards ragged when we played Castleford and I would be very pleased if we signed IMO the best English centre in the game at the moment.

It also makes sense that MaGuire is looking at a lot of players. We have 12 players out of contract at the end of this season. I predict that more than half will probably leave/retire. The overseas quota is coming down and so keeping average joes like Phil Bailey is not an option for me. Keeping Cameron Phelps as a squad player is also not an option.

In regards to Phelps I think/believe that MaGuire is going to see how Phelps goes this season at fullback and nowhere else. I think loaning Shaun Ainscough out for the full season at Castleford is a brilliant move. It gives him a years worth of Super League experience and will give MaGuire chance to weigh up whether Ainscough is capable of being Wigan's number 2 next season with Amos Roberts moving to fullback. I think this is most likely move next season - Amos Roberts at fullback with Shaun Ainscough and Pat Richards on the wings. This for me would be absolutely devastating and with Shenton possibly on the books for next season it would leave us with an awesome backline.

I think Carmont will probably go next season if we sign Michael Shenton. I can't see us keeping him purely as a squad player, nor can I see us signing Shenton as just a squad player. It's either one of the other. So if the Shenton rumours are true I think Carmont is gone.

I think Karl Pryce's days are numbered at 24. Playing in the reserves all season will get him nowhere. We can't send him out on a dual registration because of his age and I can't see where he will get in the side with our backs playing so well. Sure, he might get the odd game, but I can't see him being up to speed to perform to a high enough level to maintain a spot. Harsh, but it's the reality of the situation.

As for Darrell Goulding I think he is giving Michael MaGuire food for thought. He has played very well so far this season and done everything asked of him. He has tightened up his defence and has found his way to the try line very well. At 22 I think he will be kept on for another season, possibly only as an excellent squad player and then with an eye for Gleeson's spot. Of course, Marsh and Thornley's development could have a major say in that. For Wigan, this is a brilliant position to be in IMO. You can't keep them all though. Someone will have to make way.

As for props, I think we can almost guarantee MaGuire will bring in at least one new prop for next season. Most likely to replace Andy Coley. Stuart Fielden, should he continue this good form, might get a new contract on reduced terms. Feka is playing for a new contact this season and at the moment he is out of MaGuire's plans it seems in terms of the starting 17, but it's a long season and things could change. I wouldn't rule out Feka getting himself sorted and coming back with a bang. It's too early to say for sure though at the moment.

Paul Prescott, Lee Mossop and Harrison Hansen should all be kept on. They all keep getting better each season and should hopefully have very long and successful Wigan careers.

Paul Deacon IMO will stick to the agreed contract. Next season he just goes straight into the coaching.

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:33 pm  

Darrel Goulding anyone? The grief I took off of here a while back for saying what a great potential the lad had and that you should give him time. Ain't been playing too badly lately has he?

Re: Rumours and signings 2010 v1 : Sun Mar 28, 2010 6:38 pm  

Cadoo,
I won't copy your post but I agree with most of it. The only thing maybe that Josh Charnley will put in a challenge for that wing spot. He is the kind of winger Aussie coaches like, tall, strong and fast. I have a feeling he will be a better prospect than Ainscough who may be used as part of the deal to secure Shenton.