Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 11:59 am  

wigan_knight wrote:

Henry Paul was playing for Wakefield when we signed him.

i was fairly certain he had gone bk home for a few months playing,
i could be completely wrong, but i was sure of it,
thats was the whole reason platt was allowed to sign for Auckland.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 12:00 pm  

WARRIORCRAIG wrote:

I hope someones bookmarking these comments because I think truewiganer is going to look very silly over the next couple of months. Finch has just come back from a potential career threatening injury and didnt get a full pre season in. Its taking him a few games to get used to the runs our forwards are going to make, and to learn who is being used as a dummy runner etc but he is getting better with each game. Fair enough he was awful against Wire but he seems to be getting used to our style of play now. He had the definition of a stand-and-pass game against Barrow but he didnt need to do anymore. Hes now played 8 games for Wigan and this in definitely not the time to start saying that a SoO player so highly regarded in Oz and spoken highly about by Madge and Hoffman amongst others is not good enough for us.

honestly i hope he does make me look stupid, but untill then i have massive reservations,
im sick of people defending him if it was a wigan lad or a british player we would be slating him now,

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 12:03 pm  

sgtwilko wrote:

You need a reality check pal. Wigan or any sl club couldn't afford the best. They get paid too much in the nrl! Taking a pay cut to play in a second rate comp and give up rep footy isn't on the nrls top players list of things to do.

Wake up!

do you honestly think that the sl is second rate? granted some of the teams are but as a whole we are not!
wake up youself, the nrl is so structured its rubbish!
did you watch the ANZAC test?
if the aussies are second rate by association of coming to super league, why are we bothering looking at them, we have plenty of second rate players in the uk.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 12:06 pm  

truewiganer wrote:

honestly i hope he does make me look stupid, but untill then i have massive reservations,
im sick of people defending him if it was a wigan lad or a british player we would be slating him now,

What do you mean we would be slating him? People already are slating him and Lima! The problem with a lot of our fans is they expect instant miracles but unfortunatley it doesnt work like that.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 12:06 pm  

truewiganer wrote:

honestly i hope he does make me look stupid, but untill then i have massive reservations,
im sick of people defending him if it was a wigan lad or a british player we would be slating him now,

I'll admit hes not been as good as I was hoping so far but he is definitely improving, anyone expecting Finch to be the next Barrett was way off I'm afraid. People are saying your being a bit harsh judging him after only 8 games, especially with what we have seen from some of our other imports having dodgy first seasons or taking a while to get with the pace. I think he may also have underestimated the speed of SL and in hindsight the game against Wire probably wasnt the best one to throw him straight in to after his injury.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 12:21 pm  

truewiganer wrote:

do you honestly think that the sl is second rate?

Next to the nrl yes it is. It's like comparing the epl to the bundesliga

truewiganer wrote:

some of the teams are but as a whole we are not!

Same point again! Nrl is a far superior comp by far.

truewiganer wrote:

wake up youself,

I am well awake to the game, you demonstrate to all you are not.

truewiganer wrote:

the nrl is so structured its rubbish!

it's not rubbish it's awesome, with the worlds best players playing at a level of intensity week in week out several levels above sl?

truewiganer wrote:

did you watch the ANZAC test?

Yes I did. So now your saying the Aussies and kiwis are rubbish! Nice thinking. What about origin! is that rubbish too? Best 3 games of rugby a year every year!

truewiganer wrote:

if the aussies are second rate by association of coming to super league, why are we bothering looking at them, we have plenty of second rate players in the uk.

The Aussies coming here are never the best, maybe Lyon? Or others on the run. But now more than ever with the strength of the nrl, rep footie and the strength of the Aussie dollar the best arnt coming. Good players are coming but arnt staying long. You are right about one thing? yes we do have plenty of second rate uk players! But we have some crackers too.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 2:00 pm  

sgtwilko wrote:

Next to the nrl yes it is. It's like comparing the epl to the bundesliga

Same point again! Nrl is a far superior comp by far.

I am well awake to the game, you demonstrate to all you are not.

it's not rubbish it's awesome, with the worlds best players playing at a level of intensity week in week out several levels above sl?

Yes I did. So now your saying the Aussies and kiwis are rubbish! Nice thinking. What about origin! is that rubbish too? Best 3 games of rugby a year every year!

The Aussies coming here are never the best, maybe Lyon? Or others on the run. But now more than ever with the strength of the nrl, rep footie and the strength of the Aussie dollar the best arnt coming. Good players are coming but arnt staying long. You are right about one thing? yes we do have plenty of second rate uk players! But we have some crackers too.

completly disagree with most of the comments , except for the origin one

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 2:33 pm  

truewiganer wrote:

completly disagree with most of the comments , except for the origin one

I agree with everything Sgtwilko said (which is probably a first.)

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 3:28 pm  

Last Son of Wigan wrote: Do people honestly not think Sam is playing fantastic currently? He's playing as a FB. I don't understand this desire to play Sam at 6, we have plenty of good options to play in the halves no one else really to do a good job at FB. I agree that Sam's form at fullback is fantastic. He is equally adapted as a fullback or as a halfback. An absolute freak with his balance, footwork, agility, elusive running, pace and acceleration - he's a very talented player. However who are our good option at halfback next year? Brett Finch will be here and I agree with the majority of posters on this forum he will be very good for us for the next couple of years. Thomas Leuluai is the other first choice halfback, but I would much rather him play in his international position at hooker alongside Mike McIlorum. I rate Leuluai, but he makes a far more impressive hooker than he does a halfback IMO. I wouldn't back Mike McIlorum to play every week for 80 minutes. I'd want to spell him with someone who can cause the opposition problems and that falls down to Tommy. So Tommy and McIlorum at 9 for next year. That leaves two very inexperienced halfbacks in Joe Mellor and Sam Powell as backup. I think both lads are a couple of years away yet. The potential is there for one of the them to step up after Brett Finch has left in a couple of years time. However for now I think we'll see them both go on duel-registration for a full season and make the odd appearance off the bench in the first team. This in theory leaves us short at halfback should we adopt this approach for next season. So I would then promote Sam back in at halfback alongside Finch. There's not a lot of quality at hooker available from the NRL or Super League (to keep Tommy at halfback) and neither is there any top quality available at halfback in the Super League or the NRL (to keep Sam at fullback). However, there is one top class fullback available who can also play at halfback - Matty Bowen. The bloke has openly expressed his interest in moving to Super League (similar to Brett Finch) & so he is a very realistic target. http://stevemascord.com/2011/04/19/bowen-set-for-super-league/ “I’d love to go (Super League),” Bowen tells RLW, “but in saying that I’d love to stay and finish my career here. Whatever happens, happens. I’m just concentrating on footy at the moment and if I do get the chance to go over there, I’ll definitely take it. “I haven’t spoken to my manager. I’m sure he’s got something in mind. We’ll see what’s on the table and go from there.” For me an attacking spine of: 1. Matty Bowen 6. Sam Tomkins 7. Brett Finch 9. Thomas Leuluai is of absolute top quality and dare I say it - world-class. I'm a huge fan of Sam Tomkins at fullback, but I wouldn't mind seeing him revert back to halfback to accommodate Leuluai moving to hooker and Bowen coming in at fullback. I think our team looks a lot stronger lining up like this. A very fair assessment of Matty Bowen on totalrl.com: Rumours have been going around for a while over here. As a Cowboys fan, Matty Bowen is a club legend and half of the reason I support the Cowboys, watching him a few years ago during our more successful years just carving through the opposition made it great times to support them. After a lean couple of years in which he has suffered a couple of serious knee injuries, he is getting back to his best this year. He and Johnathan Thurston are refinding their combination and it looks to be getting back to his deadly best, with a new bunch of good players around them. I'll be nearly devastated if he leaves at this stage - whilst at 29 he's no spring chicken, he still has the pace and footwork to keep going around for several years. If he stayed on with us for two more seasons he could still collect a nice bonus over in England. If he does go to a SL club, if he can strike up a combination with the halves there, steaming onto offloads from the big guys in broken play or sniffing around for the inside ball into a gap he will be absolutely lethal. He knows his way to the tryline and few would be able to catch him. He'd be a much better signing than Lance Hohaia, thats for sure. Bowen can also play 5/8th, and has a good long kicking game. This season it seems Thurston is playing more of a running game and a passing game, creating gaps and putting people in them, with some kicking, whilst our young 5/8th Ray Thompson is handling a lot of the short kicking and Bowen is the go to man for the long touch finders or when we need a hoist upfield. If we could get him here for 2-3 years with the intention of introducing and having Joe Mellor, Sam Powell, Logan Tomkins and Matty Russell ready to slot into the first team by the time Finch and Bowen leave we'd be in an excellent position.

Last Son of Wigan wrote: Do people honestly not think Sam is playing fantastic currently? He's playing as a FB. I don't understand this desire to play Sam at 6, we have plenty of good options to play in the halves no one else really to do a good job at FB. I agree that Sam's form at fullback is fantastic. He is equally adapted as a fullback or as a halfback. An absolute freak with his balance, footwork, agility, elusive running, pace and acceleration - he's a very talented player. However who are our good option at halfback next year? Brett Finch will be here and I agree with the majority of posters on this forum he will be very good for us for the next couple of years. Thomas Leuluai is the other first choice halfback, but I would much rather him play in his international position at hooker alongside Mike McIlorum. I rate Leuluai, but he makes a far more impressive hooker than he does a halfback IMO. I wouldn't back Mike McIlorum to play every week for 80 minutes. I'd want to spell him with someone who can cause the opposition problems and that falls down to Tommy. So Tommy and McIlorum at 9 for next year. That leaves two very inexperienced halfbacks in Joe Mellor and Sam Powell as backup. I think both lads are a couple of years away yet. The potential is there for one of the them to step up after Brett Finch has left in a couple of years time. However for now I think we'll see them both go on duel-registration for a full season and make the odd appearance off the bench in the first team. This in theory leaves us short at halfback should we adopt this approach for next season. So I would then promote Sam back in at halfback alongside Finch. There's not a lot of quality at hooker available from the NRL or Super League (to keep Tommy at halfback) and neither is there any top quality available at halfback in the Super League or the NRL (to keep Sam at fullback). However, there is one top class fullback available who can also play at halfback - Matty Bowen. The bloke has openly expressed his interest in moving to Super League (similar to Brett Finch) & so he is a very realistic target. http://stevemascord.com/2011/04/19/bowen-set-for-super-league/ “I’d love to go (Super League),” Bowen tells RLW, “but in saying that I’d love to stay and finish my career here. Whatever happens, happens. I’m just concentrating on footy at the moment and if I do get the chance to go over there, I’ll definitely take it. “I haven’t spoken to my manager. I’m sure he’s got something in mind. We’ll see what’s on the table and go from there.” For me an attacking spine of: 1. Matty Bowen 6. Sam Tomkins 7. Brett Finch 9. Thomas Leuluai is of absolute top quality and dare I say it - world-class. I'm a huge fan of Sam Tomkins at fullback, but I wouldn't mind seeing him revert back to halfback to accommodate Leuluai moving to hooker and Bowen coming in at fullback. I think our team looks a lot stronger lining up like this. A very fair assessment of Matty Bowen on totalrl.com: Rumours have been going around for a while over here. As a Cowboys fan, Matty Bowen is a club legend and half of the reason I support the Cowboys, watching him a few years ago during our more successful years just carving through the opposition made it great times to support them. After a lean couple of years in which he has suffered a couple of serious knee injuries, he is getting back to his best this year. He and Johnathan Thurston are refinding their combination and it looks to be getting back to his deadly best, with a new bunch of good players around them. I'll be nearly devastated if he leaves at this stage - whilst at 29 he's no spring chicken, he still has the pace and footwork to keep going around for several years. If he stayed on with us for two more seasons he could still collect a nice bonus over in England. If he does go to a SL club, if he can strike up a combination with the halves there, steaming onto offloads from the big guys in broken play or sniffing around for the inside ball into a gap he will be absolutely lethal. He knows his way to the tryline and few would be able to catch him. He'd be a much better signing than Lance Hohaia, thats for sure. Bowen can also play 5/8th, and has a good long kicking game. This season it seems Thurston is playing more of a running game and a passing game, creating gaps and putting people in them, with some kicking, whilst our young 5/8th Ray Thompson is handling a lot of the short kicking and Bowen is the go to man for the long touch finders or when we need a hoist upfield. If we could get him here for 2-3 years with the intention of introducing and having Joe Mellor, Sam Powell, Logan Tomkins and Matty Russell ready to slot into the first team by the time Finch and Bowen leave we'd be in an excellent position.

Re: Rumours and signings v6 (inc Maguire Rumours) : Thu May 12, 2011 3:45 pm  

I'd imagine its wherever the next coach (Wane?) sees Sam's preferred position, along with Tommy's, plus whoever is available at a suitable quality and price. Either way it's going to mean we need either a FB, HB or hooker for the 2012 season to replace Paul Deacon.

Next season, either

1. Sam
6. Finch
7. Tommy
9. McIlorum/new hooker
Bench. MMc/new hooker

or

1. New FB
6. Sam
7. Finch
9. Tommy
Bench. McIlorum

or

1. Sam
6. Finch
7. New HB
9. Tommy
Bench. McIlorum