Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 20, 2024 5:36 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

It's going to be interesting to see how the change of date plays out. Signing over a year in advance of playing a game for a side comes with all sorts of risks and complications on both the club and the players side. A player could get a silly deal that they don't really warrant or they could sell themselves short. A club could over pay or they could nab a bargain. I could see the new owners at Hull FC throwing a couple of silly deals out for 2026.

In terms of Wigan, I think they and the players will be patient and see where we stand a couple of months in to 2025. I expect Isa retires, Faz plays year to year and the others could go either way. The most interesting one for me is Keighran and do we need to make room for Eckersley becoming a starter. Given Keighran is a fantastic goal kicker, it makes any decision even trickier.

Keighran was superb the back end of last year but I imagine he is on good money after we pinched him from Catalans so I wouldn't be shocked if we let him go and gave Eckersley the 3 shirt. Douglas should be putting pressure on Miski this season if he is to be retained also

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Nov 20, 2024 8:02 pm  

bazdev wrote:

Keighran was superb the back end of last year but I imagine he is on good money after we pinched him from Catalans so I wouldn't be shocked if we let him go and gave Eckersley the 3 shirt. Douglas should be putting pressure on Miski this season if he is to be retained also

Plenty to weigh up with Keighran. He takes a quota spot and pretty good money you'd imagine and keeping him potentially holds back Eckersley but he's a good player, offers good utility value and is an excellent goal kicker. Ideal world stuff, you keep him and Eckersley has the challenge of taking his spot or even a wing spot ahead of Miski (same with Douglas trying to do that) but we'll see.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Nov 21, 2024 10:02 am  

It's awkward with Keighran because, based off a little run forced by injury, I have a feeling he's a better six than he is a centre. Unfortunately for him, though, he's nowhere near a better a six than Bevan! So I think he gives us a good cover option should Bevan get injured, he brings great goal-kicking and runs good attacking lines, as well as being a strong tackler. His discipline seemed to improve over the season as well, which was letting him down early on. On the other hand, King-Miski was a far more potent attacking combination than Keighran-Miski, and I don't know how much that was down to Miski often being crocked last season. My feeling is that I don't see any urgent need to replace him but, if he were to move on at the end of this contract, I would be comfortable with that too.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Nov 22, 2024 9:09 am  

Keighran really grew on me last year.

Think when he filled in a 6 his confidence grew and then performed better in the centres.

I trust the club to get these calls right.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Nov 22, 2024 9:22 am  

NSW wrote:

Keighran really grew on me last year.

Think when he filled in a 6 his confidence grew and then performed better in the centres.

I trust the club to get these calls right.

His first two thirds of the season was ok but you wondered if he had that switch in him that these Wigan players all seem to have, where they seem to go in to this big game mode and everything goes through the roof (concentration, intensity, aggression etc) and he proved in that last third of the season and in particular in the last 6 weeks or so that he definitely does. It was his defence that really impressed me and how he controlled his aggression and did not make those silly errors where he was tipping players or catching them high. He was machine like in the Grand Final and made a tackle in the second half on our line that was almost up there with the French try.