Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Discuss all things Wigan Warriors. Comments and opinions on all aspects of the club's performance are welcome.
fozzieskem
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by fozzieskem »

I think the academy has produced some belters but I think the club falls into the trap and assumes everyone is going to be a world beater,which of course they all won’t be.

It’s the sports shame there’s nowhere for them to go post u19s other than dual reg or loan,but the club can’t keep them all,So what do they do with them,give them a deal even if they’re not quite ready for the first team which seems to be the case now or let them go at 19 and run the risk of them coming back to haunt the club.
No straw damn us
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by No straw damn us »

I've just had a look at last weeks teams.
Wigan and Saints each had eight players who came through their academy, Leeds had six!!
jao711
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by jao711 »

The Aussies don’t come chasing ordinary players ,they have plenty of their own.They must see something in ours.
moto748
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by moto748 »

jao711 wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:06 pm The Aussies don’t come chasing ordinary players ,they have plenty of their own.They must see something in ours.
That they're cheap? Relatively speaking. Not that much of a risk for wealthy NRL clubs.
DaveO
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by DaveO »

Never really understood why the Aussies come looking anyway given they produce so many of their own. The fact Canberra looks set to become an ex-pats club seems very strange. Don’t they have their own production line?

As to why we can’t keep players I think the fundamental problem is every player has a price IL is willing to sell at.

The idea he will hold them to contracts seems non existent and every player who signs a top deal automatically wants to tack on a get out clause.

So far he’s seemed to think letting them go after a couple of years and trying to include a return clause is good business when in my view all it does is encourage them to leave in the first place and we only see them back if they fail or are homesick.

If a player signs a four year deal I’d like it to mean four years with no expectation of a release beforehand. If at the end of it they leave for Australia or anywhere else at the end of the contract for free, so be it. If the contracts were run like this they could concentrate on playing rather than thinking if an NRL club will take them. This would also inform other clubs not to bother even asking about our players.

Can’t see this happening at Wigan with IL in charge as I don’t think he can afford to hold players to contracts. Selling a top player every season or so looks like part of his business plan for the club very much like a lower league soccer club relies on producing players the wealthy clubs will buy.
josie andrews
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by josie andrews »

Barney841 wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 4:09 pm Wigan lose many players to the nrl because they give the players a “get out of jail free card” by saying if they don’t make it you can comeback to us.
Same as happened with Bateman, he’s having 2 years in the nrl and then coming back to Wigan. If the club didn’t offer this if might deter them from going, if not you win some you lose some that’s life
I think you will find that John Bateman denied that he said this.

He’s there for as long as he is successful 😢
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But to stand behind a team, to defend a team when it is down and really needs you,
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Nezza Faz
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by Nezza Faz »

josie andrews wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 9:38 pm
Barney841 wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 4:09 pm Wigan lose many players to the nrl because they give the players a “get out of jail free card” by saying if they don’t make it you can comeback to us.
Same as happened with Bateman, he’s having 2 years in the nrl and then coming back to Wigan. If the club didn’t offer this if might deter them from going, if not you win some you lose some that’s life
I think you will find that John Bateman denied that he said this.

He’s there for as long as he is successful 😢

That's my take on it too Josie.
I think the club put that out with the announcement he was leaving, but I'm certain Bateman totally refuted that comment ?
fozzieskem
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by fozzieskem »

josie andrews wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 9:38 pm
Barney841 wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 4:09 pm Wigan lose many players to the nrl because they give the players a “get out of jail free card” by saying if they don’t make it you can comeback to us.
Same as happened with Bateman, he’s having 2 years in the nrl and then coming back to Wigan. If the club didn’t offer this if might deter them from going, if not you win some you lose some that’s life
I think you will find that John Bateman denied that he said this.

He’s there for as long as he is successful 😢
And if im honest I think he will be down under a hell of a long timer really think he will do very well down there and the Aussies will love his attitude.

As for the coming back as marquee that was just spin by the club,Mr Bateman didn't seem to know anything about it did he.
nathan_rugby
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by nathan_rugby »

Wigan_forever1985 wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:47 pm
nathan_rugby wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 12:48 pm Saints and Leeds reign as the best two teams were pretty much down to:
- Good youth players making it into the starting 13
- Consistency with pivot positions (1, 6, 7, 9, 13)
- Keeping hold of their best players

1 - Why are Wigan not able to keep hold of their best players but other clubs such as Saints & Leeds have? Whether that is youth players or those that are older, we cannot seem to keep players.

2 - Are we the victims of our own success? I.E. we cannot keep hold of our youth because they are the ones the NRL are after or is there something else going on? How did Saints and Leeds manage?
Hows this for a theory because i think it is a good point

Its because we don't sign any star players anymore where as Leeds and Saints tend to smatter their team with proven quality.

Trouble is whenever one of our youth players shows the slightest bit of promise they basically become our most valuable player, so they demand big wages and because there is no one to offset the top wages you have to give it to them.

Youve got to sign some quality players to lead the younger players we are basically a feeder for the NRL at the moment
Good suggestion. Leeds signing Brent Webb, Kylie Leuleui, Danny Buderus etc spring to mind.

The last big signings I remember us making were Finch, Hoffman, Lima.
Bomhead - "Lockers to prop."
nathan_rugby
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Re: Is our Youth too good? & Why can we not keep our best?

Post by nathan_rugby »

No straw damn us wrote: Tue Mar 12, 2019 2:47 pm Over the last ten years Wigan have produced Internationals in the 1, 7, 9 and 13 positions. Can you say the same for Leeds and Saints?
Wigan have had as many as 11 players in the 17. They have less overseas players than Saints or Leeds.
What point are you making?
Bomhead - "Lockers to prop."
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