Colbon is going to Hull KR

[Fraggle]

HOPE TO GOD HE HAS, THIS WILL BE ONE YOUNG PLAYER I WON'T BE SORRY TO LOSE. MAYBE HE WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT US SOME DAY, BUT I REALLY CAN'T SEE IT.

No need to shout...

The thing is, everyone said the same about Stephen Wild, Martin Aspinwall, Dodgy Hodgy, Kevin Brown... yet the other week there was an outcry about Wigan letting go players that we have developed. There will be a time when Colbon, if he does leave, scores against us and people will say "we should have kept him", particularly if we've got a handful of international players in the team that week. Wigan fans often have short memories when it comes to players who leave us, they go from "villain" to "we should never have let him go" in a pretty short space of time.

[GeoffN]

Liam Colbon has signed for HKR next year!

If true, that's a good signing for them, IMO.

Fox on wone wing, Colbon on the other. Well it's east to see where the danger comes from when playing KR.

I suspect they'll have realised that he's not a winger, and play him in the second row.

[fred ladd]

hope ure right

hes a waste of space that lad

[DaveO]

HOPE TO GOD HE HAS, THIS WILL BE ONE YOUNG PLAYER I WON'T BE SORRY TO LOSE. MAYBE HE WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT US SOME DAY, BUT I REALLY CAN'T SEE IT.

No need to shout...

The thing is, everyone said the same about Stephen Wild, Martin Aspinwall, Dodgy Hodgy, Kevin Brown... yet the other week there was an outcry about Wigan letting go players that we have developed.

We didn't develop Hodgy (he was signed from Halifax I think or was it Hull?) but ironically he was one who I thought was hard done by (a bit like Calders he had a serious injury and was let go one season later while still on a recovery path IMO).

That said if there was an outcry recently about any or all of those players, what for? Wild made the choice easy as to who to cut by a poor season and the club needed to cut some players (a need people often forget when harping on about not letting players leave). The rest are just not that good.

There will be a time when Colbon, if he does leave, scores against us and people will say "we should have kept him", particularly if we've got a handful of international players in the team that week. Wigan fans often have short memories when it comes to players who leave us, they go from "villain" to "we should never have let him go" in a pretty short space of time.

He probably will score a try against us but I have no qualms about letting him or any of those you mention go. I'd have kept Hodgy but even with him it was not the mistake letting a certain Mr. Long leave was.

I'd even go as far as saying Long is the only player we actively pushed out of the club who came back to haunt us. Colbon never will that's for certain.

Dave

[Fraggle]

Dave, I agree with just about all of that, and I don't think we miss any of those players I listed, although in the aftermath of the Huddersfield defeat you'd think they were all Grand Final winners from the way some people were talking. My point was that people have short memories, they forget that they could wait to get of any of those back at the time. Colbon's problem is he's very similar to, say, Paul Johnson who was a either a centre or a 2nd row but not particularly stunning in either position! We've had a few such players over the years (Stephen Wild as well) but not really had tactics to make proper use of such players. I agree that he'll not really be missed if he does leave, I'd rather have a specialist centre or specialist second row rather than a jack of all trades.

[Matthew]

Colbon's problem is he's very similar to, say, Paul Johnson who was a either a centre or a 2nd row but not particularly stunning in either position!

Didn't Johnson play for GB a few years ago? Whilst he is not fantastic; I think that he has achieved more than Colbon has.

I would compare Colbon to Aspinall. Both came through and showed potential; both on occasion played wing. Neither was quite good enough to be anything other than a squad player

[DaveO]

Dave, I agree with just about all of that, and I don't think we miss any of those players I listed, although in the aftermath of the Huddersfield defeat you'd think they were all Grand Final winners from the way some people were talking.

I missed those posts as well as I was also away that weekend but it doesn't surprise me.

My point was that people have short memories, they forget that they could wait to get of any of those back at the time.

What gets me is when people we let so-and-so go and it was a mistake they forget the circumstances at the time and forget we would also probably need to let someone else leave - so who?

Colbon's problem is he's very similar to, say, Paul Johnson who was a either a centre or a 2nd row but not particularly stunning in either position! We've had a few such players over the years (Stephen Wild as well) but not really had tactics to make proper use of such players. I agree that he'll not really be missed if he does leave, I'd rather have a specialist centre or specialist second row rather than a jack of all trades.

I agree although I think PJ is better and proved it at his other clubs. Of more recent exits the only other player I was sorry to see go was and one you didn't mention was Tickle. In the season before his last he was IMO the best of the young second rowers and scored some crucial tries for us. He didn't do so well the next season and was let go.

It seems on occasion the club will make a judgement on one season rather than looking at the wider picture. Players who I think may have suffered due to this are Hodgson (very unlucky with a bad Achilles injury and was not given enough time to get his confidence back IMO), Calders, possibly Wild and Higham as I said Tickle.

I suppose if a players form drops off for a season then you can hardly retain him over one who's form has remained solid if you need to cut players due to salary cap issues.

Dave