big name signings?

[THE 18th Man]

who are these big name signings we are suppose to be getting, all i've heard is derren lockyer might come over but thats it, so who do you think wigan should sign that will make an impact next season

[gpartin]

who are these big name signings we are suppose to be getting, all i've heard is derren lockyer might come over but thats it, so who do you think wigan should sign that will make an impact next season

how many foreigners are we allowed?

[THE 18th Man]

dunno i think there has to be 8 british players in a full first team squad

[cpwigan]

I believe we have room for 1 more

Depends who gets in trouble Down Under I guess. Some Broncos maybe.

[Exiled Wiganer]

Lockyer has been in trouble this week, so that ticks both boxes.
For what it's worth, I would be happy with a single signing. I think a good centre, and Martin Gleeson would be my first choice as he is a Wiganer, would round out the team very nicely. The first team would then be...
Mathers - who is at last finding his feet again after horrendous injuries - he was a Harry Sunderland winner and a first grade NRL player, so he has the talent.
Pryce - if fit, with his size and pace, he would be our very own Vainikolo.
Gleeson - I wish.
Carmont - what a signing he has been. Just a great player and at a fraction of DV's price.
Richards - a class act
Smith - he will organise the team, and combine brilliantly with the new 9.
Leuluai - with 6 and 9 doing the organising he can do what he does best, without worrying about setting up the play. Just give him the ball when he wants it without additional responsibility and we'll continue to see performances like last week's. At last he will be a round peg in a round hole.
Fielden - he can keep doing what he has been doing for the last couple of minths for a whole year and earn his wages.
Piggy - his value is his ability to organise and read the play - a younger, better Newton.
Feca - the new, fitter version. Plus, if someone can go down injured for a couple of minutes during his stint, he'll catch his breath and we'll get 5 more minutes of havoc.
Hock - class. Could be the best second rower in the world as he gets older and bigger.
Lockers - hopefully no longer captain, let him do the job he does for GB, working hard with the odd creative touch.
Tomkins - coming on leaps and bounds, will score and create more and more as he develops.

The rest of the squad would then be...
Ainscough, Phelps, Goulding, Sam Tomkins (the most exciting half back to emerge in GB since Andy Gregory)
McIllorum, Coley, Prescott and O'Carroll (both of P and O'C will get better and better as they get older and more battle hardened), Hansen, Mossop and Bailey (a great mix of youth and experience)
Farrell, Tuson, Davies and possibly Flannagan could get games as well.

I know there is a fair bit of wishful thinking here, but I believe that a large part of our improved form has come about through having the right types of player doing the right things in the last 2 games. So Lulu and Higham can run without having to think about passing/organising, TB and Smith can move the team around and Tomkins can get involved in dangerous positions. Plus, our full back is beginning to resemble a decent player.

My view is that with this squad, if the young players develop, could win things as early as next year. Saints aren't signing anyone else, and Fatty and Long will be yet another year older. As for their young players, I hope to watch Tomkins up against Eastmond at first team level because he will continue to run rings round him as a footballer.

Finally, IL has been at pains to stress that it won't be till the end of next year that he will have much flexibility in the salary cap, so we might expect the squad to be significantly strengthened for 2010.

[shawcross da warrior]

who would be captain then ?


without a doubt barrett is an amazing captain and alot better than lockers, but in the side you just named i dont see any particualr stand out players for captaincy, in the past we have had fletcher who was a big voice on the pitch and tghen currently barrett, but who after him???

[mike binder]

Stuart Fielden

[shawcross da warrior]

shocking........

[mike binder]

watch this space

[Exiled Wiganer]

that's a good point
Fielden is the obvious candidate.
I am hoping that Smith and Piggy will be the key talkers and organisers, but they are too new and unproven.
We could swap Lockers for Lockyer instead, which we can do by changing a single letter.