HOCK SIGNS 5 YEAR CONTRACT

[Mr Ed]

If St Helens had signed him there would have been all hell let loose on this site. And make no mistake they were sniffing around, lets say well done to Lennagan to secure him for Wigan before someone else did. Lets not forget BIRDS crime and he still played.
PS Garath ita nice to see you back, now let the Wigan supporters get behind him and help him recover because one thing is for sure HE WILL GIVE YOU 100% on the field.

This and other forums would explode! The club cant win either way great move by them if you ask me.

[DaveO]

If St Helens had signed him there would have been all hell let loose on this site. And make no mistake they were sniffing around, lets say well done to Lennagan to secure him for Wigan before someone else did.

I disagree.

If the club had let him go then I would have backed the club if that is what they decided. Him signing for anyone else no matter who would make no difference to that.

I personally don't like the implication that because a player was very good we had better sign him again quick to stop him going elsewhere regardless of what he did or what the teams situation might be in the future.

If he was an average player no one would be want to see him in a Wigan shirt again.

PS Garath ita nice to see you back, now let the Wigan supporters get behind him and help him recover because one thing is for sure HE WILL GIVE YOU 100% on the field.

Like he did last time you mean while taking drugs? Hock has a lot to prove and we rip into players like Riddell and Feka for simply being unfit (which is fair enough) yet Hock is viewed as some kind of Saint?

Dave

[ddtftf]

Davo you must never have made a mistake in life and been given chance to prove that you have learned from it.
I would bet that there are many other first grade players playing today that were thinking they were lucky not to be tested. I honestly believe that Hock will come back a bigger and better player, he expects to play prop when he returns, and will spent his time training and building his weight for the return, I for one am confident that he will return even better than when he left.
As for a saint,well I cannot recall any top class forwards who would come under that heading, in fact most of the best were just the opposite.

[cpwigan]

Let nobody be mistaken Gaz still has to meet certain requirements before he return to RL after his ban has been completed. No club would turn it's back on a forward who can create 4 or more try scoring chances in ever match. Who do you think Brian Noble telephoned when he got the Celtic Crusaders job? Gaz Hock. You could go on and on, re the clubs that want him post ban.

The very positive point re looking forward is to my recollection, no player has ever re-offended after serving a ban which suggest they learn from their mistake. Gaz Hock will do so IMO and he is a supremely gifted forward. There are not many around as good nor will there be.

[THE 18th Man]

if true Great News.

everybody makes mistakes and get given 2nd chances giving him a 5 year contract may seem alot but as CP pointed out there will be conditions to the contract. he was one of the best forwards in the world before his ban. he made a mistake and is paying for it but he will only be 27 when he returns and he will return even better for it i think. at this moment he has my support, many other fans support and the clubs support. im suprised by the reaction of some fans. lets not forget he is human. as someone else pointed out others have made mistakes in rugby, Greg Bird, Leon Pryce, Gareth Raynor. and they still played. i dont think anybody will be pushed out. especially with the way the club is heading at the minute

[ddtftf]

When I left school my report read that I was a " Wrong UN " and would never make anything of my life and would probabley end up in prison.
I changed my life around, and ended up a business man who employed 75 people, and still do help people to set up successful busineses.
I speak from experience of being given a second chance.

[DaveO]

Like he did last time you mean while taking drugs? Hock has a lot to prove and we rip into players like Riddell and Feka for simply being unfit (which is fair enough) yet Hock is viewed as some kind of Saint?

I don't think any poster on here has ever had Hock down as a saint, and no-one on here has ever (as far as i can recall) condoned what he has done,

The point I was making was the contrasting treatment we give to the players I mentioned. Riddel and Feka get slated for being unfit. Other players become scapegoats (rightly or wrongly) and yet with Hock who has done far worse than any of them people want to give him a five year deal?

I don't get it and the reason I don't is that although a very good player on his day he isn't IMO indispensable by any means.

So as I said earlier up Hock getting a contract with the club again should at least only happen IMO in 18 months time when the teams situation is clear then.

And that disregards any moral considerations about rewarding someone who got banned for taking drugs with a five year deal which is a longer contract than any other player we have except Sam Tomkins.

Now that strikes me as rather odd to say the least. What must players who have been model professionals who are offered shorter contracts think about that? Why does Hock deserve a five year deal before them? IMO he doesn't.

There is also no guarantee he will be able to regain his former standard when he returns so it is very strange to hand out such a long contract under the circumstances. A short contract with the option of more years in the clubs favour is what I would expect.

Dave

[DaveO]

Davo you must never have made a mistake in life and been given chance to prove that you have learned from it.

Provided he remains clean for the duration of his ban and keeps fit Hock has always been guaranteed a second chance to play RL. The second chance thing for him is just not an issue and never has been.

The only question is should it be with Wigan or not and given the club is not a charity making that decision now and giving him a five year deal now is just stupid IMO for the reasons I have stated elsewhere.

Dave

[cpwigan]

Straight from an excited and made up Mr Hock himself this morning, he was over the moon that his future is now settled, bless him.
He is boxing every day to keep his fitness, its not a rumour but a fact.

The information is correct. Gaz is boxing training with an ex Runcorn player, Jeff Dean

[Big Steve]

i'm pretty sure that IF he is going to be signing a 5 yr contract soon then there will be plenty of conditions attached to that contract in wigans favour.

IMO it's good news for both Wigan and Gareth - good luck to the lad - he made a mistake, got caught, is paying a heavy price and seems to be working hard to make up for it.

There are many many many more players across all sports who are brighter, better advised, or luckier than Gareth who have got away with far worse - look at Agassi for example.

If the lad is working hard to improve himself then i think it's great he has something tangible to look forward to at the end of the punishment. - it's not as though wigan have let him off his punishment.