Clubb & Sarginson

[Exiled Wiganer]

Tbh, I have seen more of these 2 in the flesh than I have Wigan games live over the last 3 years or so, and I think both of them can do a brilliant job for us.
Clubb can be turned into a superb prop. He is massive and super strong. He can run. He has played for England, and you don't get to do that from a club like the Broncos unless you've talent. He's also a strong character, and was certainly a better player for the Broncos than Leuluai ever was.
I am less sure about Sarginson, but then again he's playing for England A tomorrow (at 6 seemingly). 12 months ago I'd have said he's destined for glory, but he's had a quiet year.
One thing that reassures me is that IL knows the club very well indeed, and thus we are certain to be getting the cream of the crop like we did when Harris brought Flower over to us.
I have lost track of the last time everybody was happy with our recruitment policy. How many times do we need to show that we can recognise talent and improve players before cynicism is suspended until we have seen them play?

[DaveO]

Nothing wrong with Pongia either!

I agree. 10 times a better player than Lauaki.

[Matthew]

Sarginson is young and unproven and could go on to be really good - a bit like Taylor has been. He was a prospect, but I think everyone has been surprised just how good he was this year.

Clubb - 4 years? If we had to sign him, then I would have preferred 2 years at most and I really hope we got him for sensible money. From what I've seen of him over the last couple of seasons, he's certainly not looked like a star. He's been injured lots and frankly his attitude this season at London has been shocking - especially considering he was captain!

He has a lot of work to do to convince me that he was worth signing.

[DaveO]

Sarginson was the best of a pretty sorry bunch at Broncos. Difficult to say about Clubb as he never seemed to want to play for them.
He may be Ok but he never really stood out in the way that a 26-year old should do to warrant a 4-year deal with a transfer fee at the start.

I am rather stunned at a four year deal for a player who for whatever reason has gone off the boil.

A four year deal means he will block the path of yonger players.

Now don't get me wrong if we can find an outstanding player and get him to sign you always do that and if that limits opportunities that is just the way it is.

However signing a player of Clubb's standing is not doing this so Wane and Bitcon really do need to work some magic to justify this four year deal.

Give the club and him the benefit of the doubt. Flower has been a massive success and Dudson seems to have sorted his discipline out and should get even better so seemingly unpromising signings can work out well.

Flower has been great.

I think Dudson gets slightly more credit than he deserves for not being as poor as people thought he might be!

To put him in perspective Dudson is 23. Mossop 24 and Taylor is 22. He's not as good as the other two now and I don't think he ever will be.

With a four year deal Clubb must be like Flower (a very good player), not Dudson (pretty average) to justify a deal that long.

The Bitcon/Wane team is not infallible either as Lauaki shows. He was also given a long deal.

[Exiled Wiganer]

DaveO - have you seen them play much? Having done so over a number of years, these make sense to me.

[jobo]

I'm completely underwhelmed!

Clubb did look the business a while back and Sarginson has potential plus we've the best coach in the country to bring them on, so although the signings could be viewed as underwhelming, they could be another Wane master stroke.

[Wigan_forever1985]

Sargison is a decent signing and with the right coaching could turn out to be a very very good player IMO.

The only way i see Clubb working at wigan is if he becomes our version of Richard Whiting. A player who basically is on the bench that can cover pretty much every position if called upon. Hull use Whiting to their advantage as he is a great bench spot because he can go in the forwards and backs.

[DaveO]

The clear lack of a kicker is what really concerns me, when we play Wane ball it usually ends up with Charnley in at the corner. Whos going to do the kicking, unless Wane pulls the rabbit out of the hat on this one the fans and the whole of Super League wait with baited breath!!

Same here. Rumours of one more signing. Better be someone who can kick goals but if so they would have to play for 80 mins so would need to be an established player on for the entire game.

Any goal kicking wingers out there? That is the obvious slot to fill of course!

[Exiled Wiganer]

As both Botica and Richards learnt their trade over an off season, Smith could do the same. Harris and Deacon know a thing or 2 about kicking.

[cpwigan]

God, Petty is very much a back rower in the mould of H