Veteran Jordan James could win an extended stay at Wigan Warriors

[cpwigan]

IIRC, he was excellent for Saints in his first season. You are the one making the point about Wigan letting players go etc. Often young players are not handled correctly by clubs, even Wigan and/or suffer bad luck from an injury or whatever. Luck still plays a large part in determining the fortune of young players. Too much IMO!

I think you want to turn this debate into something it is not. My view remains that James is a sad indicement of British RL if he can come to a leading / the leading SL club and be good enough for SL and that club. We gain nothing from having James play, nor does British RL.

....and I will stick by my opinion that in recent seasons we have not let any young props go that have come back to haunt us, including Spencer, Hargreaves etc.

Kyle Amor, Glen Riley ?

In recent times (last 10 seasons) TBW we let players leave from all positions who were often better than what we replaced them with.

Wigan RLFC are far from perfect and British RL is somewhat bouncing along from balls up after balls up. Half the owners do not even have confidence in British RL.

[TrueBlueWarrior]

CP I do get the bigger picture you are worried about, but players come and players go, again Kyle Amor and Glen Riley would not be in my top 4 Wigan props currently at our club although Kyle Amor is getting better. It's almost impossible to keep every class young player and some will slip through the net but again in terms of props, no one stands out yet!!

[cpwigan]

Not saying they would be in mine either TBW but nor would James, he would be even further down the line awaiting a game for me. Several fans remarked how today tailed off and the second half became a non event. The one thing youngsters give is enthusiasm to carry on wanting to run in scores. Crosby and Sutton starting, Ben Austin coming on would IMO have been much better and Austin / Wigan / British RL would hopefully have another young player taking a step forward in development. Let's find and develop the future great players rather than recycling never has beens or never will be agains.

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

If I was a young prop at the club I would not be impressed if Wigan gave James another year.

Is this before or after they thanked him for serving his country, don't assume that our young players have have your sort of attitude.

Just what is my attitude as you put it?

The fact he was a Royal Marine Commando should not buy him a first team place if he isn't up to it and he's not IMO.

And we can all appreciate his efforts in the armed forces whether we are young players or not and doing so also doesn't mean those young players won't resent it if a player of his ability gets a slot and they don't. Especially if they can see he isn't up to regardless of his military record.

I am also sure he is a top bloke not least because of his background but that doesn't win him a place in the team either in my book. And I hope not in Wane's either.

Sounds ideal coaching material to me. As a player? No. Definitely not in 2015.

I'm with you here Dave, his performances are not good enough to earn another contract. In the good old days JJ would have been playing in the reserves helping to educate our young forwards.

[Owd Codger]

Just what is my attitude as you put it?

The fact he was a Royal Marine Commando should not buy him a first team place if he isn't up to it and he's not IMO.

And we can all appreciate his efforts in the armed forces whether we are young players or not and doing so also doesn't mean those young players won't resent it if a player of his ability gets a slot and they don't. Especially if they can see he isn't up to regardless of his military record.

I am also sure he is a top bloke not least because of his background but that doesn't win him a place in the team either in my book. And I hope not in Wane's either.

Sounds ideal coaching material to me. As a player? No. Definitely not in 2015.

I'm with you here Dave, his performances are not good enough to earn another contract. In the good old days JJ would have been playing in the reserves helping to educate our young forwards.

But they can no longer do that as there is now no reserves league!

[Wiganer Ted]

The reason for Waney saying this is an odd one.
No one believes that JJ is a SL quality prop but one that can be utilised in a rotation system against the bottom end teams.
I mentioned on another thread that it only makes any kind of sense if we are going to lose one or more props at the end of the season. As it is now I make him eighth choice prop.
There have been rumours or suggestions that we could lose both Flower and Taylor end of this year and if we are not looking to bring anyone in then keeping JJ may make some kind of sense.
If neither Flower nor Taylor leave then I don't see why we would need JJ playing for another year

[devon jim 1]

Seems to me that sme posters on here seem to think,like their posts,that Wigan's stratagey on these matters is dreamed up on the hoof.Get a grip the club is proffessional and will have taken the decision ,one would assume, with the best interests of the club in mind. Paradoxally it's the critics who are showing signs of negativity. Oh I forgot the customary IMO

[shaunedwardsfanclub]

Just what is my attitude as you put it?

The fact he was a Royal Marine Commando should not buy him a first team place if he isn't up to it and he's not IMO.

And we can all appreciate his efforts in the armed forces whether we are young players or not and doing so also doesn't mean those young players won't resent it if a player of his ability gets a slot and they don't. Especially if they can see he isn't up to regardless of his military record.

I am also sure he is a top bloke not least because of his background but that doesn't win him a place in the team either in my book. And I hope not in Wane's either.

Sounds ideal coaching material to me. As a player? No. Definitely not in 2015.

I'm with you here Dave, his performances are not good enough to earn another contract. In the good old days JJ would have been playing in the reserves helping to educate our young forwards.

But they can no longer do that as there is now no reserves league!

That's why I referred to 'the good old days'!

JJ is not a SL prop.

[Southern Softy]

I think we have to accept that Waney is an old-fashioned type in some ways who feels happier with the odd grizzled-old prop in the club as insurance.

Where he's not old-fashioned is that as the season goes on, he chooses the best side and that probably won't include James as it didn't include Powell or Lauaki. It's not causing problems with the salary cap and I don't think it's having a bad effect on young forwards so I guess we can all cope with that.

James doesn't convince me but the jury's still out on Clubb and Gelling as well.

[cpwigan]

Seems to me that sme posters on here seem to think,like their posts,that Wigan's stratagey on these matters is dreamed up on the hoof.Get a grip the club is proffessional and will have taken the decision ,one would assume, with the best interests of the club in mind. Paradoxally it's the critics who are showing signs of negativity. Oh I forgot the customary IMO

IMO your thinking is somewhat confusing Jim

Nobody has ever said the club does not try to act in its best decisions BUT they do not always get it right. Indeed, for all the excellent decisions they take they make some howlers.

Sometimes decisions are taken 'on the hoof' as you put it or did Wigan plan to watch Salford go pearshaped to snap up Matty Smith. Shame they missed out on Moon. Likewise, they obviously had a careful strategic plan to sign players when the Crusaders or London went pearshaped too.

IIRC, Wane openly admitted James the player was an after thought but would repeating that statement of fact be construed as being negative.

We have made more mistakes than astute one recently as regards props, particularly, if as people say Dudson flops.

A forum is for debate with positive and negative viewpoints at different times and on different subjects. IMO I think James playing for Wigan is a sad indicement of British RL.