Flash wrote:You are missing one very pertinent point in all this, Dave, when you advocate the "Catalans are willing to pay it, so should we" argument: for the last 8 years Wigan have been competing at the top and winning trophies. Catalans have not.
That's not because they have been spending less. They have signed more big names in that time than we have. It's because they have been getting less value from that spending. It's very possible that this is yet another example of throwing big money at the wrong player.
Pertinent point? What Catalans have done or not is totally irrelevant.
The issue with Sam T is whether or not
Wigan want him in the side going forward. The fact there are few class players knocking about in SL means his value is what it is. It does not make one jot of difference which other SL side came in for him, the decision Wigan have to make is do they want a player of his ability in the side?
The competence (or lack of it) from Les Cats is totally irrelevant. Sam T is our player, we can decide to offer him a deal or not. If we offer him a deal and it's not enough to keep him and he leaves (or don't even offer him a deal at all) that is a decision that is all about Wigan, not Les Cats.
Maybe... just maybe... Wigan know what they're doing here and will continue to compete for trophies. We'll only really know when we see who the incoming players are and how they perform.
Who are these incoming players? I don't know of any. You seem to be trying to justify the rumour Sam is off based on even more flimsy rumours of mystery signings. Our recruitment lately has been pretty uninspiring and the only big name we have been linked to I am aware of is Hardaker. :eusa4:
That said the point about Wigan continuing to compete for trophies is the only relevant point in your post IMO and relates to something I have said previously.
Which is how do we want to see Wigan go about doing that?
Wigan may decide in an average SL they can still win things on the cheap with a bunch of average players.
Some fans would clearly be happy if Wigan won SL with such a side. To them the result is all that matters and you wonder if they take any enjoyment out of watching top players pull off moves and plays.
That is not what I want and don't think it is what most fans want either. The fans want both success
and quality players. They lament the inability of SL clubs like Wigan no longer being able to temp over top Aussies. Yet in Sam T we still have one of the few quality players knocking about in SL. That is what puts his value up, not that a badly run Les Cats side wants to sign him. He's also IMO the kind of player fans want to watch.
Players like him do not grow on trees. The club is not simply going to be able to russell up another Sam T. If he goes and the club hands the job to Escare, good prospect though he is, the quality of the team drops. They club may think this is still good enough to win things and it may well be so but doing so despite engaging in a cost cutting exercise might be smart if you want to save a few bob on wages but it's not supposed to be about that.
So what do you want to see? The club gamble on a bunch of average players who given the lack of quality in SL might still win a trophy? Or the club getting hold of and keeping the best players realistically available to an SL side (of which Sam T is one) which should increase the chances of success and success with style?