Recruitment 2024

[Charriots Offiah]

I originally saw Walters as another prop but now we have signed Dupree, Tiaki Chan, have Hill coming through and have Harvard, Byrne, Cooper and maybe even still have Mago that is six or seven props for 2024 so I can't see Walters playing anywhere but the second row.

That still leaves us a bit exposed to injury/suspensions though as even with Walters in the second row that just gives us Faz, Nsemba and Walters with Shorrocks as a back up (not that he's that good there as other have pointed out)

Ellis as well. I don’t think Mago will be at Wigan next season and I am confident that there will be more signings.

Yes i reckon 2 new signings.A second rower and a stand off/ utility back/centre replacing cust and mago.Not sure whether we will keep hampshire and thornley on

We need to make room on the cap so it is inevitable that some players will be released. Thornley, Hampshire, Mago, Cust and Isa are off contract.

[EagleEyePie]

I'm told that Walters was seen as a second row who can play prop at Leeds - by the fans at least. Where he has actually played will be a reflection of where they've had the greatest need, I'd guess, rather than a statement re his best position.

KPP has played both prop and 2nd row, ditto Nsemba. Does their selection tell you their best position or where we had a gap to fill?

He definitely prefers playing 2nd row as he said so in an interview last year, so maybe that's one of the reasons he wanted to sign for us if we're planning to play him there. It could be a case of Leeds needing to play him there because they lack depth at prop. He's played prop pretty consistently though for the last two years so surely Leeds are missing a trick if he's that good out wide yet they aren't playing him there.

I do think it's a bit of a risk to sign him specifically as a starting 2nd row when he's made his name by impressing at prop in the season or two. I'd say even if Walters is earmarked for 2nd row we still need another back row signing due to lack of depth. Farrell and Walters with Nsemba and Shorrocks as back up doesn't look strong enough considering what we've had in previous years and the risk of Farrell picking up injuries as he gets older.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I have raised this before, but am not sure I expressed it clearly enough, so will try again. I think we can sign 2 more marquee players.
I am assuming/hoping that Singo for Dupree is pretty much a straight swap for salary terms, so will not include them. I am also assuming that we will upgrade Hill and Nsemba’s contracts.
My take on OUTS is that we would be prepared (or in the case of King and KPP be forced) to lose the following:

King
KPP
Cust
Mago
Thornley
Hampshire
Powell (solely by virtue of our keeping O’Neill and signing Leeming)
Isa

On INs we have:

Keith ran (I assume as a King replacement)
Walters (likewise for KPP)
Leeming (for Powell)

We would benefit from a class 2nd row and a 6/utility back. As I understand it, the key figure as far as marquee players is concerned is how much counts on the salary cap. So, if only the first 100k, say, counts, then we could get 2 marquee players and pay them whatever we want (or rather our Billionaire chairman can) as long as we free up 200k from elsewhere. I am guessing, but from the evidence so far that seems evidently feasible to me.

Now that would be some way for Danson to introduce the new era.

[Charriots Offiah]

I have raised this before, but am not sure I expressed it clearly enough, so will try again. I think we can sign 2 more marquee players.
I am assuming/hoping that Singo for Dupree is pretty much a straight swap for salary terms, so will not include them. I am also assuming that we will upgrade Hill and Nsemba’s contracts.
My take on OUTS is that we would be prepared (or in the case of King and KPP be forced) to lose the following:

King
KPP
Cust
Mago
Thornley
Hampshire
Powell (solely by virtue of our keeping O’Neill and signing Leeming)
Isa

On INs we have:

Keith ran (I assume as a King replacement)
Walters (likewise for KPP)
Leeming (for Powell)

We would benefit from a class 2nd row and a 6/utility back. As I understand it, the key figure as far as marquee players is concerned is how much counts on the salary cap. So, if only the first 100k, say, counts, then we could get 2 marquee players and pay them whatever we want (or rather our Billionaire chairman can) as long as we free up 200k from elsewhere. I am guessing, but from the evidence so far that seems evidently feasible to me.

Now that would be some way for Danson to introduce the new era.

Exiled, you forgot about Chan. I don’t think King is cut and dried so Keighran may turn out to be a replacement for Cust. Regarding the salary cap, a Wigan trained player would count as £50k, a federation trained player £100k and a non-federation player £150k. One of the marquee players must be a federation trained player - that is my understanding anyway.

French is marquee which leaves room for a marquee player from the NRL or two federation trained players. Obviously, the make up of the marquee players will influence the amount that counts against the cap.

As things stand we need to release a non-federation player to accommodate Keighran. Another would need to leave if the Club was to recruit further from the NRL, unless that player was federation trained.

We will recruit more players so some need to be released at the end of the season to balance the books.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I have raised this before, but am not sure I expressed it clearly enough, so will try again. I think we can sign 2 more marquee players.
I am assuming/hoping that Singo for Dupree is pretty much a straight swap for salary terms, so will not include them. I am also assuming that we will upgrade Hill and Nsemba’s contracts.
My take on OUTS is that we would be prepared (or in the case of King and KPP be forced) to lose the following:

King
KPP
Cust
Mago
Thornley
Hampshire
Powell (solely by virtue of our keeping O’Neill and signing Leeming)
Isa

On INs we have:

Keith ran (I assume as a King replacement)
Walters (likewise for KPP)
Leeming (for Powell)

We would benefit from a class 2nd row and a 6/utility back. As I understand it, the key figure as far as marquee players is concerned is how much counts on the salary cap. So, if only the first 100k, say, counts, then we could get 2 marquee players and pay them whatever we want (or rather our Billionaire chairman can) as long as we free up 200k from elsewhere. I am guessing, but from the evidence so far that seems evidently feasible to me.

Now that would be some way for Danson to introduce the new era.

Exiled, you forgot about Chan. I don’t think King is cut and dried so Keighran may turn out to be a replacement for Cust. Regarding the salary cap, a Wigan trained player would count as £50k, a federation trained player £100k and a non-federation player £150k. One of the marquee players must be a federation trained player - that is my understanding anyway.

French is marquee which leaves room for a marquee player from the NRL or two federation trained players. Obviously, the make up of the marquee players will influence the amount that counts against the cap.

As things stand we need to release a non-federation player to accommodate Keighran. Another would need to leave if the Club was to recruit further from the NRL, unless that player was federation trained.

We will recruit more players so some need to be released at the end of the season to balance the books.

Chariots - I am hugely grateful to you for your care and patience in educating me on something which I should have been able to work out for myself.

My starting point is perhaps over optimistic, but it is this - if I were a Billionnaire who had just taken over my home town team (so money is no object), how would I go about getting the biggest names I could to play for us? And I think the answer is the marquee player system. With respect to our new signings, they will make us stronger but they are not in the Jonathan Davies class of game changers. I remain we will be pleasantly surprised.

[the pieman]

I have raised this before, but am not sure I expressed it clearly enough, so will try again. I think we can sign 2 more marquee players.
I am assuming/hoping that Singo for Dupree is pretty much a straight swap for salary terms, so will not include them. I am also assuming that we will upgrade Hill and Nsemba’s contracts.
My take on OUTS is that we would be prepared (or in the case of King and KPP be forced) to lose the following:

King
KPP
Cust
Mago
Thornley
Hampshire
Powell (solely by virtue of our keeping O’Neill and signing Leeming)
Isa

On INs we have:

Keith ran (I assume as a King replacement)
Walters (likewise for KPP)
Leeming (for Powell)

We would benefit from a class 2nd row and a 6/utility back. As I understand it, the key figure as far as marquee players is concerned is how much counts on the salary cap. So, if only the first 100k, say, counts, then we could get 2 marquee players and pay them whatever we want (or rather our Billionaire chairman can) as long as we free up 200k from elsewhere. I am guessing, but from the evidence so far that seems evidently feasible to me.

Now that would be some way for Danson to introduce the new era.

not sure if we can sign 2 more marquee or not (but i dont know the current position)

for next year the marquee changes from 2 to 3, but equally the type and value on the cap changes

the below are just examples and not who is a marquee player / salary that player is paid
Next year a home grown / club trained is £50k (ie Faz, even if he isnt a current marquee), Federation Trained is £100k (ie Wardle / Dupree) and finally Non Fed Trained £150k (ie French or Field or an other overseas player)

so what the club need to do is balance the actual salary, and the benefit to the cap. On a previous response to the cap for this year i used Faz, French and Field as examples with salary and cap benefit, as it doesnt necessarily benefit us from having the 2 highest paid players as marquee, but also means that there is a big chunk taken out of the cap if they are on a decent salary. With my previous example Faz was on less than French and Field, but for marquee / cap purposes if worked better for us to declare Faz and one of the others as marquee, as the nett effect was lower to our cap

the whole salary cap / marquee players is an admin piece in itself, and as Sutty has posted previously, his contact has done several revisions of the cap for this year / next year, based on player movements (in / out)

[the pieman]

this is what i posted recently as the example of cap impact

so for example only - i dont know if this is the case we have paid up to the full cap £2.1m (exclude any dispensations for the example) and we have 2 marquee players the club needs to work out the best case for the club, and that isnt necessarily declaring the highest salaries as the marquee

For Example purposes only
French £200k
Field £200k
Farrell £150k

if French and Field were declared as Marquee, then the cost to the club salary cap is £450k (2 international marquee at £150k), however, if we declared French and Farrell, then the cost to the club falls to £425k (£150k French, £200k Field and £75k Farrell)

So in the above example the club would disclose to the RFL / salary cap auditors that French and Farrell were SC marquee players, as it benefits the club if they can pay over and above the £2.1m cap

If Faz, was on £200k, then it makes even more sense to declare him as 1 of the marquee as the numbers would then become £500k v £425k, so less of a hit against the total cap

[medlocke]

We should bring in Makahesi Makatoa and Keaon Koloamatangi

[Charriots Offiah]

I have raised this before, but am not sure I expressed it clearly enough, so will try again. I think we can sign 2 more marquee players.
I am assuming/hoping that Singo for Dupree is pretty much a straight swap for salary terms, so will not include them. I am also assuming that we will upgrade Hill and Nsemba’s contracts.
My take on OUTS is that we would be prepared (or in the case of King and KPP be forced) to lose the following:

King
KPP
Cust
Mago
Thornley
Hampshire
Powell (solely by virtue of our keeping O’Neill and signing Leeming)
Isa

On INs we have:

Keith ran (I assume as a King replacement)
Walters (likewise for KPP)
Leeming (for Powell)

We would benefit from a class 2nd row and a 6/utility back. As I understand it, the key figure as far as marquee players is concerned is how much counts on the salary cap. So, if only the first 100k, say, counts, then we could get 2 marquee players and pay them whatever we want (or rather our Billionaire chairman can) as long as we free up 200k from elsewhere. I am guessing, but from the evidence so far that seems evidently feasible to me.

Now that would be some way for Danson to introduce the new era.

Exiled, you forgot about Chan. I don’t think King is cut and dried so Keighran may turn out to be a replacement for Cust. Regarding the salary cap, a Wigan trained player would count as £50k, a federation trained player £100k and a non-federation player £150k. One of the marquee players must be a federation trained player - that is my understanding anyway.

French is marquee which leaves room for a marquee player from the NRL or two federation trained players. Obviously, the make up of the marquee players will influence the amount that counts against the cap.

As things stand we need to release a non-federation player to accommodate Keighran. Another would need to leave if the Club was to recruit further from the NRL, unless that player was federation trained.

We will recruit more players so some need to be released at the end of the season to balance the books.

Chariots - I am hugely grateful to you for your care and patience in educating me on something which I should have been able to work out for myself.

My starting point is perhaps over optimistic, but it is this - if I were a Billionnaire who had just taken over my home town team (so money is no object), how would I go about getting the biggest names I could to play for us? And I think the answer is the marquee player system. With respect to our new signings, they will make us stronger but they are not in the Jonathan Davies class of game changers. I remain we will be pleasantly surprised.

Exiled - you are welcome but I wasn’t trying to educate you, I was merely giving my interpretation of the rules. I may be proven wrong. I agree that the marquee route is key to taking the Club to the next level. For what it is worth, I am expecting further recruitment in that area.

[Charriots Offiah]

We should bring in Makahesi Makatoa and Keaon Koloamatangi

Only if I can refer to them as Mak and KK