Gaz Hock Latest ?

[doc]

To be honest, the way our young forwards are progressing i don't think we need him. Maybe give him a one year contract to see how he goes/behaves before comitting ourselves.

I thought Farrel was excellent before he went off. He should have got a hat trick bar some poor refereeing. I was concerned about why he went off and hope it was just cramp and not a reoccurrence of his foot injury.

[weststand-rich]

I think Dobby is mostly on the mark here.

Hock was/is a mercurial player and on his day was sublime in attack. But in tight games he would offload with impunity and couldn't reign it in.

Off the pitch - well. I'm not sure what, if anything has changed in a real sense. Has he changed his life fundamentally? Is he keeping different company? Getting him to train at the best of times was difficult and I'm not sure how he would react to the short leash Mcguire keeps the lads under.

[Kiwiseddon]

[quote="doc"]To be honest, the way our young forwards are progressing i don't think we need him. Maybe give him a one year contract to see how he goes/behaves before comitting ourselves.

That'd be the way to do it for me. Given him a year on a reasonable contract and see where it takes us/him. I also think he should
come back at prop and have heard that he's currently at the 17 stone mark. Think it may suit him more now especially with the second towers we currently have.

I totally appreciate all the comments stating that we shouldn't re-sign him but if we didn't, I'm sure it'll come back to us and bite us on the arse. He is capable of winning (or losing) a game by himself and although it's a risk, I'd have him back as he offers that unpredictability that can turn a game.

[ancientnloyal]

He is World Class and doing his all to get back in cherry and white. He made a mistake fine but that shouldn't haunt him for his career. If and when he comes back I dont think giving him the 11 shirt is ideal but should get into the team based on form alone - which shouldn't be too hard for him.

we'd be mad not to re-sign him

[MrDave]

It would have been interesting to see how Hock played under Maguire. Hock is a very talented player but as with a lot of the players in the Wigan squad I don't think he was able to consistently play at his best.

The Australians were very impressed by Gareth Hock a few seasons ago in a tour were the English/British were awful.

I would be happy for Wigan to re-sign Hock when is ban is over but I think the PR people at Wigan will need to work hard as I can imagine that some news papers will take the opportunity to try and make it appear Wigan accept drugs cheats, by letting a banned player walk straight back into the squad for example.

[gillysmyhero]

I saw Gaz training on his own down on the canathis morning.Im sorry but anyone who thinks we shouldnt resign because we dont need him are IMO living in cuckcoo land are we so good al off a sudden that we can turn world class players away.

[medlocke]

but he isn't world class FFS, Inglis, Slater, Thurston, now that's world class, how can anyone state that Hock is world class when 5 games out of 6 he is throwing passes to nobody or giving away silly penaltys, 4 or 5 superb games a year is not good enough, he is too inconsistent.

[cpwigan]

Most EXPERTS rate him as world class. I remember MIck Hogan telling me that on average he creates 4 try scoring opportunities for the team per match. Nobody bar Lockers does that and Lockers does it through passes whereas Hock knocks a brick wall down or offloads.

[THE 18th Man]

Gaz is an outstanding talent who wants to play for us and has love and respect for the club. under Maguire he has more than enough potential to be the best in the world as before Sam and the youngsters came in he was the best in the England squad. one mistake shouldn't ruin his life and he deserves a second chance. everybody makes it sound like he broke the law and has been sent down for two years when he has been suspended by the sport. anybody who cant see he is a class player and can get better, well i hope you never take up coaching

[mickh]

I would say give him another chance, especially if he has bulked-up, most posters have been asking for a rough house prop, we have got a ready made one just waiting in the wings, he will know all of the moves, (not like an import who has to learn them), he will have something to prove which will make him more hungry, he needs someone to play off his off-loads.
He will keep clean because it's his one and only chance