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Properly gutted to be losing such a class act. Thanks for a brilliant couple of years, Finchy! Once a Cherry and White, forever a Cherry and White.

Let's hope he can guide us to silverware before he gets off!

Is this the next big test for Lenegan? He has done fantastically to retain Sam at the end of last season, but can he follow it up with a sensible replacement for Finch? SO far we've recruited new players IMO "on the cheap", but very sensibly with an eye for a bargin. Perhaps a bargin will not be available this time and we may need to sign a player at full market value. I hope we either bring on a replacement half back from the academy *this* season where possible, or dip into the transfer market to replace like for like - i.e. a proven performer (not Rangi Chase for me BTW!)

God wrote:Read the other thred that i commented on, this isnt a supise for me i could say i told you so. Cowboys and Souths are his options, dare i say it our old coach has had a big baring on this and it will be Souths were he will play next year.

There fans not to over joyous about it either by all accounts but hey hes honoured his contract which is fair play to the bloke.

He will be replaced so its not the end of the world....the hardest thing to swallow is both our halfbacks will go which is going to impact this side big time and i feel a season of transition is on the cards for next year.

Smith a replacement for Tommy.....IMO Not half the player Tommy is and we will see that next year.

I agree with just about everything you say here.

Losing Tommy, Finch and Lima is taking a huge chunk of experience from the side as well as skill. Signing squad players like Smith isn't going to plug the gap.

If he ends up at Souths I will wonder had Madge not given him that option if he would have still been a Wigan player next year.

I will also wonder had we got on with this when he didn't necessarily have other options on the table so maybe had him signed up earlier if that would have killed off any interest.

I suppose what I am trying to say is our club does not seem to know how to hold onto its best players at the moment. Offering a player what he wants is only part of it. It's when you do it and how you go about it as you can't rely on circumstances remaining the same. I just get the impression the club is slow to act and players have other options before it does.

As to it being a transition season that depends what the club does on the recruitment front. If all it signs is Matty Smith the rest of the league will be rubbing their hands.

So sad to lose a player of Finchys class but good luck to the lad and i wish him all the best back home.

DaveO wrote:
I suppose what I am trying to say is our club does not seem to know how to hold onto its best players at the moment.

Didn;t we just hang on to our *most* important player recently?

Finch is quality, but he is a two-year aussie like many in the past. Replace him with another two-year aussie and we've lost nothing. Maybe the next guy will be another Pat richards or Brett Dallas and stay the course, or maybe one of the youth will make good during those next two years.

The information I had was people within Wigan felt some time ago both Finchy and Lima were persuaded to return down under by Madge.

Finchy is a class RL player who makes the game look simple and is able to slow the game down as and when he chooses to. His defence was excellent too.

Finchy can be replaced. The biggest task is replacing so many players in one go.

Mike wrote:

DaveO wrote:
I suppose what I am trying to say is our club does not seem to know how to hold onto its best players at the moment.

Didn;t we just hang on to our *most* important player recently?

Finch is quality, but he is a two-year aussie like many in the past. Replace him with another two-year aussie and we've lost nothing. Maybe the next guy will be another Pat richards or Brett Dallas and stay the course, or maybe one of the youth will make good during those next two years.

How does holding onto Sam (when we lost Joel) alter the fact we are losing Finch, Carmont, Tommy and Lima in one go? That is not good for whatever reason the players are leaving.

I posted this on rlfans which probably better artculates what I am on about:

We don't seem to be very good at holding onto our best players at the moment. OK Carmont is due to retire and both Finch and Tommy have seen their contracts out. I can see why Tommy fancies a change after his length of service and George is at the end of his career but it has got to be disappointing not to be able to retain Finch and Lima.

If those two both end up at Souths did the club drop the ball and not see it coming? I mean had the club acted more quickly and got a deal in front of Brett early on he may well have signed it before any other offers landed on the table. I just get the impression we react to events rather than shape them.

As to this freeing up the salary cap I would not get your hopes up. There is more money in the NRL and the exchange rate is poor. Over here there isn't a half back as good as either of the ones we are losing. That being so I think offering Finch the deal he wanted is one thing. Offering him a better deal than that would not have been out of order given the dearth of talent available. There is subtle difference to the questions "What contract are you after?" and "What can we do to make you stay?". You have to at least ask the last question given the situation we find ourselves in even if you have to say no in the end.

DaveO wrote: There is subtle difference to the questions "What contract are you after?" and "What can we do to make you stay?".

never a truer word spoken.

Very disappointing,

We are losing a lot of key players in one hit; next season could be very challenging.

Is there a possibility that Sam will return to 6 and one of the youngsters might come in at fullback?

Don't rate Chase and have yet to see anything from Smith for him to be mentioned in the class as Finch

From his comments it looks like Brett Finch simply wants to set his career up after his playing days and who could blame him. A coaching role, TV pundit, who knows, after another season or so of playing.
Difficult to offer him the same in the Superleague, hence his departure.
Mores the pitty as this season has shown what he can do as a player and a leader.
Brett Finch will be sadly missed and difficult to replace.