When will this club learn?

[cpwigan]

And you know exactly what the long term prognosis is?

Personally, I would rather we 1) Make sure Fletcher is okay healthwise and then 2) Make any decisions as regards his playing future when it is right to do so. If we can retain him, we should IMHO

[cpwigan]

Maybe I should adopt Pie Eaters tone

The original post is ill founded and such posters should stop being so damn morbid and pessimistic before a ball has been passes, a tackle made in anger.Failing that maybe they should return their season ticket to the JJB for a pass to Gidlow Cemetry

[superleague]

cpwigan posted:
And you know exactly what the long term prognosis is?

Personally, I would rather we 1) Make sure Fletcher is okay healthwise and then 2) Make any decisions as regards his playing future when it is right to do so. If we can retain him, we should IMHO

after having major bowel surgery i seriously doubt he will be back this season so i agree with the grinch.

[DaveO]

cpwigan posted:
And you know exactly what the long term prognosis is?

Personally, I would rather we 1) Make sure Fletcher is okay healthwise and then 2) Make any decisions as regards his playing future when it is right to do so. If we can retain him, we should IMHO

I agree with everything you said in your first post in the thread. Some excellent points well made.

Fletcher is here to lend his experience to a young side. The sides average age is, I believe, one of the lowest in the competition this coming season.

It is a blow to the club this has happened and not the news I wanted to return to from my New year holiday.

However I have to agree with those who say if he is out long term then the club have to find a replacement.

I'd say anything more than half a season out requires the club to find someone to fill his boots if they can.

I take your point about Bradford and made the point myself that they won the competition because they were the one team in the top six going into the finals at full strength. Injuries at the business end of the season did for Saints and Leeds for certain.

Unfortunately I suspect we won't have Fletcher back for the end of season run-in to bolster the side in a similar way Bradford had players returning for them.

If that is the case then sentiment has to go out of the window and the hunt for a new player must start.

I hope I am wrong and we see him in a Wigan shirt as I was looking forward to seeing him play and would have had him as captain. But his undoubted playing and leadership skills are no use to us if he can't apply them on the pitch for a substantial part of the season.

Dave

[cpwigan]

So much depends on the extent of the problem etc The statement we have all read is vague and as yet we know little. Like you Dave I hope he can return and play for our club and if people want to look at our own interest I am not sure we could get a suitable replacement at this time.

This is not directed at you dave but people are with hindsight always looking for scapegoats. I recall people criticising Gene Miles after a couple of games and he came with some bad injuries and at the wrong time in his career. Brett Dallas, nobody would go near after some really bad injury problems in Aus. The doom and gloom merchants would have criticised his signing at the time as fool hardy.

This is a high risk sport where fast collisions between finely tuned athletes of varying size is bound to lead to injuries.

I applaud the Saracens owner who says despite what has happened to him, he has no regrets about signing Faz. I've never seen a player yet who wanted to be injured and not playing.

[DaveO]

cpwigan posted:
So much depends on the extent of the problem etc The statement we have all read is vague and as yet we know little. Like you Dave I hope he can return and play for our club and if people want to look at our own interest I am not sure we could get a suitable replacement at this time.

Probably true. Look what happened when Davico got injured. We were very lucky to find Guisett and while he did a good job for us I am sure we would have been a better side with our first choice, Davico.

This is not directed at you dave but people are with hindsight always looking for scapegoats. I recall people criticising Gene Miles after a couple of games and he came with some bad injuries and at the wrong time in his career. Brett Dallas, nobody would go near after some really bad injury problems in Aus. The doom and gloom merchants would have criticised his signing at the time as fool hardy.

I agree. It happens all the time. Apparently every time a player over the age of about 28 gets injured the club was wrong to have signed them/renewed their contract/not got shut at the end of the previous season.

If the club reacted like that every time a player was out with a serious imjury we would have got rid of many a player who recovered and went on to play a great role at the club.

I applaud the Saracens owner who says despite what has happened to him, he has no regrets about signing Faz. I've never seen a player yet who wanted to be injured and not playing.

Me either but the caveat to the sentiments of the Sarries coach is that for us we have a small squad of experienced players due to the 20/20 and the loss of Fletcher is more serious than that of Hock IMO.

I don't think the club can afford to adopt a similar attitude over Fletcher if he is out for the season.

I would not be averse to them offering him season in 2007 provided he made a full recovery but if he is out for all of 2006 we have a problem that needs sorting out. If it can be.

Dave

[cpwigan]

Your right about the 20/20 and how it forces you to have act in the clubs interest and so on Dave.The verdict on Hock has seemingly been updated to should be fit for the start of the season so that is good news. I believe he starts oxygen chamber treatment next week too.

Likewise, summer rugby has closed the short term NRL deals off unless they are during the play offs. I seem to recall Davidson and Blake played short spells back in the day.

We all talk and predict but the bottom line is that injuries could wreck the script for any SL club with the salary cap and 20/20 in place.

[superleague]

cpwigan posted:
Your right about the 20/20 and how it forces you to have act in the clubs interest and so on Dave.The verdict on Hock has seemingly been updated to should be fit for the start of the season so that is good news. I believe he starts oxygen chamber treatment next week too.

Likewise, summer rugby has closed the short term NRL deals off unless they are during the play offs. I seem to recall Davidson and Blake played short spells back in the day.

We all talk and predict but the bottom line is that injuries could wreck the script for any SL club with the salary cap and 20/20 in place.

totally agree and why cant the rugby league board not see this especially the 20/20 rule what a stupid rule that is and do something about.[/u]