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Re: Wigan recruitment post Bet...

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:00 pm
by DaveO
primrose-n-blue posted:
I cannot believe the standard of recruitment from Wigan in the post Betts era...The Millward times.
This is a wind up!

I bet you were not sayng that to your fellow p & b fans pre-season.

Feka, any team would love to have him.
Calderwood you conveniently forget to mention, SL top try scorer.
Richards, played a major part in a GF winning season.
Logan, solid no nonsense prop in the Cowie mould
Fletcher, brings experience to a young side.

The only odd ball decision was Newton for Higham but even that was seen as good business by many as Newton would not be availble for months.

The problem with the above players is not who they are but the fact most of them are injured or not living up to their repuations.

Based on their past records every one was considered a good signing and a players record is all you can go off when deciding who to sign.
Wigan post relegation 79/80(had to get that in!) have long been associated with signing the best players...Hanley,Gregory,Miles,Inga,Offiah...etc. I wont go on, i'll be here all afternoon.
You could also go on all afternoon about the players they brought through the ranks and the less than spectacular players they signed (McGinty ring any bells?) and turned into better players.

Players like Hall, Wane, Cowie and others came from lower divisions or through the ranks.
Why would Wigan ever signing players such as Wilkes-played at nearly half of the clubs in NL1.
He is 25 not 35 and Wigan have always signed players form lower divisions.
Richards-an out and out winger brought in to play as a centre..wtf?
Hindsight comes with 20/20 vision. Then again he may just turn out to be a success in this position. We will tell you at the end of the season.
Logan-signed from the team that finished 3 points off the wooden spoon.
Fletcher with Logan spent his days in the NRL abyss and at 32yrs on a 2yrs deal?
I'll be fairer on Jonkers-but still a loaned off struggler.
I don't know who Wire have signed but I bet you could do an equally good charachter asassination job on the lot of 'em.
I don't care really how much effort, circumstance or injury have played a part in Wigan, so don't go using it as a defence on their behalf...the bottom line is that these players are a gulf away from the signings we have come to expect from Wigan over many years...too many for me but thats another topic.
The fact they are injured and can't play does have some baring on their form!

In case you hadn't noticed there aren't any Hanley's and Offiah's available to sign although with Calderwood you could argue we got the next best thing to Offiah in the English game of today.
How many of these players would get into another super league club?
Of the established ex-NRL recruits and GB stars we have gone for I'd say all of them.

Wilkes would not but then as I said Wigan have a record of taking what appears to be average players and turning them into very good players.

Relative to all other sides in the league on paper Wigan's squad is a match for any of them. What is lacks is an out and out leader in the Edwards, Farrell and Hanley mould to get them to play with pasion and to pull them altogether and pulling in the right direction. We definately need that player and he ought to be a half back. Get one and I reckon we'd be fine but unfortunately I can't see where one is going to come from soon.

Dave

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:07 pm
by pedro
well said Dave pretty much spot on

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:40 pm
by GeoffN
DaveO posted:
Wigan have a record of taking what appears to be average players and turning them into very good players.

Dave
I agree with everything else you posted, Dave (so I've trimmed it!), and historically this, too, is true, but recently we've been doing the opposite!

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Mon Mar 27, 2006 8:46 pm
by ian.birchall
MrsLam posted:
We keep being reminded of players (before my time - omg am only 20 and I got a pension letter today...)
Don't worry MrsLam. Under New (?) Labour your retirement date is still 50 years away :eh:

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:46 am
by jinkin jimmy
This is a wind up!
And a pretty successful one too judging by the length of your response!! :lol:

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:53 am
by DaveO
jinkin jimmy posted:
This is a wind up!
And a pretty successful one too judging by the length of your response!! :lol:
Since you didn't read it, how would you know? :wink:

BTW, have a look at the relegation thread for some excellent examples of how to quote and respond to posts. You might learn a thing or two :wink:

Dave

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:53 am
by Doveoverdave
pedro posted:
well said Dave pretty much spot on
No he is completely wrong!

We have signed players from lower divisions successfully, but never signed just "bodies" to coin a phrase in desperation as now.

Players like Cowie et al were going to make it any how it was just a case of who with!

Jonkers and Mason have already been at bigger clubs and failed to cut the mustard.

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 9:55 am
by jinkin jimmy
DaveO posted:
jinkin jimmy posted:
This is a wind up!
And a pretty successful one too judging by the length of your response!! :lol:
Since you didn't read it, how would you know? :wink:

BTW, have a look at the relegation thread for some excellent examples of how to quote and respond to posts. You might learn a thing or two :wink:

Dave
Don't need to. Got under your skin easily enough with this so why change a winning routine?

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:02 am
by DaveO
jinkin jimmy posted:
DaveO posted:
jinkin jimmy posted:
And a pretty successful one too judging by the length of your response!! :lol:
Since you didn't read it, how would you know? :wink:

BTW, have a look at the relegation thread for some excellent examples of how to quote and respond to posts. You might learn a thing or two :wink:

Dave
Don't need to.
I wasn't being serious before but come to think of it, actually yes you do.
Got under your skin easily enough with this so why change a winning routine?
I knew what you were doing. It really is childish but if you think you are being clever, you carry on.

Dave

Re: Wigan recruitment post...

Posted: Tue Mar 28, 2006 10:05 am
by DaveO
Doveoverdave posted:
pedro posted:
well said Dave pretty much spot on
No he is completely wrong!

We have signed players from lower divisions successfully, but never signed just "bodies" to coin a phrase in desperation as now.

Players like Cowie et al were going to make it any how it was just a case of who with!

Jonkers and Mason have already been at bigger clubs and failed to cut the mustard.
Jomkers is on a months loan, not a permanent signing. Wilkes according to Millward is someone whry were tracking anyway. So if we believe that, this isn't a panic buy other than it happened earlier than next season when he said that was the time they were going to move for him.

Dave