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OrrellWarrior wrote:I think this is exactly what it is, people seem to be getting a bit caught up in conspiracies. Smith didnt have a great season, but, he is a very vocal leader during plays. Something that is invaluable in any team!
The young players have enough pressure just trying to establish themselves in the first team, this loan gives Williams another season playing along side a seasoned player (to hopefully take over his mantle in the future) and allows Hampshire a season playing super league level (where any mistakes he makes wont effect us) with a view of coming into our first team a better more experienced player.
I honestly dont see a down side to this........unless of course you just love a good conspirisy.

Whilst what you say is standard newspaper fodder, I have a question for you.

Why has Williams been picked at scrum half ahead of his team mate, when, as you intimate he (like Hampshire) is a "novice"??

butt monkey wrote:

OrrellWarrior wrote:I think this is exactly what it is, people seem to be getting a bit caught up in conspiracies. Smith didnt have a great season, but, he is a very vocal leader during plays. Something that is invaluable in any team!
The young players have enough pressure just trying to establish themselves in the first team, this loan gives Williams another season playing along side a seasoned player (to hopefully take over his mantle in the future) and allows Hampshire a season playing super league level (where any mistakes he makes wont effect us) with a view of coming into our first team a better more experienced player.
I honestly dont see a down side to this........unless of course you just love a good conspirisy.

Whilst what you say is standard newspaper fodder, I have a question for you.

Why has Williams been picked at scrum half ahead of his team mate, when, as you intimate he (like Hampshire) is a "novice"??

Because he's a better 7 than his team mate.

The point I was making was about playing them both together last season.

Williams played beside an experienced 6 in Widdop, who can control a team with confidence, therefore making William's involvement in the team a much easier transition from England's U18's to full international.

Williams has gained bags of quality experience in the last couple of seasons (Hampshire hardly any) hence my thoughts that his loan to Cas is ideal for the player himself (learning off Powell etc) and hopefully Wigan in 2017.

I think you missed the key point. A young half was deemed better than Matty as an international halfback. I think we have two better halfbacks at Wigan and yet one was ignored because at the time it was convenient for Wigan to see him as a possible replacement for Bowen. A short sighted view IMO.

The Loan? Why not play, give Rocky opportunities at Wigan instead of reserve at Cas. One thing is for sure Matty Smith must be thanking his lucky stars that Rocky will not be here in 2016 to replace him. Matty v Powell does not conjure up Matty v Rocky. To be honest I think we will lose Rocky eventually and the club are more interested in spiteing Saints and in the process likewise Rocky, limiting our own potential too.

If Wigan were serious about Rocky they would have sent him to an NRL club for a season; not Cas!

cpwigan wrote:If Wigan were serious about Rocky they would have sent him to an NRL club for a season; not Cas!

That's quick off the mark - the first you've mentioned about this was after the recent Test. Clearly the club "are not serious" then?

Mike wrote:

cpwigan wrote:If Wigan were serious about Rocky they would have sent him to an NRL club for a season; not Cas!

That's quick off the mark - the first you've mentioned about this was after the recent Test. Clearly the club "are not serious" then?

Always mentioned loaning players to the NRL amongst masses of pontificating the test match just reinforced my view.

The bottom line IMO is if you look at the England v NZ; EVERY NRL player representing England has kicked on far more than they did, would have in SL.

cpwigan wrote:The bottom line IMO is if you look at the England v NZ; EVERY NRL player representing England has kicked on far more than they did, would have in SL.

Why would you want our youngsters to go to a league full of unsuccessful clubs with unsuccessful coaches?

The most important thing is that Rocky needs to play rugby. Don't forget that with his shoulder injury in 2013/14 season he didn't play much rugby and last season he probably played about a third of games. He's had two frustrating seasons which is an eternity for a young player. I think it's more a case of Wigan allowing him to go on loan rather than 'sending' him out. If, for whatever reason, he's considered to be behind Smith & Powell in the half back pecking order at Wigan (George looks cemented in now for the long-term) and isn't going to get regular game time then he's better off on loan than kicking his heels for a third season.

A reliable RedVee poster says that Rocky's loan to Cas has been pulled because of the question mark over Sam's fitness!