Higham Knew Nothing About the Netwon Thing

[mike binder]

it all stinks at the moment id sooner have Mickey ,that dosnt mean i wouldnt have \newton back :conf:

[jolleymike]

as i have said before - i wouldnt like to have newton back at wigan, the club should be looking to the future and build the pack around higham and some younger understudies a move for newton would not be in the best interests of the team and club for that matter, at best newton will have maybe 2 good seasons ahead of him including this 2008 one, that coupled with his attraction to giving penalties away i am glad that the bulls rejected the move.

As higham is an employee of wigan rl club surley he could have some rights to being consulted about him being touted as a swap for newton, after all it is not just a player that we are talking about here it would also affect his family life as well.

poor showing with regards to HR from the club, any other employer would be taken to the cleaners over a similar incident.

[Panchitta Marra]

MrAlex posted:
I think this is shocking. I'd much rather have Higham anyway - he's got a great workrate, he's quick from the play of the ball and Newton's proved himself time and time again to be a liability.

Chin up Mickey, we're with you.

I am well on your side with this one too, Mr Alex. Micky Higham is a far better player, especially with Isac's liability.

[DaveO]

I think trying to justify what the club has done here by debating the merits of Higham v Newton or speculating Higham earns a fortune (I doubt he is myself) is totally missing the point.

Shady dealings like this were supposed to be, I thought, a thing of the past.

This isn't just about Higham because if they will do this to Higham why won't they do it to other players?

That should be of concern to anyone, even Newton's biggest fans who would move heaven and earth to have him back here should see this as a problem.

Even if the deal had gone through, the ends do not justify the means. Although I have to say sadly I think some Newton fans would ignore the shady dealing aspect of this if their man returned to the club. Despite the fact it would show the club to be no better run from an integrity point of view than when Mo was here.

Dave

[Exiled Wiganer]

I don't think considering his rugby ability is beside the point - it is pertinent in establishing whether it made sense to want offload him.
I think Higham is one of these players who looks better than he is because he so obviously tries hard. There is evidence for this - his stats show he creates very few tries, scores hardly any and makes very few breaks. These are plain facts, which you can check on Opta. On all of these stats aside from clean breaks Newton is more effective, statistically. Newton does give away more penalties though. Even those who applaud him on here can't argue that he is a good passer of the ball. He would have been better placed practising his passing than moaning in the press.
I think McIllorum will become a better player.
Given That Higham is also expensive, Wigan's position is perfectly rational.
I couldn't care less whether he is happy or not, as long as he plays as well as he can - on his wage it would be a disgrace if he didn't. This sort of thing has happened since time immemorial. How can any player be really shocked where their club offers them in exchange without telling them first? It happens all the time.

I agree that the most irritating aspect is the way in which the management has been shown up by Bradford and Higham. I hope this represents naivety on their part, rather than ineptitude. They have been done like kippers.

[GeoffN]

Exiled Wiganer posted:
I don't think considering his rugby ability is beside the point - it is pertinent in establishing whether it made sense to want offload him.

Yes, but the relative merits of the two players is beside the point; the problem is the way the club went about it, without even telling Higham (or the fans) what was going on.

To say we'd made an offer for Newton would be fair enough; to say we'd offered Higham in exchange wouldn't.

Apart from anything else, how can they assume he'd want to go to Bradford without asking him? There could be any number of reasons why he wouldn't go.

[Wigan_forever1985]

stats can be misleading. to say higham creates few tries is incorrect. You have to encompass a broader view. Yes Newton probably does pass the ball more to set-up directly a try. howeer higham makes breaks from the our own 20 and at the halfway line, now as soon as we get there barrett takes over as he is the best player to use in that situation. Now just because higham wasn't the one to feed the try scorer doesn't make him any less a part of it, because he may of made the intial break to get them there in the first place.

Newton is a better ball handler than Higham FACT. Newton is a better distributer FACT. Higham is a cleaner player FACT, Higam is faster FACT, higham is fitter FACT. Higham is younger FACT

Newton is an old style hooker in a game that is moving away from that. Newton is a hooker who is part of the pack, however hookers are now more like an extra back. i agree, to have both of them would be ideal as you got the best of both worlds but if it comes down to a choice, higham gets my vote every time.

[DaveO]

Exiled Wiganer posted:
I don't think considering his rugby ability is beside the point - it is pertinent in establishing whether it made sense to want offload him.

What has that got to do with how the club did this?

I think Higham is one of these players who looks better than he is because he so obviously tries hard. There is evidence for this - his stats show he creates very few tries, scores hardly any and makes very few breaks. These are plain facts, which you can check on Opta.

So what? Does that justify the club offering a player to another club without discussing it with him and that player finding this out in the press? This is no way to run a club.

On all of these stats aside from clean breaks Newton is more effective, statistically. Newton does give away more penalties though. Even those who applaud him on here can't argue that he is a good passer of the ball. He would have been better placed practising his passing than moaning in the press.
I think McIllorum will become a better player.

Again, so what? This isn't the issue. I also think McIllorum will be a better player one day but that is not relevant to this fiasco. The club has been made to look totally stupid by Bradford going public and they have undermined the no. 1 hooker at the club.

Given That Higham is also expensive, Wigan's position is perfectly rational.

Please tell me how much Higham earns. If you can't saying he is expensive is pure speculation on your part. I for one think there are several players at the club earning more than him (speculation on my part). Fielden and Feka for example.

But even if he was the top earner at the club and even if you don't rate him as a player, it does not justify the clubs actions which are right out of the Mo book of shady deals.

I couldn't care less whether he is happy or not, as long as he plays as well as he can - on his wage it would be a disgrace if he didn't.

Well perhaps you should care if the rest of the squad are happy about this. If they will go behind Higham's back - a player who is much better than he is given credit for by many, why won't they be going behind other players backs as well?

Do you want the entire squad wondering if they are next?

This sort of thing has happened since time immemorial. How can any player be really shocked where their club offers them in exchange without telling them first? It happens all the time.

Does it? And does it make it right? I can't see a justification for doing it to any player. If the club wants someone else they need to be upfront about it. Often clubs are by telling players they do not figure in the coaches future plans and that they can look for another club.

In Higham's case he claims Noble told him he was happy with him. If so and at the same time he was being offered to Bradford that is downright deceitful.

I agree that the most irritating aspect is the way in which the management has been shown up by Bradford and Higham. I hope this represents naivety on their part, rather than ineptitude. They have been done like kippers.

The management gave Bradford all the ammo they needed.

Dave

[shawcross da warrior]

shocking that the lad didnt know....

i really would be p****d off if this had happend to me if i was micky higham.......

[AncientWarrior]

DaveO posted:
I think trying to justify what the club has done here by debating the merits of Higham v Newton or speculating Higham earns a fortune (I doubt he is myself) is totally missing the point.

Shady dealings like this were supposed to be, I thought, a thing of the past.

This isn't just about Higham because if they will do this to Higham why won't they do it to other players?

That should be of concern to anyone, even Newton's biggest fans who would move heaven and earth to have him back here should see this as a problem.

Even if the deal had gone through, the ends do not justify the means. Although I have to say sadly I think some Newton fans would ignore the shady dealing aspect of this if their man returned to the club. Despite the fact it would show the club to be no better run from an integrity point of view than when Mo was here.

Dave

Why are people always prepared to think the worst of Wigan (whoever is in charge)?

Ian Lenegan has categorically denied making an "offer" for Newton (see Tuesday's Observer) and stated that he merely made an enquiry as to when , if at all, Newton would become available. He goes on to say that he has made similar enquiries with other clubs about other players and he considers this to be an ongoing part of his job at Wigan; I find myself in full agreement with this attitude.

I am more prepared to believe Lenegan than the Bradford Press release and I consider this to be mischief-making of the worst degree!!!!