SMITH SIGNS FOR WIGAN!!!

[platt-warrior]

I agree with a great deal of what you say Dave,I must also add that there is a minority of members who would like to see some of the reserves get" a shot" but having watched them on a few occasions the half backs eluded to are just not ready IMO

[BIG AL]

Am i missing something .Where is every one getting all this info about Smith .If he is so good why as he not been snaped up by another Aussie club .We now have Phelps who as been given a six month contract because we are not sure about him we have smith who according to every one is the best thing since sliced bread apart from having a medical condition and a drink problem ,and then we have Price who according to most people is brille ,That is if he ever plays a game .Just where dose this leave young Tomkins .I thought IL wanted to get shut of our overseas players for home grown talent :conf:

[ancientnloyal]

Dave I know it's a few months away but we can realistically get 2nd place if we start a good run from now until the end of the season, with the 2 Saints games a huge marker. If we get 2nd there is a very good chance of beating Leeds at Headingley, it's not impossible we all know we have a fantastic record there. Even if Leeds would beat us, we'd have another crack the following week.

I am unsure about this signing, I dont know enough about this player so I will reserve judgement... first impressions though: unsure

[cpwigan]

Sorry but this club of ours is going backwards and to imagine we can win anything defies logic. Leeds and Saints are at a different level when it comes to the crunch. The odd victory, a decent showing v one of them does not or should not hide from the fact that when the everything is on the line they beat us. We are not even able to win several matches on the trot. We are akin to the Warrington teams of the 80's, when it does not matter, turn over a big club, when it comes to the big games always second best.

Il has no success in sport. Harlequins? Oxford? now Wigan. So whilst he enjoys walking around his fancy carpetted office you and I will be watching mediocrity. Let's be honest how many games have been truly enjoyed, been impressed with this season? 2? 3?

What does Joe Lydon actually do? Why is he not Down Under recruiting? He is a name, somebody players might relate to? A weeks holiday by IL is going to get you exactly what we got.

Noble. Inherited a good set up at Bradford. Did he leave one behind?

Brassed off. Sorry. Several more years of Saints humiliating us and winning nothing does not inspire me.

[old hooker]

Just because the lad has had some off field problems it does not figure that he is going to continue in the same vein. Why get on the backs of Phelps and Smith before they have played a game for us.OK they are not the biggest names but neither was Carmont but hes done a fine job up to now.The last so called great player we signed apart from Trent was a certain Mr Fielden and hes turned out to be a right plonker,so lets give them our support instead of being negative.




















..
Apart from Barrett the last so called great player we signed was Fielden and look at what he has done for us,nothing.

[cpwigan]

Awesome signing. Another IL masterstroke. He really attracts quality. Phelps and now Smith. Dear God we lose our best highest paid player and get a player with very poor form following a rookie season and enormous baggage. If you think our backs do not get much ball wait until Mr Inside Pass struts his stuff.

Roll on 2010 and Sam Tomkins being ready.

What were you expecting with such short notice? The Wigan management never planned to replace Trent Barrett for next season that was never part of their plans so have had to under limited funds find a suitable replacement. We have signed a 23 year old Australian who won rookie of the year in his debut season where he outstanded pundits with 40 try assists and his perfection short kicking game and his vision to put players through the gaps. This lad was tipped as the next Joey Johns for christ sake!.

Yes the lad has had his off field problems but let me tell you all now the Aussie media love to exaggerate things over there. They have very close scrutiny of the players a bit like football over here. But one thing is for sure Lenegan and Tim would not have agreed a deal should everything had not been right and even if there is the slimmest of possibilities Ian Lenegan has worked the contract so it suites both parties.

Trent Barrett is irreplaceable one of the best stand offs for a long time at Wigan and so the expectation will be very high however this lad has it in him most certainly. He's proven that in Australia. Now with no disrespect the super league is not the harder competition so just imagine what this kid could do in super league. That's why we have signed the lad. Let's face it there isn't enough British quality and even the ones that are would have cost a fortune to come to Wigan. Prized Australians at a young age wont come because of the ruling the can't play for country or origin and would have cost a fortune and overpaid retired stand offs such as Lockyer would not have gone down well either. So he can't win basically?

Not too mention this lad will enable competition for places
come the play offs or maybe even earlier than that. Any team with Barrett and Tim Smith stands a chance of winning the super league.

As Mike Binder states, somebody had better explain how we operate within the quota with both Phelps and Smith?

2008 unless one plays hooker I cannot see all 3 (Trent, Tommy, Tim playing together.

Tim Smith, your right, those very same people after a handful of games were saying Smith for Queensland, Australia in 12 months. The most recent comment was unfit and lazy by Freddie Fittler. Everybody knows that when you are new it makes things easier, players, teams know less about you. The second season is the crunch and guess what Smith never got over it. he was a one season wonder followed by nothing.

The reports were genuine. He did get drunk on several occasions, he did assault people. Has Wigan not got any drinkingestablishments? Do SL players avoid trouble? So by moving across the world he is going to undergo a miraculous cure and become free from bi-polar. Funnily enough there was me thinking once bi-polar, always bi-polar. You may control it but it is always there.

Sorry why could IL and co not go out and try to sign a quality replacement. If you do not try, you do not get. What you do get is the same lists from the same agents that every SL club gets.

I have an inkling Carmont was agreed before IL came along. If that is so we have signed cannot tackle will not tackle Mathers, One for the future Pryce, Phelps who only got an NRL game in a massive injury crisis and has tackling issues and now Smith who has no form for 2 years + is on a downward spiral, retired and with major health issues. So when IL tells us each time how fantastic these players are pardon me for not thinking I smell ILpoop.

[El Bobbers]

I have an inkling Carmont was agreed before IL came along

So why haven't you mentioned this in any of your other anti IL/Nobby rants? You seem to be grasping at straws in your mission to moan about everything!

For someone who is obviously knowledgeable you thinking baffle me! Tim Smith will not have become rubbish over night, Wigans players like a drink just as much as any other teams players and yes they do get into trouble (Feka?).

Didn't Jamie Lyon come over having given the game a rest due to the pressure he was under? Didn't Matt King (probably a bad example but hey ho) do the same for a short while?

[El Bobbers]

Awesome signing. Another IL masterstroke. He really attracts quality. Phelps and now Smith. Dear God we lose our best highest paid player and get a player with very poor form following a rookie season and enormous baggage. If you think our backs do not get much ball wait until Mr Inside Pass struts his stuff.

Roll on 2010 and Sam Tomkins being ready.

What were you expecting with such short notice? The Wigan management never planned to replace Trent Barrett for next season that was never part of their plans so have had to under limited funds find a suitable replacement. We have signed a 23 year old Australian who won rookie of the year in his debut season where he outstanded pundits with 40 try assists and his perfection short kicking game and his vision to put players through the gaps. This lad was tipped as the next Joey Johns for christ sake!.

Yes the lad has had his off field problems but let me tell you all now the Aussie media love to exaggerate things over there. They have very close scrutiny of the players a bit like football over here. But one thing is for sure Lenegan and Tim would not have agreed a deal should everything had not been right and even if there is the slimmest of possibilities Ian Lenegan has worked the contract so it suites both parties.

Trent Barrett is irreplaceable one of the best stand offs for a long time at Wigan and so the expectation will be very high however this lad has it in him most certainly. He's proven that in Australia. Now with no disrespect the super league is not the harder competition so just imagine what this kid could do in super league. That's why we have signed the lad. Let's face it there isn't enough British quality and even the ones that are would have cost a fortune to come to Wigan. Prized Australians at a young age wont come because of the ruling the can't play for country or origin and would have cost a fortune and overpaid retired stand offs such as Lockyer would not have gone down well either. So he can't win basically?

Not too mention this lad will enable competition for places
come the play offs or maybe even earlier than that. Any team with Barrett and Tim Smith stands a chance of winning the super league.

I agree completely with Pieeater Alex. To me this makes sense. We have been put in a position we would never have expected and have dealt with it, it isn't a ridiculous contract either which shows IL has given this a bit of thought.

[medlocke]

Sounds like somebody has spat their dummy over another signing that will keep one of the precious acadamy players of the scene again

[cpwigan]

We will see who is correct. I know this much IL has delivered nothing yet and many people are prepared to swallow his bull. I prefer not to. If he transforms this club then he earns the right to be supported beforehand. Until then, he needs to deliver and at the moment he is not doing so. We are going backwards.

As I say, time will tell but I am confident.