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jinkin jimmy posted:
Dave and Matthew. You both are in agreement here but who is your criticism aimed at in particular? Coach? Board? Who? :doz:

Whoever signed the players! It makes no mention who actually signed these players - however I think that it is safe to say that Noble signed Withers from his old club. LeuLeuai was being linked with us before Noble took the helm so that was probably ML - although whether he had a say in whether he came is another matter. Millard? Don't know.

My criticism is that we have signed two players past their best. One replaces (in my opinion) a superior player in Godwin. The other could shunt probably the best prospect the club has onto the bench.

Having reviewed the sqaud we now have at least 5 players who can play centre:

Bailey (that's what we signed him as)
McAvoy
Goulding
Withers
And the eternally awful DV

(Discounting that Richards was signed to play centre; he'll presumably revert to the wing now)

Compare that to our resources at prop.

Likewise, Leuleai is a very good scrum half - when he plays. He has been plagued with injury and for a player that young that is a serious concern.

I think that the money could have been better spent elsewhere and in keeping Godwin and Orr

buddyboy posted:
:doz:
Not quite sure about the negative postings re these players.

1. Withers looked excellent to me at the end of last season. Takes the high ball as well as anyone in the SL. Solid defender. A little slow maybe but how fast is wellens? 7/10.
2. Millard is always very professional. Nothing spectacular but very solid. Wont be pushed around by anyone. 6/10
3. lulu potentially the best scrum half in super league for years to come. Devasting near the line. Injury suspect 8/10

A good solid prop would finish the team of quite well. Overall I am quite happy 8/10.

I agree. Withers was by far the Bulls best player in the play offs.

Lulu if injury free will be good. But weve got that injury free syndrome again.

Matthew posted:

jinkin jimmy posted:
Dave and Matthew. You both are in agreement here but who is your criticism aimed at in particular? Coach? Board? Who? :doz:

Whoever signed the players! It makes no mention who actually signed these players - however I think that it is safe to say that Noble signed Withers from his old club. LeuLeuai was being linked with us before Noble took the helm so that was probably ML - although whether he had a say in whether he came is another matter. Millard? Don't know.

My criticism is that we have signed two players past their best. One replaces (in my opinion) a superior player in Godwin. The other could shunt probably the best prospect the club has onto the bench.

Having reviewed the sqaud we now have at least 5 players who can play centre:

Bailey (that's what we signed him as)
McAvoy
Goulding
Withers
And the eternally awful DV

(Discounting that Richards was signed to play centre; he'll presumably revert to the wing now)

Compare that to our resources at prop.

Likewise, Leuleai is a very good scrum half - when he plays. He has been plagued with injury and for a player that young that is a serious concern.

I think that the money could have been better spent elsewhere and in keeping Godwin and Orr

yes if you could keep them but orr played a dozen good games for wigan he was on a good contract wigan wanted godwin to stay hull gave him more we have a good youth setup it takes its toll on cap ,look at leeds and players they have lost,we were guessing about signings , we didnt know, we dont yet have nobbys starting line up he got us away from rock bottom we have to give him the chance to build his team

We have to trust in nobby we cannot predict if one player might move to another club by the time the season starts i think withers might end up as a half back if barret or lulu gets injured he might end up in centre or full back we dont know but i think that bailey will defonatly play in the pack at 2nd row and give goulding another 2 years to improve Withers will help ashton in full back.

think about this we have an
1.experiencied utility back(withers)
2.experiencied stand off(barret)
3.huge pack and good hookers
4.some young talent in the likes of ashton and lulu

we could win the SL but we need to keep ashton at wigan if we dont we'll get screwed in two years time.

shocking

didn't see this one coming

No pleasing some folk is there. Fair comment about LuLu injury problems but he's replacing a player older than him & who played to his potential for approx 3 1/2 months out of 3 years, and he is a goal kicker.

IMO wagga left for a larger salary which wigan were:
1)not prepared to pay or

2)unable to pay due to the salary cap.

Therefore you have to question his commitment to the wigan cause

All three signings will be on less money than people they are replacing so it makes financial sense.

If we are despondent at pre-season when we have just announced our future plans we might as well accept we are going to struggle like the previous two seasons( with our alleged superior players we've let go).

Cmon folks, lets get behind Nobby & the squad. They need us

Dear me what are they playing at?

Two years! We are going further and further back!

Challenge for the title next year! No chance

These players would not have been touched by the likes of Snake Helens, so why have we got them!

Simple, we have no vision and a very big problem coming our way with the salary cap breached yet again.

It has to be said yet again

Lindsay Out

Like many here, I'm unimpressed with 2-year contracts for the two senior players. It smacks of the club giving in to the demands of the players - and I wouldn't have thought either was in a particularly strong negotiating position.

As for the scrum-half, signing anyone after a serious injury is always risky - but I think he's a better long-term prospect than Orr was.

At least now we know we've definatly got 'em :exc:

michael inch stoke posted:
No pleasing some folk is there. Fair comment about LuLu injury problems but he's replacing a player older than him & who played to his potential for approx 3 1/2 months out of 3 years, and he is a goal kicker.

He is a part time goal kicker at best and quick search on the web shows a player for file at Quins of zero goals in 17 appearances last season and 24 for the NZ warriors when he played there out of 22 appearances. These are not the statistics of what I would call a goal kicker.

With Orr gone we did need a s/h but lets not start a myth he is a goal kicker. The more worrying statistics are not his goal kicking but that he spent 2005 out with a broken ankle and most of 2006 out with hamstring problems.

IMO wagga left for a larger salary which wigan were:
1)not prepared to pay or

2)unable to pay due to the salary cap.

Therefore you have to question his commitment to the wigan cause

It is common knowledge he did not want to leave but they are all professional players and need to make money while they can.

Wigan had already signed Baily and Barrett so knew the salary commitment that brought with it but have gone on to sign Withers who will not be playing for nothing.

As Matthew has said we already have lots of cover at centre and so it seems obvious that to afford Withers wages (who we didn't really need) we could not match the Hull offer to Wagga. Had the wages of Withers and Millard combined been used to retain Wagga the team would, IMO, be better for it.

All three signings will be on less money than people they are replacing so it makes financial sense.

You need t look at the team as a whole not on an individual basis. Withers is not replacing anyone so is an additional drain on the salary cap. That is the problem.

If we are despondent at pre-season when we have just announced our future plans we might as well accept we are going to struggle like the previous two seasons( with our alleged superior players we've let go).

Cmon folks, lets get behind Nobby & the squad. They need us

At the moment the team is unbalanced with only two senior props and as discussed the singing of Millard and Withers appears to have forced a committed, young and very good player out.

So at the moment despite the undoubted quality of Barrett the side as a whole does not look as effective as that which finished last season.

Dave