DaveO wrote:
Well obviously one way to keep a player is ask for silly transfer fees. Clearly, IL isn't asking for silly enough transfer fees when clubs come knocking at our door.
As to signing JJ, this smacks of desperation given the exit of Lauaki and Powell and highlights what an idiotic move it was to sell Hansen.
Like sefc said, the club were aware that Lauaki wouldn't play for them again despite being given a squad number - that much was pretty obvious. Andy Powell, who can say how long ago the club decided he was "not up to the standard". I'm guessing around the end of last season tbh
I go with what sefc says. Wigan have cap space and money available. When a potential target becomes available or close to ending their current contract I am sure (as we saw with Matty Smith) then the club will act. Why panic and show desperation paying silly fees for players who will be out of contract in a years time? Even without Hansen I am sure this squad is more than capable of finishing in the play-offs - which is all that counts
Well what counts as we saw last season is winning the trophies, not making the play offs.
I don't see how letting Hansen go and signing JJ will help us in that regard this season.
I was impressed with some of the new signings and kids v Leigh but I am convinced the sale of Hansen was a huge blunder and then when we sign JJ it is time to bang the head against the desk.
And who is to say this team is not capable of winning trophies?
I'm more worried about the goalkicking than Hansen being sold tbh
Nevertheless if I stand correct, I seem to remember Dr Koukash saying it was his desire to bring all the old Salfordonians back to the club.
Now if he targeted Hansen and offered him a large pay rise to make the move then who can stop that? Should Wigan enter into a bidding war with someone all ready quoted as saying he doesn't care for the salary cap and was prepared to break it or do they take the best option?
So they sold him. He was not a bad player but neither was he worth the club breaking the bank to keep
JJ is on the player rosta in case of any emergency regarding injuries. I am sure I have read nowhere that he is to be an automatic first choice player in the team so calm down
butt monkey wrote:
Like sefc said, the club were aware that Lauaki wouldn't play for them again despite being given a squad number - that much was pretty obvious. Andy Powell, who can say how long ago the club decided he was "not up to the standard". I'm guessing around the end of last season tbh
I go with what sefc says. Wigan have cap space and money available. When a potential target becomes available or close to ending their current contract I am sure (as we saw with Matty Smith) then the club will act. Why panic and show desperation paying silly fees for players who will be out of contract in a years time? Even without Hansen I am sure this squad is more than capable of finishing in the play-offs - which is all that counts
Well what counts as we saw last season is winning the trophies, not making the play offs.
I don't see how letting Hansen go and signing JJ will help us in that regard this season.
I was impressed with some of the new signings and kids v Leigh but I am convinced the sale of Hansen was a huge blunder and then when we sign JJ it is time to bang the head against the desk.
And who is to say this team is not capable of winning trophies?
I'm more worried about the goalkicking than Hansen being sold tbh
Nevertheless if I stand correct, I seem to remember Dr Koukash saying it was his desire to bring all the old Salfordonians back to the club.
Now if he targeted Hansen and offered him a large pay rise to make the move then who can stop that? Should Wigan enter into a bidding war with someone all ready quoted as saying he doesn't care for the salary cap and was prepared to break it or do they take the best option?
So they sold him. He was not a bad player but neither was he worth the club breaking the bank to keep
JJ is on the player rosta in case of any emergency regarding injuries. I am sure I have read nowhere that he is to be an automatic first choice player in the team so calm down
Exactly right about Hansen as he wanted to go and play for his home town club and with his age, a injury which kept him out of the World Cup and the fact that last season he was less outstanding than in previous seasons, IL did the right thing, especially with a talent like Bateman signed in his place.
No player is bigger than the club, especially when their are other better, younger and more experienced players around in this country and down under.
James isn't being suggested as a first choice forward and his signing wont have broken the bank to get him here.
He wont bust holes in opposition defences or maybe not make that 30 metre break but he is a steady reliable player who gives 100% effort when he does play.
IMO that's not such a negative signing that some are suggesting he is.
My question is that if he has been appointed in a primarily coaching role - will he be able to do that while training full time. Even a stand in player has to train full time to be ready for when they are needed. Its no good having a partially fit stand-in
weststand-rich wrote:I think it's a depressing indictment on the standard of superleague more than anything.
When we signed him in 2006, he was considered a desperation stopgap measure and as soon as Nobby came, he was shunted off. Certainly not Wigan standard At the time, I actually thought that was a bit harsh (especially since he was one of the few players to get over the line at St Helens good Friday that year ), but virtually no-one would have said this is the class of player we should sign.
And now, 8 years on, we sign him in the twilight of his career after a playing roster of struggling superleague clubs and championship spells and nobody bats an eyelid. And the tragedy is he'll probably do okay.
weststand-rich wrote:I think it's a depressing indictment on the standard of superleague more than anything.
When we signed him in 2006, he was considered a desperation stopgap measure and as soon as Nobby came, he was shunted off. Certainly not Wigan standard At the time, I actually thought that was a bit harsh (especially since he was one of the few players to get over the line at St Helens good Friday that year ), but virtually no-one would have said this is the class of player we should sign.
And now, 8 years on, we sign him in the twilight of his career after a playing roster of struggling superleague clubs and championship spells and nobody bats an eyelid. And the tragedy is he'll probably do okay.
Fair comment.
If you look at the season's comings and goings and more specifically some senior players who got season ending injuries very early into the season. Add into the melting pot Ian Millward and I think we a have great reason why so many players looked so poor. Even established players like Brian Carney were abject in many games that season (even excusing he was forcing the club to release him so he could play for the Newcastle Knights)
To start pulling a plsyer "apart" just because he was unfortunate to have been at the club at one of its lowest points in history is not really fair, especially when excuses for Richards, Hansen et all are given when they too played there part in such an ignominious time
I think James age is the very reason he has been signed as keeping him fit/in the system is not wasting his career; enhancing it I daresay.
The option? Keep Greenwood here and let him do what. Far better for him and the club to get experience / much needed rugby elsewhere than twiddle his thumbs here.
Perhaps the problem players like Greenwood have highlights the limitations of the U19 system and the need for a better one that at least helps over age and/or overseas players. I keep reading players not playing first team etc or going on loan etc violate their visa yet in football hundreds of overseas players do exactly that with seemingly no issues.
James is just a precautionary measure IMO. I would put Burke at prop or the likes of Austin before he gets a chance BUT if we threw 6-8 youngsters into 1 game then his old head may be valuable. Albeit Alliance RL (+the odd first team game), Westy was very valuable playing alongside some fantastic young players. Back then we even had an amateur half back, Beswick who IIRC played once for the first team. At other times we had Frost (St Judes) playing alongside our youngsters.
The RFL seems clueless about youth development in terms of first team / reserve RL.
cpwigan wrote:I think James age is the very reason he has been signed as keeping him fit/in the system is not wasting his career; enhancing it I daresay.
The option? Keep Greenwood here and let him do what. Far better for him and the club to get experience / much needed rugby elsewhere than twiddle his thumbs here.
Perhaps the problem players like Greenwood have highlights the limitations of the U19 system and the need for a better one that at least helps over age and/or overseas players. I keep reading players not playing first team etc or going on loan etc violate their visa yet in football hundreds of overseas players do exactly that with seemingly no issues.
James is just a precautionary measure IMO. I would put Burke at prop or the likes of Austin before he gets a chance BUT if we threw 6-8 youngsters into 1 game then his old head may be valuable. Albeit Alliance RL (+the odd first team game), Westy was very valuable playing alongside some fantastic young players. Back then we even had an amateur half back, Beswick who IIRC played once for the first team. At other times we had Frost (St Judes) playing alongside our youngsters.
The RFL seems clueless about youth development in terms of first team / reserve RL.
I agree with you. I for one cannot wait to see how he goes in London's colours.
The issue here is DaveO is somehow making out that this signing is a "knee-jerk" reaction to selling Hansen and not being able to find a replacement, when simply put, Bateman is Hansen's replacement.
In fact, barring injury and rediscovering some of his early form, I think Wigan fans will be saying "Hansen who" if Bateman performs to his ability
), but virtually no-one would have said this is the class of player we should sign.