Amos Roberts

[cpwigan]

Pedro. He was originally signed for 2010. I think the plan was to sign Wiki for 2009. However, that fell through and Sydney Roosters have financial issues so they needed to offload players and they have now released Amos for 2009 to enable Wigan to have him from 2009 onwards.

[Exiled Wiganer]

I think there ought to be a misery guts rating to all posters, so we can weight what they say depending on half full/half empty (or "realists" as they like to be known)factors...
My take on this (and as a half fuller this needs to be taken with a pinch of salt) is that the thing Wigan have lacked in the last few years more than anything else is the ability to break the line out wide. Calderwood had lots of hopeless sideways crabbing games before leaving on a high note, so I include him as part of the problem. DV and Bailey in the centre in 07 encapsulated all that was bad about the back line.
To play the expansive game we need 2 things which we have lacked - halves looking to give fast ball and players who can make breaks. In Pryce (if you look at his stats from Bradford) we have a player who can break the line. Famous will also give us that, Pat can cause plenty of damage and Carmont is a classy centre.
I am happy with the halves - Smith is excellent at giving fast, accurate service to the backs, as he has already shown. With backs who can do something with it we will be much more effective as a side. Sam T deserves to be introduced next year and everything I have seen of him leads to think he will take to the step up like a duck to water. It already looks as if Tommy is stepping up his game, starring for the Kiwis in their warm ups.
I am happy with our pack. A lot of the players are still developing, and I don't see us getting cleaned out that often as it is. J Tomkins will get better, Mossop, Hansen, Prescott and O'Carroll have all got the talent and are still growing. We seem at last to have found a way to get Feca fit and Fielden will either put in a storming performance or we will ship him out - and for his wages we could probably sign Lockyer and Civoniceva, so either way we should be fine.
The only players that stand out to me as surplus to requirements are Bailey (who still has his uses), Mathers who has masses to prove and Phelps, whom I am hoping is very cheap, but who does have a certain utility value. Happily, we are not committed to any of those beyond the end of the year.
I would be pretty confident even if we do not sign anyone else, though I suspect there are more to come.

[pedro]

"Famous" Amos has the same try scoring rate as Calderwood exept he can kick goals,play fullback and center.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFzxD4ZUVs

Hes playing fullback in this game and whoever says hes slow is having a laugh.

Good signing IMO the younger lads will have to up there game to get a look in.

Is he as good as Calderwood?? only time will tell.

didnt say he was slow, said he isnt as fast as Calders and we can look at clips all day of calders going the full length at Leeds.

[highland convert]

Considering this story broke world wide does anyone else think it strange main site has not made a statement? Jim

[cpwigan]

I believe we have signed an exciting Wigan RLFC type of player. Looking forward to his arrival.

[highland convert]

Yes, CP but the main site is missing a pr extravaganza here with the signing. Amos is a line breaker. The team is coming together nicely, jim

[shawcross da warrior]

backline looking strong now, throw mathers out of the team get phelps at full back then were cracking or rickhards whoever...


Phelps
Richards
Carmont
Pryce
Roberts

[cpwigan]

Whatever the arguments it has to be better to have a real selection choice. I am not sure we had very little or any last season when it started.

[DaveO]

Whatever the arguments it has to be better to have a real selection choice. I am not sure we had very little or any last season when it started.

Depends on who's doing the choosing.

It looks like we have a selection choice but I know you personally think Noble has overlooked players who ought to have got a chance last season.

What makes you think the fact we have on paper a selection choice that Noble will actually take advantage of this situation?

I'd love to be proved wrong but the evidence is against it.

Dave

[cpwigan]

I say a little prayer, I hope so Dave

The blind optimism of a fan in off season mode?