Team for next season

[Warrior South]

Hi

I read a lot of posts on here talking about wanting new signings for next year. Does anyone agree with me on the point of not making too many signings for next season and keeping the same team (plus 1 more prop to benefit from having an 80min prop in Fielden). This team would have finished 4th last season without the points deduction and got through to the semi's of the play-off's. Surely they deserve to progress further and not be replaced by new signings. My team for next season would be

Richards
Calderwood
Bailey
Goulding
Colbon
Barrett
Leuleui
Fielden
Higham
Coley
Hock
Hansen
O'Loughlin

Bench
McIllorum
Feka
Prescott/O'Carroll
New big Prop!!

[Fraggle]

Warrior South posted:
Hi

I read a lot of posts on here talking about wanting new signings for next year. Does anyone agree with me on the point of not making too many signings for next season and keeping the same team (plus 1 more prop to benefit from having an 80min prop in Fielden). This team would have finished 4th last season without the points deduction and got through to the semi's of the play-off's. Surely they deserve to progress further and not be replaced by new signings. My team for next season would be

Richards
Calderwood
Bailey
Goulding
Colbon
Barrett
Leuleui
Fielden
Higham
Coley
Hock
Hansen
O'Loughlin

Bench
McIllorum
Feka
Prescott/O'Carroll
New big Prop!!

Um, 3 props on the bench, and who are the reserve players in case any of the others get injured? Remember, we lost a couple of players through injury throughout the season, but were lucky to have experience with the likes of Vaealiki to come in. Your 16 covers just about anyone with more than a couple of games of first team experience. Remember, at this time of the year we're looking for a squad, not just a preferred 17.

[mike binder]

problemmis yes that looks good ,but we have no strength in depth ,2 or 3 injures amd we r knackerde again

[thomo]

I wouldn't play Coley at Prop - think he should be used as a big second row as Fletcher was - Hock, Hansen, Lockers are very quick but just lack a little bit of size to smash through defences.
I think we need two new big props or if coley is going to be a prop then one prop and a big second row but who is out there that isn't already signed or a reject?

[Warrior South]

Fair point about too many props, but the way i see many games these days, a good big pack generally goes a long way to winning matches. I don't know too much about the other squad players we have, ie, Tomkins ect but i think we need to give the players we currently have a chance to improve themselves and the team instead of getting new players in and then letting the younger ones go.

Obviously if quality players become available then a team like Wigan should be looking to improve it's squad, but not at the sake of discarding it's own youngsters.

[thomo]

Don't know if there are too many props - O'Carroll is only young and developing - not part of the first team 20 man squad yet.
Putting Coley in the second row
Prescott is a developing prop and again is he really big enough to be a front line prop in the super league.
Feka and Fielden are the only two big genunie props that we have.
You can develop youngsters on the wings, in the centres and in the second row but need experiences big strong lads down the middle

[Fraggle]

Warrior South posted:
Fair point about too many props, but the way i see many games these days, a good big pack generally goes a long way to winning matches. I don't know too much about the other squad players we have, ie, Tomkins ect but i think we need to give the players we currently have a chance to improve themselves and the team instead of getting new players in and then letting the younger ones go.

Your youngsters can happily fill up the squad once you get your first 20 sorted out. The 20 should all be players with first team experience, and I think there's only Joel Tomkins left that you've not mentioned (and having been loaned out for a while, will he come back again? Few of them ever do...). We need two or three more recognised players to fill up the 20, and signing such players won't compromise the youngsters at all. The kids need to be eased into the squad, not put into a position where they may be forced into regular first team action right from the start of the season. We got away with it with Chris Ashton in 2006, but that was a rarity and even then his defensive shortcomings were clear to everyone, he wasn't the finished article by a long shot.

As I said, it's not just about the preferred 17. Some of those will get injured. Or in Hock's case, will be banned for the first game of the season. You really do need to look at a 20 man starting squad before going back to the kids.

[thomo]

what about danny hill - will be be kept/is he under contract - so hoping he is not taking up one of the 20 places (£25K salaries) in the first team squad but he would be a good cheap back up
Hock, Hansen, Coley, Tomkins, plus Bailey and Hill should be enough to cover second/back row.
Maybe a centre or full back and a spare cheap utility back and then two proper props will do nicely.

[Spanakopitta]

i'd like us to have a squad of core players on long term contracts, we need stability not the wholesale changes we've seen over the last few seasons.

i'd also like to see competition for places so the players don't get complacent and think they 'own the jersey'.

We definatley need another hefty prop, getting worried we'll end up with a pack full of second rowers.

[thomo]

agree with Spanakopitta totally - don;t want a pack full of second rows - Coley is a second rower who can be pushed up to fill a hole at prop during a game if required and also feel at this stage of his career development Prescott should be in second row until he bulks up over next two years - if he has potential and club rate him give him a 4 year deal and let him develop.
I want two more proper big props - don;t need to be superstars but who is out there - Carvell is a name, was gutted we missed out on Korkidas as he could have done a job for a couple of years.