Higham

[ChrisA]

Mickey Higham has stated it may be time for him to leave Saints after being there 5 years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 197020.stm

I for one would be delighted if he signed for Wigan, he is fast and very clver with the ball. Godwin did very well for us last year and really won the fans over with his never say die attitude, but sentiment aside, Higham is a better player and is still only 25(Godwin is 23), so he still has 5 or 6 seasons in him. At the risk of upseting all the Wagga fans on this board, I would sign Higham and let Godwin go, purely based on talent Higham is alot better player.
However I would not release Newton to sign Higham, Higham is a similar kind of player to Godwin in that he is a smaller nippy little hooker, it would be no good having two hookers in the same mould.

[HappyHooker]

Hmm.. I know what your saying, but from that article I dont like his attitude!
He's upset because he cant displace KC as 1st choice hooker, does the lad really think he's going to get ahead of Terry Newton in the pecking order???

Well he wont, Terry is a better player! Wagga is a good understudy to Terry, and adds a different dimension. Higham is quicker and maybe a little better, but Wagga seems down to earth lad, and if he continues to impress - who knows where he'll be in his game in 2 years.
Just my thoughts on that article, then again the media are great at taking quotes out of context.

[SiY]

I'd prefer to have Godwin..i dunno why i just do i'd be annoyed some in we got rid of Godwin. Also Higham is kind of up himself:

"I've had a chat with Daniel and told him he's got two of the best hookers in Super League at the club and it's going to be hard to keep them both happy,"

I dunno to say to your coach..you've got 2 of the best hookers and indirectly force him to pick i think is cocky. Don't like that attitude. I think Godwin has great potential and under Newton i think he will develope brilliantly. Keep L'God!

[DaveO]

I don't see ay reason to rock the boat in the hooking department. Higham isn't that much better than Godwin to warrant paying Saints money for him.

He isn't that much better to warrant taking Higham when his contract runs out either.

If Higham comes it will mean Newton is off IMO. Why would Higham swap being understudy to KC who is older than Newton and who has less time left on his career to become understudy to Newton?

It doesn't make sense.

Dave

[ChrisA]

SiY posted:
I'd prefer to have Godwin..i dunno why i just do i'd be annoyed some in we got rid of Godwin. Also Higham is kind of up himself:

"I've had a chat with Daniel and told him he's got two of the best hookers in Super League at the club and it's going to be hard to keep them both happy,"

I dunno to say to your coach..you've got 2 of the best hookers and indirectly force him to pick i think is cocky. Don't like that attitude. I think Godwin has great potential and under Newton i think he will develope brilliantly. Keep L'God!

You dont know why you would keep him, like I said sentiment aside and based purley on talent, Higham is the better player.

In reply to Dougs statement, I agree and I did forget to mention it in my post, why would he come to us and slip into the exact same situation. Millward may be the answer, hes coached him at Leigh and Saints and knows how to use him best. Maybe they would both be first choice, Newton takes the workload on early and directs play as he does well, then Higham comes on and adds that extra speed around the ruck once the big fellas are a little tired, both have their jobs and both would be important, just like having 4 props really, they are all 1st choice even though only 2 of them can start.

[mrs_carney]

Unfortunately saints have said they wont release higham to come to wigan...shame!!
I don't see higham as being any different to godwin, personally plus godwins younger and less injury prone. Higham wants to leave to get more game time, but hes allegedly joining bradford, who have just signed a new hooker from aus :conf:
ChrisA what you have described higham as doing after newtons took up te work load, is exactly what wagga does. Keep wagga and let higham go to bradford!

[ChrisA]

mrs_carney posted:
Unfortunately saints have said they wont release higham to come to wigan...shame!!
I don't see higham as being any different to godwin, personally plus godwins younger and less injury prone. Higham wants to leave to get more game time, but hes allegedly joining bradford, who have just signed a new hooker from aus :conf:
ChrisA what you have described higham as doing after newtons took up te work load, is exactly what wagga does. Keep wagga and let higham go to bradford!

Yes Wagga does the same job, but Higham can do it alot better, Wagga's main strenght is his effort, Higham has a much better rugby brain and is alot faster, but dot get me wrong if nothing comes of it I will not be upset one bit with Newton and Wagga.

[SiY]

Well ChrisA i didn't name any reasons for keeping Godwin because i don't know much about Higham as a player..i know he is good but i know more about Godwin and like him better. I think he is younger fitter and has more time to get better. If on a scale Higham is 8/10 good and Godwin is 7/10 i'd rather have Godwin because he is younger and a similar standard to an older player. Happy?

[Fraggle]

SiY posted:
Well ChrisA i didn't name any reasons for keeping Godwin because i don't know much about Higham as a player..i know he is good but i know more about Godwin and like him better. I think he is younger fitter and has more time to get better. If on a scale Higham is 8/10 good and Godwin is 7/10 i'd rather have Godwin because he is younger and a similar standard to an older player. Happy?

The age difference isn't really very great, and Higham has much more experience than Godwin. You might also argue Higham's more useful in the squad as well since he's got a lot of first team experience playing in the halves, which Godwin doesn't really have too much experience outside the hooking role. Neither of them are as good as Newton was at the same age, but for me it would be difficult to choose between them, and with a very young squad like we had this year we might have been better off with Higham and his experience.

[GeoffN]

DaveO posted:
I don't see ay reason to rock the boat in the hooking department. Higham isn't that much better than Godwin to warrant paying Saints money for him.

He isn't that much better to warrant taking Higham when his contract runs out either.

If Higham comes it will mean Newton is off IMO. Why would Higham swap being understudy to KC who is older than Newton and who has less time left on his career to become understudy to Newton?

It doesn't make sense.

Dave

Four!