Flannagan

[cpwigan]

Why did we sign him and why is he in the first team? I believe he is nothing special and we already have better players in the back row within the academy. Whatsmore, several of the best players to come from Wigan in the next 3 years will be back rowers.

We have a shortage of half backs and there are few coming through in the junior game. We have now apparently lost the one potential star to another club owing to the money earmarke for him being redirected to Flannagan and the internal rift that has opened up between Dean Bell and Noble/Lindsay is down to this signing.

[Bear]

Wigan have always been a team who likes to develop young talent

You saw what they did to Ashton this year

[mike binder]

Bear posted:
Wigan have always been a team who likes to develop young talent

You saw what they did to Ashton this year

because we had no choice , cpwigans argument is we have let better youngsters than flannagen go and have better at the club, can he goal kick does any 1 know this ,if so that could be the reason about this reaLLY strange signing

[cpwigan]

Bear we have lost the England Schoolboy captain and halfback who we had already agreed to sign BUT having signed Flannagan we turned around to him and said we no longer had the money to sign him. He has now signed for Warrington. Dean Bell is furious as regards what has happpened and a rift has occurred.

What do we need? another backrower or a future halfback? Also N.B the best youngsters in the next year are backrowers

[W1GANER]

I heard from a lad who used to play with him at Saddle worth that Flannagan is one to watch. He rates him having played with him and against him. He has great Goal kicking talent. IMO i really don't think he will be goal kicker for us Richards looks favourite for that role...

[DaveO]

cpwigan posted:
Bear we have lost the England Schoolboy captain and halfback who we had already agreed to sign BUT having signed Flannagan we turned around to him and said we no longer had the money to sign him. He has now signed for Warrington. Dean Bell is furious as regards what has happpened and a rift has occurred.

That may be so but how old is the lad who has signed for Wire? If he is England Schoolboy captain he is some way off first team service and as we all know the salary cap penalises you for paying youngsters good money. I am not saying the club is right to have done this but if the lad gone to Wire can command a high wage for his age it comes as no surprise to me Nobby would rather spend it on someone who can actually contribute to the 1st team squad sooner rather than later.

This goes against the grain of Wigan in recent years who have tried to do the right thing in bringing players through and I am sure Bell won't like a shift away from that. The trouble is with us seemingly unable to sign a 3rd experienced prop for the first team I can't see how Bell can expect the club to be competing with the likes of Wire for young talent if Wire want to offer more money. Wire are probably cherry picking young talent and will not have the set up Wigan have (and so won't have as many junior players wages to pay) so this is another by-product of the salary cap.

Dave

[Bear]

Good points there but ashton has been something special

[wigan no1 fan]

The youngster concerned is 16. Flannagan is what 17? He was not asking a great deal of money. The club had agreed in principle until Nobby created a problem by signing Flannagan. The 16 year old is an outstanding talent. As far as I am aware he is the only decent halfback that Wigan schoolboys will produce in the next 3 years. If Thomas Coyle fails to develop that leaves Sam Tomkins and nobody else.

We have umpteen back rowers and Flannagan will not play a 1st team game this season IMO. Whatsmore, next year we should if our club has anything about them sign the best 2 U16 backrowers in Owen Farrell and Liam Thompson.

[waterside glens]

living in norn iron i don't get to see the junior teams much but last year i got to see sam tomkins play and this kid could be a major talent. A bit too much doom and gloom about ,you would think it was the end of March and we had started like last year . Give the lads a chance.

[DaveO]

wigan no1 fan posted:
The youngster concerned is 16. Flannagan is what 17?

He is 18.

He was not asking a great deal of money. The club had agreed in principle until Nobby created a problem by signing Flannagan.

So who should sign the players? Nobby or someone else? We complain when its Mo doing the deals but now complain when Nobby does so.

If Nobby has screwed up on this one fair enough.

The 16 year old is an outstanding talent. As far as I am aware he is the only decent halfback that Wigan schoolboys will produce in the next 3 years. If Thomas Coyle fails to develop that leaves Sam Tomkins and nobody else.

We have umpteen back rowers and Flannagan will not play a 1st team game this season IMO. Whatsmore, next year we should if our club has anything about them sign the best 2 U16 backrowers in Owen Farrell and Liam Thompson.

Flanagan is listed as a stand off on the club web site. Yes I know he says he wants to change position but there you go.

Dave