Benji Marshall told by NRL that he can't play next off season in Japan: www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html That will obviously fustrate Benji, make him leave Wests and join us. Great news!

Benji Marshall told by NRL that he can't play next off season in Japan: www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html That will obviously fustrate Benji, make him leave Wests and join us. Great news!

Quote Alex BP'="Alex BP'"Benji Marshall told by NRL that he can't play next off season in Japan: www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html That will obviously fustrate Benji, make him leave Wests and join us. Great news! '" Correct it must be a done deal, infact maybe he will play against Castleford on friday night.

Quote Alex BP'="Alex BP'"Benji Marshall told by NRL that he can't play next off season in Japan: www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 14,00.html That will obviously fustrate Benji, make him leave Wests and join us. Great news! '" Correct it must be a done deal, infact maybe he will play against Castleford on friday night.

We are doing as much as any SL club to give youth players a chance.

Last weekend we have seven Wigan academy players in the 17.

Goulding, O'Carroll, McIlorum, Hock, Hansen, O'Loughlin, Tomkins.

Saints had 6 in their 17 and Wire 5 in theirs.

But unfortunately the anti-Wigan bandwagon will roll on as long as we keep giving them ammunition to fire at us.



The likes of Goulding, O'Carroll, McIlorum, Hock, Lockers, Joel Tomkins, Prescott, etc, are conveniently forgotten by the 'Wigan don't develop their own any more' crowd. And will continue to be so long as high profile youngsters - I'm thinking specifically of Ainscough and Sam Tomkins - languish in the reserves.



It doesn't always help that some of these kids have their own unofficial spokesmen, who stir things up and muddy the waters. Nickey Stanton appeared to be a good example of that. People were forever promoting him and expressing disgust when he wasn't selected, and yet, when he finally did depart, there were no SL takers. But that said, it's easy to understand the frustration of home-grown 20-year-olds, who probably want nothing more than to wear the cherry and white, when the likes of Phelps and Bailey, who are of only moderate talent and don't seem to know what it means to represent Wigan, keep getting selected ahead of them.

We don't.



O'loughlin I like as a captain but he isn't quite the caliber of leader I was talking about plus he needs experienced players along side him.



Trent Barrett has said it was the quietest dressing room he'd ever been involved in and at Wakefield did it look like we had a leader? Or a player with a rugby league brain?



Take Brad Drew for example he has a rugby league brain on him. Good kicking game, exploited that left hand side in the first half & just kept things simple. It's something you can't coach. It's instinct. We don't have any players with this.



We're a young team with desperate need of experience and leadership. Richie Myler is a promising lad but he hasn't established himself in super league yet and we have a young enough team as it is. I don't think he's the answer.



There's nothing wrong with signing aussies as along as they're of the right caliber and will bring something to the team that no englishman will.



To get my point across a bit better have a look at the 2002 Wigan squad



[urlhttp://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=153[/url



We had experience right across the park and people with a rugby league brain. Radlinski,Dallas,Connolly,O'Neil,Lam,O'connor,Newton,Smith,Cassidy,Furner,Farrell



Compare that to the side we have today and you can name one - Sean O'loughlin? Maybe Fielden and Bailey but that's it.



We have a talented young team but it needs experience and leadership to help us out when times are tough (Wakefield game) and when at certain points in the game we should be doing certain things. Like at the Wakefield game, 10 minutes to go, 6 points down, we walk to the scrum instead of running to stop the clock.

There an article in todays Express suggesting Wigan have renewed intrest in Ryan McGoldrick.



However, it does go onto to say ''Brian Noble was seen at Wheldon Road to watch him play on Sunday.'' which I presume is the source of the speculation.



Just a co-incedence that we play Castleford on Sunday, eh?

I'd despair if we signed McGoldrick. I know the story is probably bull but it worries me all the same.



We have 4 or 5 youngsters crying out for a chance before we go signing another average Australian.

Noble would be at Castleford to watch the game and their squad rather than McGoldrick.

thats why u need the aussies ticka

Or both





I believe McGoldrick had a very good game for Castleford as well.

Oh god no

Can he tackle & play the Noble way?

Who cares he is not Wigan standard, if he is seriously the sort of player we are after then I say sack Noble now.

Average is being kind towards McGoldrick IMO

Totally agree we cant continue signing average players.

What is Wigan standard?



Are Mathers,Bailey,Coley,Phelps all to this standard?

no hence why everyone wants rid.

They are not anywhere near Wigan standard.



We should throw in Tomkins/Mossop, Prescott, Ainscough and Vievers instead, they would play with more commitment and passion than that lot.

My point was McGolderick is no worse than any other below average players we've signed.



We wanted to try and sign Richard Moore FFS

Im glad we didnt.



We should definantly just get rid of all our average players and just blood the youngsters.

Rumour on the other forum that Northampton are looking at Sam Tomkins.



Disaster if this kid leaves and what a waste it would be. Although I could hardly blame him as its a short career and he isn't get any opportunities at Wigan.

I think this is the danger now, as two or three young English Wasps RFU players have been enticed over to play their club rugby in France, The RFU will look to fund more RFL players to fill the void.

I listened to an interview mid week on 5 live and basically it was said that the lack of restricted spending in France would draw more players over and one of the ways to fill the gaps was with League players.

There is something seriously wrong at our club if we are letting talent like that go.

Its called salary cap..RU will always be able to out spend us..we can try as hard as we want to keep them.. but if the players want the money they will go..you cant blame the clubs



Its the RFL your anger should be directed at..there the ones who are happy for this sort of thing to happen we could lose all our talent but the RFL will just act like it didnt happen..and carry on telling everyone the sc is working..

Even with a salary cap, we should be keeping players like Tomkins.



We should have a seperate cap for young players, to make sure clubs can keep them.



Also have another cap for overseas players to make sure we dont have too many.



Have another one for British players.