Like I said previously, deja vu to last year.

The only positive I can come up with re Lenagan's failure to deliver with recruitment is that I don't see him doing a Maurice and signing sub-standard players because he couldn't get the good ones (Gasnier/Vaealiki etc)

Ideally we need to concentrate on a SH who is around the 23-25 year old mark. Someone who has experience but who is young enough to play for Wigan for the next 5,6,7 years with Sam.

The only way to make this possible (sadly) is by throwing money at the players club and the player, if they are Aussie, make it worth their while to play for Wigan.

Contracts can be broken if the money is right for the player and the club.

We can't achieve this with Orford, despite being a great player we'll only get two years out of him tops.

So who are the targets? Players who can't play Rep footy, players who can't get into the state team, this doesn't mean they are bad players, just players who aren't as good as, primarily, Lockyer and Thurston.

So who fits this bill?

Dobson
Soward
Finch
Cronk
Herbert
etc

Yes the majority are contracted but contracts will be ended if the money is right. Make Wigan desirable for the player.

yes .it has freed up nearly $300,000 now benny might get karmicheal hunt in the red V craig wing has been a 1.5million$$ 3year deal with the bulls

We won't be getting Cronk. The Salary cap restrictions would not allow us to throw the money at him which would be required.

I think we should take a risk with Myler, if it's not working out straight away we will still have Leuluai, Phelps, Roberts who can and have all played in the halves.

I would also love to sign Orford, but although I would rather sign him, Myler is the more realistic option. I think IL is more likely to be after Orford though as I heard that IL was being stubborn about the fact we need and old head to partner Sam.

Non-Avaliable to avaliable is usually a matter of throwing some dollars in the right direction.

There are very few Aussies from that list who I would want anyhow.

why does no-one think the Tommy and Sam partnership will work?

As an interested observer, just how 'rich' a club are Wigan nowadays??

I know you threw big cash at Fielden, mainly out of desparation to avoid the drop, but since then only Gleeson has seen you splash the cash.

Just curious, as I never thought Lenegan was a big spending type of guy??...

i would say IL is thirfty rather than tight/skint. id say wigan have the same backing as wire do financially. its just a case of being sensible with the money

Seeing as theres only us paid a decent transfer fee in god knows how long id say were still pretty rich. I dont think theres many other sides can afford to max out the cap plus pay out 100k on a transfer fee plus be paying their coach 200k a year. The last point could be an interesting one if IL and BN sit down and talk about a new deal as Nobby got his crazy money deal under the old regime.