DaveO wrote:Unless I am mistaken I am sure IL has said Wigan only want to sign class players for any quota spots and that for next season we are looking to sign two overseas players.
So if he doesn't sign any or the ones he does sign are not class, isn't he leaving himself wide open to criticism?
There is plenty of debate over our 2009 overseas signings,Roberts and Riddell, on the forums. IMO at best they fall into the "solid pro" category not the class players category. Do we want two more like them? Not in my opinion.
When IL came back from Oz in the interview he gave he said they went out with certain players in mind but on further investigation decided not to pursue those players. Fair enough, must have had his reasons.
He then went on to discuss the possibility of signing younger Aussie players who had not yet gained representative honours. I think his reasoning for that was they would be easier to sign before they got into SoO or International RL. Something like that.
I was truly mystified by that statement given how many young players our club produces. Why would we want such players here? They have not got good enough to gain rep honours so aren't they just another young player? What do they add to our side? Certainly not experience.
Recruitment up to now has IMO been all over the place with players recruited in positions not a priority seemingly simply because they were available. It has taken IL all the time he has been here to come around to saying he needs to recruit a prop (when at first he was adamant we had enough of them on the books) and what he said on his return from Oz did not inspire me to think he was targeting the class players a diminishing number of none federation spots means we should be recruiting.
As I said in another thread the standard of compeition in SL isn't that good. We are poor but are 5th and 6 points behind Hudds who aren't that great a side themselves. A couple of class players at prop and half back would see us easily in the top 4 and possibly challenging for the top two provided we employ a coach who can get the team to play for more than half the season.
IL needs to deliver those players for 2010 (and preferably a new coach as well) as that was a date he set for recruitment getting easier otherwise he will get some flak and it will IMO be justified.
Dave
Spot on.
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Well IL contradicts himself here - are Mark Riddell and Amos Roberts 'top quality'? Hell no. Trent Barrett was top quality so I don't know what he is getting at. I don't understand his definition.
I think we need to accept then (apparently) that there is not much chance of getting the enforcer prop forward we need. I.E Jamie Peacock for Leeds, James Graham for Saints, Mick Vella for Hull KR, David Ferriol/Guisset for Catalans, Lynch/Burgess for Bradford.
But what we can do is replace Andy Coley with Carl Webb. Webb will bring much more grunt and power to our front row than Andy Coley could and just wait till next season when Fielden is off contract and we have a bit more money available to make the signing then.
I would also sign David Kidwell or Frank Puletua both are in the Gareth Hock/Ali Lauititi/Tony Puletua/David Solomona (late Wakefield days) mould which we need to replace Gareth Hock and Phil Bailey. The latter we can either use Lee Mossop or rotate him with Liam Farrell. But I think to lose Gareth Hock and Phil Bailey and replace them with inexperienced young academy players would be a bad move because our pack is so young in the first place. We need some experienced heads around our young players.
So INS - Carl Webb, David Kidwell or Frank Puletua (all available)
OUTS - Gareth Hock, Andy Coley, Phil Bailey, Tim Smith,
George Carmont and Cameron Phelps we will have to consider due to the restrictions on overseas players. Although Carmont doesn't count on anything I am led to believe.
ABP' wrote:IL mentions that any signing made will be 'top quality'.
Well IL contradicts himself here - are Mark Riddell and Amos Roberts 'top quality'? Hell no. Trent Barrett was top quality so I don't know what he is getting at. I don't understand his definition.
I think we need to accept then (apparently) that there is not much chance of getting the enforcer prop forward we need. I.E Jamie Peacock for Leeds, James Graham for Saints, Mick Vella for Hull KR, David Ferriol/Guisset for Catalans, Lynch/Burgess for Bradford.
But what we can do is replace Andy Coley with Carl Webb. Webb will bring much more grunt and power to our front row than Andy Coley could and just wait till next season when Fielden is off contract and we have a bit more money available to make the signing then.
I would also sign David Kidwell or Frank Puletua both are in the Gareth Hock/Ali Lauititi/Tony Puletua/David Solomona (late Wakefield days) mould which we need to replace Gareth Hock and Phil Bailey. The latter we can either use Lee Mossop or rotate him with Liam Farrell. But I think to lose Gareth Hock and Phil Bailey and replace them with inexperienced young academy players would be a bad move because our pack is so young in the first place. We need some experienced heads around our young players.
So INS - Carl Webb, David Kidwell or Frank Puletua (all available)
OUTS - Gareth Hock, Andy Coley, Phil Bailey, Tim Smith,
George Carmont and Cameron Phelps we will have to consider due to the restrictions on overseas players. Although Carmont doesn't count on anything I am led to believe.
Rugby Union: When entertainment just isn't your thing.
The worrying bit is where he says 'It's proving to be tough to get the right quality of people at the right price."
Word of caution to Mr Lenagan.............your not going to get Australian or NZ internationals for peanuts. To get the best you've got to pay the best. Teams like Warrington, Leeds and Saints have manged this over the past few seasons so why not us?
I had huge sympathy for him when he took over because we all knew the mess that Lindsay had left our salary cap in and he did a good job of getting us back on an even keel but he promised that 2010 would be the year where we could start to sign world class talent again and even went on an advanced signing mission in 2008 to sign up players for 2010...........looks like that was a holiday put through the clubs books then
The thing is though top quality players are available but I think the point we should pay close attention to is "at the right price". I think the club have gone from being laid back with handing out big contracts to now being really over cautious with handing out contracts.
We don't seem to be able to find that balance.
Rugby Union: When entertainment just isn't your thing.
I agree about us needing a big hard prop but still think we should keep Coley and Bailey just for one year. This will allow some stability and a settling in period for a new prop during 2010. Apparently Coleys wages are a lot less than Fekas and Fieldens anyway ( apparently by a long way if my messenger is correct , might be rumour!!) so even at a reduced rate it should not break the bank to offer him a new contract. It seems mad to get rid of him too early as then this puts alot of pressure on the new big enforcer prop if he is left to play alongside a pack that imo are weaker without Coley. By 2011 then get rid of Coley and Fielden and bring in another top clas prop. Does anyone remember the year that we got rid of lots of players, Cassidy, O'Connor etc??:?
I think Bailey should stay for some of the above reasons too and Phelps.
Not sure if Coley is going to sign for Wire or Saints though this rumour keeps raising its head and my little bird is usually correct.
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this rumour keeps raising its head and my little bird is usually correct.
