Need to add Tim Smith coming off the salary cap as well next season.

Smith, Hock, Bailey, Flanagan out.

Nobody in.

Well done Mr Chairman.

Come on AJ, we dont know what the out come for recuitment will be. If we get no-one on board then we have every right to get the pitch forks out. there is still time yet

But that’s not strictly true now is it?

Yes I agree the recruitment for next season isn’t what i’d either want or expected but IL has done other good things with some of the wages you mentioned above.

Just to refresh your memory he’s signed up the most talented young player in SL to a FIVE year deal as well as resigning the current in form FB as well. Even a staunch IL critic like yourself has to admit he’s done well here.

Yes I would love us to sign a top class player (prop) and I agree it’s frustrating watching the likes of Pauleta, Carvell & Tronc going to other teams while players like Lynch, Price & Petro stay at their current clubs but it’s not all doom and gloom.

from the starting 17 this year:

1. Mathers out - Phelps in. Stronger? Yes.
3. Gleeson in - Goulding to cover. Stronger? Yes.
6. Smith out - Tomkins in. Stronger? Yes.
11. Hock out - Mossop in. Stronger? No but Mossop gets 2 years experience developing into a better and better player, Hock comes back, Mossop goes to prop. Stronger in the long run? Yes.
12. Bailey out - Joel/Hansen in. Stronger? Yes. The only thing we're losing from Bailey if he does go is experience, Hansens just as good in Defence, if not better and Joels attack is awesome especially close to our line, he scores with ease outwide.

People need to stop gettin their knickers in a twist over everything, at the end of the day we are going in the right direction developing our young players in this way and i have every faith in Lenegan. Look at Leeds, they took a few years out to develop the likes of McGuire, Burrow, Sinfield, Diskin, Gibson, Hall and look where we are now. We can be there in a couple of years if we just be patient and take the good with the bad, we've got a good breed of young players making their way and Sam, Joel, Mossop, O'Loughlin, Ainscough, Goulding, Prescott, O'Carroll, Farrell will be the backbone of our team for the next decade guarranteed. They aint going anywhere with Lenegan in charge.

Im not a "staunch" critic. He has cocked up the Noble issue without doubt and with regards his recruitment, Im not impressed. Alot of other things are very good yes, but surely Mick Hogan has to take much of that credit.

Yes resigning Sam & Phelps are excellent moves, but SURELY with Hock & Bailey alone going we could afford a player like Tronc. A prop is a must and IL is failing to deliver and this "must be affordable/right" claptrap doesnt wash, do Saints put every player through these tests, if so IL is shopping at the wrong clubs or needs to rethink his ideas.

Super, but other clubs bring in experience and quality to suppliment that homegrown talent, and to do so they pay the going rate, something IL doesnt seem to want to do.

He's brought in Gleeson, a regular GB/England international and he payed the going rate.
We have Carmont, Richards, O'Loughlin Gleeson, Fielden, Riddell, Roberts, Coley virtually half of the 17 with bags of experience, some others like Leuluai, Prescott, Goulding, Hansen have their fair share of experience aswell despite being young.
Theres 6 friggin months till the new season yet, he's got time to sign people - he's just not rushing and signing someone for the sake of it, if Mo was in charge we probably would have signed some big aussie on Massive wages like Willie Mason straight away without going into fitness/injury/form/visa problems. And Sam Tomkins would probably be playing on the same contract he's on this year next year and end up getting snapped up by Huddersfield/Warrington/Saints because we cant afford to offer him what he's worth when it comes to contract time. Would you rather that happen?

Players like Tomkins, Mossop, Farrell, O'Loughlin, even Phelps are the key to our future success, we need to secure them lot first before anything else.

Once, what about key "project" signings like Smith & Mathers?



If we are counting on the likes of Goulding for experience, we are in trouble. We can count on Fielden for nowt. Carmont could well be on his way and half our fans cant stop slagging off Roberts!!! Yes, we do have experience, but that doesnt mean it is the right kind. Would you like any of the players mentioned to have the experience of someone like Wiki - the answer is yes.



He has basically said he wont be. It isnt for the sake of it, ill say it now, 2010 - No props, no pots! We cant sign anyone on massive wages because we have Fielden. Maurice did real bad with Aussies didnt he. Lam, Renouf, Trent, Pongia, Smith, Furner, Dallas?? But of course, IL is untouchable and Noble and seemingly Maurice are to blame for everything.



Clearly I wouldnt rather it happen, to even ask that is idiotic, but lets be clear, if Sam has took such a payrise that we cant afford a prop than IL has made a mess of his new deal, if it is structrued to rise with his development then fine.



Farrell hasnt even played first team yet, to include him in the first team "key" future is interesting. He could totally bottle first team rugby.

You know what, i cant even be bothered. I bet IL wishes he never bought us anymore with this WE WANT EVERYTHING NOW BECAUSE WE ARE WIGAN attitude from some of our fans, its pathetic.