.

I get what you’re saying in regards to producing players of that calibre ourselves and then recruiting the absolute best to compliment them. I know you may have been positing it from an England development perspective as well but putting that aside I’d be happy if we recruited more players like Carmont and Phelps.

If you look at the top FB’s in SL –Wellens, Briscoe, Webb and Greenshields only Webb realistically could be categorised as world class. I know others won’t agree but Phelps is certainly pushing the likes of Briscoe and Wellens close and I’d hazard a guess his wages are nothing in comparison to theirs. So which is the better option?

Carmont imo is in the top three centres in SL but at half the price as the other two. There is no way in the world that Carmont is paid the same as Gidley or Senior but is he half the player? He’s probably paid less than Yeaman, Walker, Webster & Talau also. He’s not only a great player but he’s great value for money which in my book makes him the kind of player we should be aiming at.

I would love us in theory to go out and sign players like Trent, Webb, Mason, Inglis or Hayne but their salaries always match their reps. It would be much, much more successful imo to go out and sign an unknown with potential like Henry Paul, Withers, Carmont etc and get a quality SL player on moderate wages rather than a player who is better but on three times as much.

Greenshields is better than Webb IMO. I agree with what you say though, but I think we need one top player in the team from aus, look what it did when we had Barrett.

Honestly I don’t think we necessairly need one top player from either Aus or NZ to be successful. SL is poor enough that players like Greenshields and Carmont will suffice as they alow you have a balanced squad.

You do need top British playrs tho Graham, Peacock, Long, Cunnigham, Scully, Wellens, Morley have all proved that

Cheers, Senior Rogues informed me last night.

On the subject of Wayne Bennett, I once had the pleasure of meeting him at a charity event in australia that my employers were invited to. I had a long chat with the guy and I have to say he is an absolute gent. Anyway, we got onto the subject of english rugby league..as you do! He said that Leeds and St helens had it spot on with their recruitment. According to him, he would have a core of players who have played together for years but with less ability than a team of mercenaries with lots of ability because the togetherness of a team who have played together for years is a huge part of teams games, especially contact sports. He reckons players can take years to bed in and fully connect with team mates. He then pointed out that his Broncos team of 2006 that won the grand final, all but 1 of the starting 13 had come through the Brisbane Youth ranks and that he could have replaced a lot of them with better players, but chose not to.

This was in 2006, after saints had won the GF. He said he could only see Leeds being serious challengers in the short term and guess what, he was bang on. Of course, I asked him would he ever consider managing St Helens and he said that if his personal circumstances were different he would love to have had a crack in england. He then apologised and said wigan would be his first choice because they are a sleeping giant, who have been seriously mis managed in recent times. I didnt like him then

Seems to me he has a huge respect for the english game and Wigan in particular.

Bennett has demonstrated time and again that he's the best coach and rugby thinker around, he's truely a legend in the same way as Jack Gibson. What I like the most about the guy is how thoughtful and insightful he is, he's not a ranter or a raver, nor a spineless wuss either - he commands respect from any player he's involved with.

I truely would have loved him as Wigan coach, as I'm sure ANY super league team would have wanted him to coach them, but alas it's not to be. It's great to see however coaches that have followed in the Bennett school like Belemy continuing the success, and a new generation of coaches like Kearney and McGuire taking the schooling of the great mentor onwards.

And yes as you can tell, I'm a huge fan of WB.

Get him signed to continue waking the sleeping Giant after MaGuire has started the process.

I knew MaGuire was the man for the job when Bennet said he is a great coach.

Where Bennett talks about having a squad who will have played together for a decade or so, this is what IL started when he bought the club.
We have a number of younger players in the first team, Prescott, Hansen etc and younger ones like McIlorum, Tomkins & Mossop.

There is also a reserve squad that have shown themselves more than capable of beating any opposition anytime. IL has put many of these lads on full time contracts.
Wigan are as capable as any club, more so than most, of developing players through our academy and reserve system to first team level.
The intention of the club is there for all to see and Wayne Bennett's thoughts appear to be being implemented at Wigan.

As for his 2006 having 12 Brisbane youth players in the 13. The Broncos have had almost the whole of Queensland to chose from. That's a very large population, with hoards of lads playing RL. No wonder their best are that good!

Crikey the rumours and signings thread went 24 hours without a post, what's going on? get a grip lads!

Was going to post that, then realised I would ruin it.


Thanks.





For making it not me.
{Adam Blair to Wigan please}