Its a pivotal loose forward that we need to sign. We have Racthford and Briers for another year. We dont need any more back line, maybe replacement for Hodgson in 2012/13.

Warrington is missing a Mike Gregory, someone who can take the ball down the centre, pass and make breaks.

Chase is good but what would he actually add to the overall squad, we need stability and balance going forward. Develop the youth talent, that is exactly what Smith is doing.

Transfer Harrison to prop, and get a decent loose forward.

Why not Wigan?

You got bills to pay. I don't think you'll be too keen to open the cheque book again after the Fielden debacle...

(he's been great yadda,yadda, yadda) Nowhere near value for money, one half decent season.

see Gareth Thomas.

Correct about the loose forward. At present with the system Smith uses of the fourth prop as a "loose forward" we are too one dimensional in attack.

Who were getting for free from the RFL. Ouch.



Meh, not been worth the fee. But saved us from relegation and since been a big part of putting us back at the top end of the league and lifting silverware. The fact that he's still here (despite being injured this year ) and is still a lot of Wigans fans first choice prop despite us being at different ends of the league says a lot imo.

Do you really believe that?

Sadly, I think he does.

He's failing to see the obvious, that the club is replacing Martin Gleeson with Gareth Thomas which indicates that their ain't much money around. Where are the replacements for Coley & Hoffman.

They certainly aren't going to start spraying money around for Chase.

In fairness, backrow is an area where they are quite heavy, so a replacement for Hoffman, despite being first choice isn't as great a priority. Prop is a fair bit different, Coley retires with two long term replacements also leaving, implies, to me, the pennies aren't exactly flowing.

I would speculate the long term contract to Tomkins has usurped a fair bit of cash earmarked for succession planning.

Are they quite heavy in the back-row?

Using your assumption that Thomas is the replacement for Gleeson then that is leaving Joel Tomkins in the centres. Mossop is being played as a straight-up prop now.

So it leaves you with Hock as the replacement for Hoffman which is a big backward step going on what we have seen of Hock since his return (queue Pie-Eater saying "wait 'til he's had a pre-season" - FFS he's just had a two year pre-season of "training the house-down" and "looking like a monster", or so we were told for months on end before his return) and Farrell left as the replacement on the bench and after that Tuson to come in.

That is not what I would call "heavy in the back-row".