He is but we have 2 good halves that are both contracted to us next season, in a salary cap sport it wouldn’t be the right move imo.

Also with Croft, aren’t the links because he has an NRL release clause in his deal rather than him being off contract? We’d need to pay for him and when you have your starting halves in place and playing well, you’re not going to do that.

He’s in a different class than Cust.

No one is saying that he isn't, but I think you're missing the part about contracts. They just cant magically disappear.

Some would also argue that Hastings was in a different class to Cust & Croft. He didn't go well at Wigan tho, but Cust has.

I am not missing the point. We have money available under the salary cap so contracts don’t have to magically disappear. Cust has been ok but he is not an exceptional half back, Croft is far better. Wigan should always be trying to improve, when you are cruising you are loosing. Some may very well argue that Hastings was better than Cust and Croft, I am not one of them.

Powell needs replacing before Cust

How do you know we have money under the cap?

How do you know the extent of our incoming players and also contract upgrades.

We have bigger issues to resolve than in the halves and that isn’t a priority let alone chucking a fortune at a half who clearly has ambitions to play in the NRL.

Our halves are settled and sorted for next year.

We have Smith, Cust and Field.

The French situation will dictate if we need to strengthen in the halves or outside backs with back up players. We do not need a front line half as a priority unless one of Smith or Cust is leaving.

I don’t, in the same way has you don’t either. Now you have been saying for weeks that Wardle has signed for Wigan, how would that happen if we had no room on the salary cap? By the way that was pre Tommy’s announcement to retire.

What bigger issues do we need to resolve if French resigns? It is a matter of opinion, for me someone like Croft takes us to the next level. As I have said before Cust isn’t in the same league.

By the way can you please let me know how much Croft earns? Obviously, you are in the know.

Replace Powell with Cust?

Given he has several suiters from the NRL who are after him to be their starting half it’s safe to say he won’t be cheap.

I have no idea how much cap space we have however I do know that there are several areas we need to look at before we look for a new starting half, namely centre.

TL retiring wasn’t an announcement that will have shocked the club, they will have know about this for months and will have taken that into account when making offers to incoming players and contract upgrades.

The priority at the moment is clearly finding a resolution to the French situation and the centre position. We have 1 centre confirmed, we still need another.

If we could upgrade contracts, retain French, confirm another centre AND then have enough cap space left to sign Croft I’d be onboard but I really don’t think that is realistic.