https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/11/ ... announced/

https://wiganwarriors.com/blog/2024/11/ ... announced/

A good reward for guys like Thompson and Nsemba. I'm a little surprised they have given Nsemba that 11 shirt and taken it from Isa but he's the sort of player you want to have a recognisable number, that they can promote him around.

Thompson to 10 and Nsemba to 11 is no surprise to me. Both in the Dream Team with Thompson regarded as the best SL signing of the season. Junior, well it's all been said. Everything and Young Player of the Year.
I was surprised Isa was given 14 and Dupree to 19. Thought they'd have Tyler in the 17.
It looks a staggeringly good squad.

I thought it was daft when Luke Thompson was named at 16 last year when it was obvious he was going to start. Give the starting side the starting squad numbers particularly seeing as the first 13 picks itself atm. Don't see that changing by the end of next year either - everyone else will be fighting for bench spots.

Willie Isa is such a good club man that it wouldn't surprise me if it was his suggestion.

Both Nsemba and Thompson thoroughly deserved. As said above, looks a frighteningly good squad. Even moreso than last year now we know how good the likes of those two, O'Neil, Leeming, Eckersley, Farrimond, Douglas, Forber etc are which were much more unknown quantities last time around. Even Bevan had a little question mark regarding just how good a 6 he would be going into last year which, with hindsight, probably looks a bit silly now.

We have players well into the 20s who would be first 17 at many other clubs.

Yeah, I wondered about that myself. I guess they'll have spoken to Isa about it and as you say, he seems the type who would be humble enough to say that Nsemba deserves the shirt. It also feels like a late call was made on Isa actually staying on, so there won't be any dramas.

He's played less than 20 games in the last 2 years whilst Nsemba played 29 last year alone. I don't think it's that controversial.

Nsemba is the future of the position and Isa has a last year to provide experience and cover, so it is an obvious choice to move Nsemba into that starting number and I'm sure Isa will have been consulted about it beforehand