Over hyped while over here, or the real deal ? He's getting publicity the lad - www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 040261.ece

Over hyped while over here, or the real deal ? He's getting publicity the lad - www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 040261.ece

Apparantly nailed on to move to Wigan on a long term deal with the option of returning to Melbourne.



He'll be a superstar.

If he's got pace Saints don't want him?



If he's a hooker we'll have him

Of course we do, but it's not like we sign many players is it. There is a recession you know.

Makes me laugh how any decent player from Melbourne off contract is apparantly nailed on for a move to Wigan.



Michael Mcguire will be at Wigan for 2 - 3 years max, then he'll be off imo. So Widdop would get maybe 1 year working with him.

I can't quite understand where Saddened has got his information from either. Widdop has two years remaining on his Melbourne contract so isn't off contract.



There are rumours on the Wigan board that Melbourne will be our NRL tie in Australia and an article on the RFL website mentions Maguire may try to cheekily lure him to the DW Stadium in the future but that hardly constitutes 'nailed on'.



What's your source Saddened?

His bottom.

Widdop is a rising star who plays fullback. Melbourne are more than covered there with one William Slater. Wigan have links with Melbourne through Maguire and also through the efforts to forge an official link.



It would make sense for a young player to get experience if they can't find a position for him. Nailed on obviously isn't the right phrase.



My source is a radio commentator who was talking to my Dad in Asda.



He may well choose to bum it around the fringes at Melbourne, playing odd games and covering at half back etc or they may choose to move him or another player to another position. But Wigan are definitely trying. My bet is he signs for the Goons at the start of next season, plays 2 years then rejoins Melbourne.

You want a slice, don't you.

What ya laughing at? Radio sports commentators have to eat you know.



If you will all refer to the 'apparantly' in my initial post.

There is a real assumption over here that anyone who plays in Australia, even through the junior ranks who is English will be the next big thing. I bet most of the people talking about him on here haven't even see him play, I certainly haven't but I'm going on Sunday after the Widnes game so hopefully I'll believe the hype afterwards.

Did you not see the highlights of the Junior NRL Grand Final? He looked really good.

I didn't mate, and if he's really that good, then great. An English lad making it in the NRL through the junior ranks is quite an achievement. But he's been built up already, there's many 'superstars' in the English game coming through in my opinion, but they're given time.



If Widdop comes over in the next 2 years everyone will expect him to be a world beater now.

Was on scholarship at Haifax too dont you know!! About 2001! Must have taught him well in his time there!!

The people in Asda announcing the special offers on fish fingers over the tannoy are not 'radio commentators'.

I can’t believe he’s Halifax born and supports the Bulls tut tut

"[Widdop said of Cipriani, who is joining Melbourne Rebels a pretty easy game, I reckon.”

I like this lad already.

Seen some footage of him, he looks class. Maguire rates him very highly. I would certainly have him at Wigan for anywhere in the backline.

The best thing for England would be for him to stay in the NRL and be a star there and choose to play for England. The danger will be if he starts looking really good then the Aussies would start to want to lure him to play Origin and therefore Australia.

He was asked who he'd like to represent given the opportunity and he wasn't exactly rushing to pin his colours to the English mast which is a little bit sad imo.



He talked about getting a dual passport which I understand might not just be for rugby reasons but still i'd have hoped it would have been an easy question to anwear for an English lad with with English parents who's only been in OZ for 4 years.



I suppose he's got to actually turn out to be the real deal first before we even have to worry but if he does I expect his head will be turned and we'll have an English player playing against us.

Widdop has stated plenty of times he is not sure where his loyalties lie regarding Internationals. The main factor will probably come down to the fact he has not played in the NRL yet and is a small fish in a big pond in Australia where he is far from guaranteed any representative honours. He would probably be a definite for England as the English backs are average as Widdop said himself last year. I think he said the English game looks like "Park Football" compared to the NRL I will have to find the link. Here it is, he compares the English team V Wales to The Australian under 20's Toyota Cup [i"I've obviously not played first grade yet," admitted Widdop. "But I watched the England versus Wales game on TV last week and I sat there and thought that in terms of the speed and the skill level it was no better than the level I have been playing this year."[/i www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/local/R ... 5761936.jp

Widdop has stated plenty of times he is not sure where his loyalties lie regarding Internationals. The main factor will probably come down to the fact he has not played in the NRL yet and is a small fish in a big pond in Australia where he is far from guaranteed any representative honours. He would probably be a definite for England as the English backs are average as Widdop said himself last year. I think he said the English game looks like "Park Football" compared to the NRL I will have to find the link. Here it is, he compares the English team V Wales to The Australian under 20's Toyota Cup [i"I've obviously not played first grade yet," admitted Widdop. "But I watched the England versus Wales game on TV last week and I sat there and thought that in terms of the speed and the skill level it was no better than the level I have been playing this year."[/i www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/local/R ... 5761936.jp

I watched him last week verses the Quins. He looked very good. Equally good with the boot out of hand and going for goal(Has a strange kicking style out of hand in that he leans the ball back so that it is nearly flat and kicks the far "point" of the ball creating a back spin-A bit like the Aussie rules players. Very effective when wanting the ball to stop in the in goal area)

That kick's not uncommon in this part of the world.