Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 12:22 pm  

hengirl wrote:

Truth is for the most part, and we know who they are, modern players see themselves as employee's rather than players, they have a product and will go to the highest bidder, that Lenegan allows them a lifeline back when it all goes belly up, for men my opinion disrespect the club and the players who've come before.

Wigan should not, under any circumstances be treated as a safety net, for me you leave this club and you're moving downwards as for me theres no better rugby club in the world.

i'm glad there are a few others who agree with my opinion that Wigan is no longer the club a player dreams to one day play for. it is a club being almost abused to the point by some players to get a deal here in the hope of one day going onto the NRL or a "better" contract elsewhere.

Ollie says he has been here a long time, yes, through your youth, we've bloody invested a shed load of time and effort in that time too. you play for the first team for 24 months and want away? I wouldn't be half as bothered if this was to happen say in another year or twos time, but for him to come out with comments like this mid-season (whether his contract is due or not) is pretty galling for me.

so I will say it again, the club is not managing this kind of instance well enough, historically and present day. i'm delighted with the recent news of Isa, Marshall, Davies signing new deals. the club is obviously doing so to prevent other clubs raiding them. shame Ollie or his agent have another agenda.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 12:45 pm  

jinkin jimmy wrote:

Why are we not simply exercising our one year option re Sam? He's far harder to replace than Bateman.

Apparently we don't want to so I've been told.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 12:52 pm  

"or his agent have another agenda" That is the real problem the club has at the moment, they are having to act with a certain agent who has regularly clashed with management of the club over the years. Whose first thought is to try and move our players on to other clubs and now to the NRL, advice based purely on money and not their playing abilities.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 1:34 pm  

pk wrote:

Apparently we don't want to so I've been told.

If so, the mind absolutely boggles.

The whole situation seems so strange, if well informed people weren't so adamant that a deal has already been agreed, I'd be convinced that this is just a high stakes negotiation.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 2:00 pm  

I don’t think it’s baffling at all that we don’t want to take the one year option. He’s on a fortune (highest paid player in the league apparantly) and up until this season we’ve had nothing like value for money. What would be baffling would be us not having put a new deal on the table over an extended period but on a reduced wage. I’m pretty sure we must’ve done that but my guess is Catalans have blown it out of the park and fair play to them.

One seasons worth of Tomkins on a fortune (to then see him walk away anyway) will hopefully turn out to have been trumped by new deals for Bateman and Gildart in addition to a new signing to take Tomkins place.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 3:16 pm  

I’m led to believe Sam has already signed for The Dragons . I’m gutted as he still has some real talent whether he’s slowed a bit or not

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 5:12 pm  

WiganBurt wrote:

i'm delighted with the recent news of Isa, Marshall, Davies signing new deals. the club is obviously doing so to prevent other clubs raiding them. shame Ollie or his agent have another agenda.

When a long contract get's signed at Wigan in recent years, I start to panic. It's usually meant they are off somewhere else pretty soon.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 6:08 pm  

I’m not baffled at the club letting Sam leave, I’m more baffled at Sam WANTING to go to Catalans who are, let’s have it right, not looking too good for a SL place in 2019.

It’s a matter of time really until it’s announced and who knows? It could be a watershed moment for the club and for an academy prospect or even Escare to shine.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 9:14 pm  

100% Warrior wrote:

I’m not baffled at the club letting Sam leave, I’m more baffled at Sam WANTING to go to Catalans who are, let’s have it right, not looking too good for a SL place in 2019.

It’s a matter of time really until it’s announced and who knows? It could be a watershed moment for the club and for an academy prospect or even Escare to shine.

I’d be comfortable with Escare at fullback ‘if’ we get a very good scrum half from somewhere. If we decided to go with Escare at 1 and Powell at 7 then we’ll be in for a tough seasons viewing IMO. We’ve all been impressed I think with our much improved attack this season but I do feel having a creative force like Tomkins at fullback is papering over the cracks of having Williams blowing hot and cold at 6 and Powell really struggling along at 7 (which is no surprise as he looks very much a Hooker nowadays).

Who knows what next year will bring. I doubt we’ve had as many things up in the air as we’ve currently got in a very long time. I don’t remember ever seeing this much uncertainty surrounding key personnel.

[DaveO]

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Apr 26, 2018 11:22 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

I don’t think it’s baffling at all that we don’t want to take the one year option. He’s on a fortune (highest paid player in the league apparantly) and up until this season we’ve had nothing like value for money. What would be baffling would be us not having put a new deal on the table over an extended period but on a reduced wage. I’m pretty sure we must’ve done that but my guess is Catalans have blown it out of the park and fair play to them.

One seasons worth of Tomkins on a fortune (to then see him walk away anyway) will hopefully turn out to have been trumped by new deals for Bateman and Gildart in addition to a new signing to take Tomkins place.

So what if he's on a fortune? He counts £75K on the salary cap so there is no reason signing him should prevent the club re-signing other players unless it now lacks the ambition to assemble the best squad possible it can within SL and simply isn't prepared to pay for it. Which I suspect is the case. He's harder to replace than Bateman and Gildart. This mythical new signing you mention how, much is he going to be on? Less than Sam? Well then you can expect get a lesser player. Same as Sam? Then that is a sideways move.

Wigan being outbid for one of its best players by a bottom dwelling SL side is pretty pathetic.