Re: Recruitment, rumours and links : Fri Jan 17, 2025 2:47 pm  

Barbed Wire wrote:

While I’m broadly positive about Burgess/Chambers and the recruitment & retention work, I read similar about Bullock when we signed him. Granted, the environment that he came into was different, I just worry as to why Wigan would let anyone leave to join Warrington.

It’s not a case of them allowing him to leave. With this new thing of players in last year of contract now able to talk to other clubs sooner my guess is we have offered him a better deal than Wigan wanted to.

Re: Recruitment, rumours and links : Fri Jan 17, 2025 3:22 pm  

karetaker wrote:

It’s not a case of them allowing him to leave. With this new thing of players in last year of contract now able to talk to other clubs sooner my guess is we have offered him a better deal than Wigan wanted to.

Pretty sure that will be the case. With Thompson and Havard starting games and both regularly playing for 50 minutes plus, there are very few minutes to go at for Dupree, Mago, Byrne and Hill and the need of Warrington, compared to the need of Wigan will have lead to more money being on the table at Warrington. I think he'll be a regularly starter at Warrington and you can't begrudge him taking the opportunity to have both a better chance of a starting shirt and more money, all while still being at a club that can compete for trophies.

Re: Recruitment, rumours and links : Fri Jan 17, 2025 4:14 pm  

Can see him struggling for game time if Peet favours Harvie Hill which is understandable from Wigan’s point of view. Might be coming over in mid season like Luke Yates if we have room in the salary cap.

Re: Recruitment, rumours and links : Fri Jan 17, 2025 5:08 pm  

49er wrote:

Can see him struggling for game time if Peet favours Harvie Hill which is understandable from Wigan’s point of view. Might be coming over in mid season like Luke Yates if we have room in the salary cap.

i posted something very similar on the other wigan forum, but more of a question re Hill

as myself and the other Wigan fans have said, our starting props are Thompson and Havard, with Byrne usually 3rd choice with Dupree and Mago. It will be interesting to see if Matty Peet still uses Byrne all season, or if he looks to the future (for Wigan) and gives Hill more time from the bench. What Wigan cant do this season, is to isolate him completely as we will need him to be fighting fit when there are injuries and suspensions

Re: Recruitment, rumours and links : Fri Jan 17, 2025 7:32 pm  

Talking of Hill, i keep thinking a 1 year for chris Hill wouldn't be bad........before you find me and beat me up. He wouldn't play every week, still does a good job, and my thinking is mainly for the experience, knowledge and professional attitude he could pass on and help develop our younger guys. Especially the forwards such as Wood, Thomas, Green, Whitehead, Holroyd etc
So i'm not saying we desperately need him but he could be pretty useful.
Been thinking it for awhile, but the guys on the radio were just on about it so thought cool, it's not just me then

Re: Recruitment, rumours and links : Fri Jan 17, 2025 8:46 pm  

If you look at the facts though, he’s at the best club, with the best team, with the international coach working there, winning routinely… he’s not looking for a new challenge a few miles down the road, the NRL would take a punt at his price.

So we’re paying more, or he’s not wanted. If we pay him more, no problem if he returns on the investment, if not we lose more ground. But his best years are ahead of him, he’s really experienced, and an experienced winner, and we have a convincing coach who seems to connect well with players.