Barbed Wire wrote:
Realistically, he’s Wigan’s to lose. I’d be surprised if he went elsewhere.
I agree that Wigan have a few things going in their favour, but I wouldn't go as far as to say that he's theirs to lose.
Wigan had the right to speak to him first (which was the extent of the 'first call'). They didn't sign him at that stage so that advantage is now passed.
He wants to come back to the uk for family and it has been said that he prefers the North West. That's Wigan, Saints, Warrington, Salford and Leigh who all fit the bill.
He knows the setup at Wigan and some of the players / staff, that may or may not be an advantage. He moved to the NRL and made a success of things. He's returning of off field reasons.
Like all pro sportsmen he's a competitor, he'll want to win things. That's going to come down to Wigan's track record vs. our ambition as a club.
Coaches? I don't know how he feels about the different coaches.
He'll want to be playing in SL ahead of the World Cup. Whether that means at his 2022 club or a temporary arrangement who knows.
So that means it will come down to money. If two or more clubs can tick the required boxes then it's a bonus-malus situation. The club that is most attractive to him needs to offer the least money but a second or third choice club can still secure his signature if they offer enough money. I don't think that Wigan have such a lead that they can't be outbid. I'm sure that all the competing clubs will have put forward potential solutions as to how he can play this year, it's now about who wants him most / has the deepest pockets.
