It's an absolute disgrace that he has been allowed to leave at the expense of Toby King on a 1 year deal.

Who is looking after our squad? We have lost James McDonnell, Matty Nicolson, Jack Bibby and Sam Halsall. All future regular first teamers, all quality players. Out of all of them Sam Halsall looked a future England centre, a position us at Wigan have always struggled to produce.

There's not holding on the every player that comes through your academy and there's throwing away your future. If this is because of Bevan French and his cotract I'd have rather lost him and kept all 4.

Let's enjoy the next couple of seasons before fretting about what might be five years down the line, Nicholson is probably the only one who had a short term first team future, probably why Peet was so miffed with him signing for Wire

The fact you've had a "Like" off Saddened just about says it all

I’m not being funny but wow!

Halsall is a lad who clearly had ability but has struggled at first team level at Wigan.

Bibby….cracking prospect good luck to him.

Wardle England level centre.

This is a huge signing for Wigan, I really don’t understand how people do not get that.

Would rather prospects over French….have a word.

To be honest, not surprised (and I've had this feeling for the last 2-3 months).

I like Wardle and I am glad we have signed him but I think we should have retained Sam as well. Time will tell.

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Lets revisit this post in 3 years then eh?

To me Halsall is one of those players who needed to move on,to push on he wasn’t taking the chances albeit not many I’ll grant you.in a way that shouted “I can’t be dropped”,he’s got potential for sure but at the moment that’s all,it is.

I hope King and Wardle can answer the call for Wigan’s pRobles position the centres it’s taken lonenough to sort out.

Except that when you're proved wrong, you just won't mention it again.

Dear Lord, I wish I had a quid for every Wigan fan who claimed the departure of a 50/50 prospect to allow the signing of a genuine star was a disgrace. I also wish I had a quid for every one of those prospects who's gone on to not do very much.

French and Wardle are class acts of a high order. Halsall was okay. Seriously ... wake up and smell the coffee.

Sorry to go against the grain of popular opinion and hyperbole, but he's not saying his problem is with Wardle. Literally the 1st line of the post says:



Now it's a known fact that Hudds wanted King to stay. Watson said so a few weeks back. I can't see why we couldn't just have cleared the way for King to go there and sent them Bibby as part of the deal i.e still one centre and one prop.

On that point, I'm with Post on this. A one year loan deal Vs losing a player who will, imo, be better than King.

You can't help but laugh at certain posters/fans. Ask them 6 months ago their opinions on Halsall Vs King and they'd be completely different to what they are today. What's changed apart from one now plays for Wigan and the other doesn't?

Halsall as yet hasn’t earned the right to be considered a starting centre at Wigan.

He clearly has potential but as yet that is all it is.

Wardle and King are centres that have played at a level fitting of a call up to international rugby league.

We cannot keep chasing rainbows.

We needed 2 first team centres for 23. We now have them.

What happens beyond 23 with King who knows, however if Powell is still at Wire he won’t be going back there.

Our backline is probably the best in the league on paper and more excitingly it has potential to improve.

King is a player who has lost his way a little however he has proven to be able to perform at a higher level than Halsall.

It’s frustrating to lose young lads who do clearly have talent but like I said above we cannot remain in a period of transition constantly waiting for these lads to achieve that potential.

I’m very pleased with the backline for 23 and it has good backup options even without Halsall.

Halsall is going to Giants no doubt on more money but again as a backup player. He may well become a first team player however at the moment he isn’t.

It feels like there may have been a bit of a strategy change here or at least just a re-balancing of the salary spread, to put a bit more cap space in to the first 17 and in turn to maybe not have quite as deep a squad. It’s all well and good carrying 7 or 8 first team ready back up players but you then need an injury crisis to use them all. We’ll still have depth next season and there will be a natural progression now for guys like O’Keefe and Harvie Hill but the balance seems to have been changed a little.