Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 10:51 am  

MadDogg wrote:

No issue with the interview or his NRL ambitions - I don't think its unreasonable though to think that he and Bevan really should be in Wigan now. Outside of those players waiting for Visa approval (e.g. Dean Whare at Catalans), I think you'd struggle to find another SL overseas player who is still back home at this point.

They are flying back tomorrow.

That will give the 3 weeks with the team before the leigh game.

Both have been working on fitness in Aus. Hastings has posted a video of him working with a PT.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 10:54 am  

Tricky Dicky wrote:

They are flying back tomorrow.

That will give the 3 weeks with the team before the leigh game.

Both have been working on fitness in Aus. Hastings has posted a video of him working with a PT.

Three weeks with a spine that should be the exact same as last year, at least to start the year

. After getting to spend a few more weeks with their loved ones before a long season, their minds should be refreshed.

No problem with them taking the extra time.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:13 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

I don't see a problem.

If Hastings goes at the end of this season he will have played for three and a half seasons in the U.K. That's more than most Aussie players tend to stay.

Same here, unless as I say he signs midseason and then puts his cue on the rack.

He doesn't seem the type though and after 2 final defeats I think he'll want that win before he goes home.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:19 am  

They will have to self isolate for at least 5 days so it’s more like a 2 week pre season. Not ideal really but hopefully they can slot in

[Pemps]

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:42 am  

NSW wrote:

Three weeks with a spine that should be the exact same as last year, at least to start the year

. After getting to spend a few more weeks with their loved ones before a long season, their minds should be refreshed.

No problem with them taking the extra time.

May as well just give all the lads the same then. Work on your own fitness and then just rock up 3 weeks before the season starts to work on set plays.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:47 am  

Pemps wrote:

May as well just give all the lads the same then. Work on your own fitness and then just rock up 3 weeks before the season starts to work on set plays.

I'm not particularly happy about it but if its a choice between having Jackson/Bevan in the squad with 2-3 weeks prep or not having them at all then its a pretty clear decision.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 11:55 am  

I don’t expect either to be here in 2022 and I think they’ll only be here in 2021 because we allowed that extra time at home and in the current climate and as a one off then that’s fine. IMO it isn’t something we can keep repeating year in year out as the message it sends out to the rest of the squad isn’t the best but fingers crossed Dicky is right, they’re back here in a couple of days and we can just concentrate on the season.

I think the club really need to be pro active now in planning for 2022. If either of those lads wants to commit for that year within the next couple of months then that’s great but if not they need to start looking for replacements who they can nail down.

[Pemps]

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:31 pm  

MadDogg wrote:

I'm not particularly happy about it but if its a choice between having Jackson/Bevan in the squad with 2-3 weeks prep or not having them at all then its a pretty clear decision.

I agree with that but some people are acting like it's absolutely fine and there's no issue with the situation at all.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:58 pm  

Pemps wrote:

I agree with that but some people are acting like it's absolutely fine and there's no issue with the situation at all.

I don't think anyone is saying that ideally they wouldn't be here, but even when things are normal it's pretty standard for antipodean players to spend more time back home over the off season. I can definitely remember friendlies where Leuluai etc were unavailable because they had only just returned to the country.

I just think all the drama online (not necessarily on this forum) being created about them not coming back is way over the top. A mate sent me a couple of screenshots from Hastings twitter and you can see him getting wound up by it and random fans demanding he make a statement. It's definitely partly his own fault for interacting with them so much but I do think there's an element of fans driving him away to an extent. I think in a decade we'll look back and think it was mad that the club accepted/ignored players getting into arguments with fans on social media. They're bound to wise up and start putting firmer rules in place at some point.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Fri Mar 05, 2021 1:01 pm  

Pemps wrote:

I agree with that but some people are acting like it's absolutely fine and there's no issue with the situation at all.

That seems to have come about because some seem to think Hastings is unduly criticised for his conduct but this situation isn’t a Hastings thing, a French thing or about any individual. Having a group of players in training for months but allowing two guys to stay at home until a couple of weeks before the start is a risky strategy IMO. As a one off given the issues everyone has faced over the last 12 months then people will accept it but there’s no way the club can allow this every year. It just leaves them wide open to players in the future always seeking the same privileges and to criticising if we get off to poor starts.