: Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:22 pm  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

He was Wigan at a younger age than Graham was at Saints.

One minute your saying Graham shouldn't count because he was born about 12 miles from the ground, and the next your saying Hansen should count even though he was born in New Zealand.

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:24 pm  

Duke Eddington wrote:

oops, double post.

No I'm saying that if Graham counts then so does Hansen as he was at Wigan at a younger age than Graham was at Saints.


We either count both or neither.

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 4:29 pm  

its all about players who could represent great britain, never mind which part of GREAT BRITAIN they come from.

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:09 pm  

saints35 bulls0 wrote:

as for the Grand Final last year, 9 out of the starting 13 were home grown, something which Wigan can only dream of.

Players like Gardner and Wilkin may have been brought in from outside the club - but where would they have been now, had Saints not taken a risk on them as teenagers?

Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Talau, Meli, Pryce, Long, Graham, Cunningham, Hargreaves, Gilmour, Wilkin, Flannery.

5 Home grown
3 Wigan
1 Bradford
4 Overseas

Wigan and bradford only porvided one less player than saints did..

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:10 pm  

saints35 bulls0 wrote:

indeed - Saints have taken a conscious decision to operate below the salary cap and promote the young players through the squad. We have space on the cap to spend - but have chosen not to.

A concious decision based on mounting losses and huge debts to directors. If the board weren't fed up pumping money in we'd never see half the kids Saints are touting now.

[DaveO]

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:14 pm  

Billinge_Lump wrote:

I'd agree with that, our youth systems have been poor for years, however we're now seeing the benefits of investment in that area (starting with Millward and improved dramatically by Anderson) and hopefully we'll see a few a year being able to be brought into the first team squad.

Considering that people on here keep banging on about how good your youth set up is, and have been for years, what's your excuse?

You have been around here long enough to know my views on overseas players in general and how many there are at Wigan in particular.

I have to say though the article is typical newsprint when it says:

"How much more exciting must it be for a Saints fan to look forward to watching the development of these young players, whereas across at the JJB Stadium they can only wonder about the years of neglect of the development of local talent that has forced the current coach Brian Noble to build a team around the likes of Phil Bailey, Mark Riddell, Tim Smith and Cameron Phelps.

He hasn't been forced into it at all. It's his choice.

It also conveniently ignores that last season J Tomkins came of age for example and the presence of any other Wigan produced player in the current side. Likewise it ignores the fact that it is unlikely all the younger players at Saints will make the grade.

We all know the frustration of seeing Noble leave young players out and many of us believe J Tomkins came through despite Noble not because of him but I think it's clear enough where the problem lies and it is not as you or the article suggest in the production line of talent. It is IMO the coach where the problem lies.

Dave

[DaveO]

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:15 pm  

MidlandsWarrior2 wrote:

Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Talau, Meli, Pryce, Long, Graham, Cunningham, Hargreaves, Gilmour, Wilkin, Flannery.

5 Home grown
3 Wigan
1 Bradford
4 Overseas

Wigan and bradford only porvided one less player than saints did..

Gardner is not home frown for Saints either. He was signed from Barrow wasn't he?

Dave

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:18 pm  

DaveO wrote:

Gardner is not home frown for Saints either. He was signed from Barrow wasn't he?

Dave

Also wasn't Wilkin signed from Hull KR?

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:25 pm  

I dont know the answer to this, so just throwing it out there, but of the Wigan team that won the WCC against Brisbane in 1994(?), what was the ratio of local players, British brought in and overseas brought in?

: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:25 pm  

OK its getts better - saints 2008 grand final 13

Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Talau, Meli, Pryce, Long, Graham, Cunningham, Hargreaves, Gilmour, Wilkin, Flannery.

3 Home grown
3 Wigan
1 Bradford
1 Hullkr
1 Barrow
4 Overseas