Well that is interesting because I know we have looked at Kevin Locke for next year, haven't heard anything about the other 2 players though. Sam will end up at Gold Coast, NZ Warriors or Saracens next year.

I'd take him back in a second.



That's not to say our guys aren't playing well alread tho. If the cap allows it there's always room for a top draw player and pro like Tommy.

Only as long as he sticks to playing hooker and promises not to do any kicking!

Would that be a wise move, do you think, if we had a choice of getting someone else from NZ?



I loved Tommy, but I'm increasingly finding his halfback replacements satisfactory.



Would we really want to spend all that money on an interchange hooker, if, for example, we had the opportunity to spend it elsewhere on the team? (I refuse to mention spending it on Locke, because I plain don't believe that rumour).

Smith is a decent player with a good kicking game but he's not in Tommy's class.



If Hampshire is being groomed as Sam's replacement it does leave us worryingly thin when it comes to HB cover.



Powell and Logan are good players but I'd have Tommy in that bench spot.



Again, and like I said originally, it's all dependent on cost. I should have also added my comments are based upon Tommy wanting to return and not us chasing him. I think there's a massive difference between the two approaches.

i'm not saying its a done deal just saying that seems to be the news in aus at the moment regarding sam. I would say kevin locke hasn't been that highly regarded for at least 18 months when he first broke on to the scene he was supposed to be the next gun to come up in the NRL. As far as "paupers pay" some people are going over board that super league can't pay a good wage, this season wigan must of had some cap space left as we had a lot of big earners leave and thats before hock decided to spit the dummy. Also if sam, mossop, hock and prescott all leave that will be a massive chunk.



Its a deal that would suit all parties and make the most sense.



so it could be:

locke

tommy

????

But would it really suit Locke to come to Wigan?



If he needs to rebuild his reputation, he's hardly going to do it in the league most NRL folk regard as inferior? Wouldn't it be better for him to stay Down Under and fight to regain his form?

well i don't know him personally so who knows, he might want to come over and save some money and do some traveling around Europe maybe tommy has had a word with him. he could regain form in super league its hardly like we haven't developed any players at wigan, Ryan Hoffman went back and all the aus commentators said he has come back a better player as well as Jeff Lima.

I'd love to believe it. But I find this one difficult.

[urlhttp://www.zerotackle.com/nrl/new-zealand-warriors-set-to-land-tomkins-9137/[/url



Dean Bell is over in the UK at the moment.



Wigan are going to be left with two choices with regards to Sam. I can't see NRL clubs playing 750k-1 million for an English player. Rugby Union on the other hand are prepared to throw that kind of money around. Wigan either agree to a player swap with a club in the NRL who is likely to be his replacement or cash in from Rugby Union and buy a replacement.

I hope the thing isn't true about Kevin Locke. I don't think people watch him anymore and just assume he is good because of comments made when he first broke through. I've not seen him have a truly good game in a very long time.

I remember the good old days when we could accommodate both Sam and Tommy at Wigan

, on a serious note though I'd take him back in an instance.

Problem with it is if we are having 3 from them then we need to look at the OOC players for the end of this season. And if this is a deal where we get 3 players of quality then it needs to be at least 1 or 2 current internationals in NZ. If Richards does not agree a new contract i would take manu vatuvei, TL for cover and Locke for FB.



If this is the deal that is going to happen then IL can not let Sam go and bring in 3 players from the Holden Cup or 1 current first team player and 2 from u20's.



Or even get a £1 million from the RU for him and then try and buy a half decent cover. Also if he lets him go IL needs to make sure he gets first refusal on taking him back. Got a feeling we will let him go to NZW and we will get crap for him.

Word is through the Aus/NRL press is that Sam is being targeted by NZ Warriors with three players heading to Wigan, however I don't know where Locke has come from.



So Sam would prefer to be at a Sydney club to be close to Burgess(s) and Graham? Where has this come from? Probably someone thinking 'well they're all English so they probably wanna hangout together'. nonsense.



Smith has a much better all round game as a 7 that Tommy ever did, never ever a 7, or even a 6 in a split halves system. Over in Aus he looks very ineffective as a 6 for NZ Warriors, his lack of ability to orchestrate a team and create is once again evident.

You could say that about anyone in a NZ Warriors shirt at the moment (I watch them every week BTW and have for about 3 years)



I'd probably only really want Konrad Hurrell, Simon Mannering, Ben Matulino and Feleti Mateo from their current squad and they've mostly been poor this season. Matulino is a shadow of the player he was last season. Mateo can be a penalty machine one minute and a World beater the next (see Gareth Hock minus the off field stuff). Hurrell is a big lad but still quite raw in parts and Mannering is a work horse that you probably wouldn't shift Hansen or Farrell for considering the wage he'd demand.

I'd take Leuluai, Nielsen, Elijah Taylor and Shaun Johnson as well.

Haven't seen enough of Nielsen yet but as a natural centre possibly.



Johnson, again possibly. A great talent but too hit and miss. I'm more than happy with Smith and Green at the moment.

Shaun Johnson would rip SL defenses apart, has a similar style to Tomkins with ball in hand.

He does yes and when he's in space there are few that would catch him but I haven't seen it enough from him. In his defence, he's behind a beaten pack most weeks.



He has a good kicking game.

A well known Wigan supporting Yorkshire pastry

journalist said to me a few weeks ago that he wouldn't swap Green and Smith for any other half back pairing currently playing in Superleague.

Rogues, Matty Smith should be England's halfback in the World Cup.

matty smith for england?.thats dredging the barrel.

One things for certain, I'd much sooner us do a player swap and gain several NRL players and Sam go to an NRL club than us sell him for cash to RU. Sure, if you take the cash in option you'll have a very healthy set of accounts but the trophy cabinet would look a bit bare. If NZW want to offer three players - Locke/Leuluai/and another - I'd definitely take that option and keep Sam in the game rather than losing him to another sport and having to find a replacement.

May have been said somewhere already as I've not read through but Hock will be off to Parramatta next season with an announcement soon. Possibly as early as next week.

Sorry, couldn't see this anywhere else but 'Sean Long to join Wigan staff as u19s coach?' www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ld-2767382

Sorry, couldn't see this anywhere else but 'Sean Long to join Wigan staff as u19s coach?' www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/ ... ld-2767382