Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 12:53 pm  

Paul Youane wrote:

Hang-on a minute! My undersatnding was that Super League is goosed and no NRL player is ever coming to these shores again yet all of a sudden, just to allow Tomkins to escape from his Wigan hell, three NZ Warriors, including highly rated Kevin Locke, are willing to up-sticks and accept pauper's pay and sign for Wigan.

Not saying it isn't true but being honest isn't there just a little bell ringing in your head telling you that somebody is feeding you a right load of rubbish?

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
????

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:02 pm  

dubairl wrote:

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?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:32 pm  

Cruncher wrote:

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.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 1:46 pm  

dubairl wrote:

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.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 4:32 pm  

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

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

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 7:24 pm  

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.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 8:49 pm  

MattyB wrote:

This is interesting as I heard a rumour that Leuluai is wanting a return to Wigan next season.

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.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:30 pm  

dubairl wrote:

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
????

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.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:59 pm  

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.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Apr 17, 2013 11:04 pm  

JWarriors wrote:

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.

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.