Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue Jan 16, 2018 4:36 pm  

proper-shaped-balls wrote:

Then again why should it matter? We are always being told shirt numbers are irrelavent because the best trainer/player for a position will get the nod.

Squad numbers often provide an indication of who's going to play/start where, for the most part. I think this season more than most, fans are apprehensive of how the team will line-up, squad numbers would help.

I'm hoping the lack of squad numbers means they'll be more movement in comings and goings before the season begins...

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Tue Jan 16, 2018 10:24 pm  

Last Son of Wigan wrote:

Squad numbers often provide an indication of who's going to play/start where, for the most part. I think this season more than most, fans are apprehensive of how the team will line-up, squad numbers would help.

I'm hoping the lack of squad numbers means they'll be more movement in comings and goings before the season begins...

Squad numbers were out this morning

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:02 am  

bazdev wrote:

Squad numbers were out this morning

I only saw them after my last post. Obviously.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:29 am  

WiganBurt wrote:

I disagree with your views on TT and Williams. we were struggling with injuries well before they signed their contracts. it just so happened that TT was performing well in an injury hit side, earned a new contract and then "coincidentally" dropped off form-wise. or in other words, give me more money so I don't bugger off now i'm playing well. GW was given a new contract because of an offer coming in for him, fair enough, but again it had little benefit to us or him. now we have heard what Kris in the papers recently, if anything this has contributed to our lack of ability to sign any new players too - he has basically admitted we can't sign anyone because we are paying all of our kids more than they should be on, just to keep them at the club. if MM hadn't left, would this have meant we were over the cap even?!

i'd agree as much as by saying that the injury crisis we endured WAS a factor in the form of TT and GW amongst others but it wasn't the reason. and as for GW being a young HB, yes I agree but he has had 2 full seasons with us in the first team and if the club feel he is deserving of a marquee signature to retain his services then I fully expect the club to be working to bring that out of him too which they do not appear to be.

Sorry mate but you're remembering to convenience there. The whole team was playing well at the start of the season, including a decent run of wins and winning the WCC. The whole team played badly once the injuries started to bite. Did they all sign new contracts? Are you saying TT and GW never played another good game from the moment they signed their contracts? Are you suggesting they noticeably stopped trying after their signatures were on those contracts because I distinctly remember GW in particular trying too hard as was often said on this very forum!
What you've done (in my opinion, of course) is decide what you think happened then made the facts fit, at least in your own mind. It's simply not true.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jan 18, 2018 1:36 am  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

Not sure why powderpuff stops you sleeping at night but if it makes you happy I will go along with ineffective. That took me an age but maybe I'm just an owd doderer

With your dog analogy I will have my aggressive Staffordshire you can have your aggressive Jack Russell.

The pack I feel is ineffective not just because of lack of aggression but I will pick that up shortly.

Players with lack aggression for me as follows in no particular order are
FPN - maybe he just cant be arsed but last season he was next to useless
JT - I genuinely don't think he would know what to do if an opposing player actually chinned him when he runs in if a scuffle breaks out.
Flower - just hasn't been the same since 2014
Bretherton - cant recall a prop running with such a low intensity for many years with probably the exception of Mossop. His running style is poor so maybe with some development in that area this could be improved upon.
TT - never see him dominate anyone.
I think back to night versus Wire a year or two ago when Williams got chinned whilst prone on the floor - I nearly died of shame when not one Wigan player went in to sort the Wire player out.
I want the opposition fans to hate our forwards because they are so aggressive. I think they hate them presently because we hold down and wrestle wringing out a second or two of delaying play i.e. giving away the needless penalties you state.

Where the pack also is ineffective is in stamina/fitness. FPN I don't think did more than 18 minutes in a stint. Clubb is a player hard not to like however, his stamina levels are I feel questionable. This wasn't just last season but he seems incapable of doing more than 20 minutes a stint. Flower also is blowing out his arris after 15 to 20 minutes. We don't appear to have 1 prop who can and will do more than 20 minutes which I find quite amazing when you consider how much work our backs do in running out the ball particularly in our own half.

The pack is just too small to consistently dominate the opposition. I don't think we have a genuinely big guy in the pack. Last season at times we had Farrell, Bateman & Isa on the field at the same time i.e. 60% of our "grunt" weighing less than 14st. Just too damn small. What particularly irritates me on the size aspect was that after the Roosters gave us a good hiding IL,KR & SW all stated we were "too" small and that had to be addressed in the future - I am still waiting along with the wait for someone who can kick.

Maybe just maybe SW will let the "hounds" loose from the start of the season and the pack will look to dominate from the kick off like we did a few years back. Not sure if that in itself would be enough but hells bells it would be a lot better than some of the dross we saw last year.

By the way Phuzzy I don't mind you having different views even directly opposing views but please don't call me lazy. I am very passionate about the club and that passion can and does run into frustration when I think as a club we are doing things poorly. I have very strong views but will always listen and discuss opposing views to the extent if I am wrong I will hold my hands up and say that I am wrong. With regards the pack I just want one that acts like a pack and if players like FPN don't really want to be here then don't play him. FPN by the way looks pretty fit when I saw him on Wigan TV so if he needs a good season to enable to get him back to Australia then I will take that.

Ben Flower : 17st 2lbs
TT : 17 st 4lbs
Tony Club : 17 st 6lbs
FPN : 17st 8lbs

Just how big do you want them mate?


I wasn't calling you lazy. I was calling the use of catch all phrases lazy. There is a difference but if you took any offence then I apologise.

Oh, and using your dog analogy I'll take the smaller Staffordshire Bull Terrier over the much larger collie or Labrador any day of the week! We can all choose examples that support what we're saying which, in fact, was exactly my point.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jan 18, 2018 6:56 am  

Itchy Arsenal wrote:

Not sure why powderpuff stops you sleeping at night but if it makes you happy I will go along with ineffective. That took me an age but maybe I'm just an owd doderer

With your dog analogy I will have my aggressive Staffordshire you can have your aggressive Jack Russell.

The pack I feel is ineffective not just because of lack of aggression but I will pick that up shortly.

Players with lack aggression for me as follows in no particular order are
FPN - maybe he just cant be arsed but last season he was next to useless
JT - I genuinely don't think he would know what to do if an opposing player actually chinned him when he runs in if a scuffle breaks out.
Flower - just hasn't been the same since 2014
Bretherton - cant recall a prop running with such a low intensity for many years with probably the exception of Mossop. His running style is poor so maybe with some development in that area this could be improved upon.
TT - never see him dominate anyone.
I think back to night versus Wire a year or two ago when Williams got chinned whilst prone on the floor - I nearly died of shame when not one Wigan player went in to sort the Wire player out.
I want the opposition fans to hate our forwards because they are so aggressive. I think they hate them presently because we hold down and wrestle wringing out a second or two of delaying play i.e. giving away the needless penalties you state.

Where the pack also is ineffective is in stamina/fitness. FPN I don't think did more than 18 minutes in a stint. Clubb is a player hard not to like however, his stamina levels are I feel questionable. This wasn't just last season but he seems incapable of doing more than 20 minutes a stint. Flower also is blowing out his arris after 15 to 20 minutes. We don't appear to have 1 prop who can and will do more than 20 minutes which I find quite amazing when you consider how much work our backs do in running out the ball particularly in our own half.

The pack is just too small to consistently dominate the opposition. I don't think we have a genuinely big guy in the pack. Last season at times we had Farrell, Bateman & Isa on the field at the same time i.e. 60% of our "grunt" weighing less than 14st. Just too damn small. What particularly irritates me on the size aspect was that after the Roosters gave us a good hiding IL,KR & SW all stated we were "too" small and that had to be addressed in the future - I am still waiting along with the wait for someone who can kick.

Maybe just maybe SW will let the "hounds" loose from the start of the season and the pack will look to dominate from the kick off like we did a few years back. Not sure if that in itself would be enough but hells bells it would be a lot better than some of the dross we saw last year.

By the way Phuzzy I don't mind you having different views even directly opposing views but please don't call me lazy. I am very passionate about the club and that passion can and does run into frustration when I think as a club we are doing things poorly. I have very strong views but will always listen and discuss opposing views to the extent if I am wrong I will hold my hands up and say that I am wrong. With regards the pack I just want one that acts like a pack and if players like FPN don't really want to be here then don't play him. FPN by the way looks pretty fit when I saw him on Wigan TV so if he needs a good season to enable to get him back to Australia then I will take that.

You can just go aroung thumping people like King Kelvin used to do, it carries punishment now. Which would lead to this forum going into melt down about Waney having them too fired up. Cant win with some folk.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jan 18, 2018 8:28 am  

Phuzzy wrote:

Sorry mate but you're remembering to convenience there. The whole team was playing well at the start of the season, including a decent run of wins and winning the WCC. The whole team played badly once the injuries started to bite. Did they all sign new contracts? Are you saying TT and GW never played another good game from the moment they signed their contracts? Are you suggesting they noticeably stopped trying after their signatures were on those contracts because I distinctly remember GW in particular trying too hard as was often said on this very forum!
What you've done (in my opinion, of course) is decide what you think happened then made the facts fit, at least in your own mind. It's simply not true.

the very fact that they may have had two or three solid games post-signature of said contracts does not warrant them any leniency. i'm not using them as scapegoats before we continue, far from it, I was merely highlighting why it seems that signing contracts mid-season has little positive effect; if these players are so passionate about the Wigan club they should not be trying to renegotiate mid-season to stop them from being picked up by someone else.

in turn as we now know, its contributed to putting Wigan right up to the cap limit, if not over it. that I am not happy about.

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:01 am  

WiganBurt wrote:

the very fact that they may have had two or three solid games post-signature of said contracts does not warrant them any leniency. i'm not using them as scapegoats before we continue, far from it, I was merely highlighting why it seems that signing contracts mid-season has little positive effect; if these players are so passionate about the Wigan club they should not be trying to renegotiate mid-season to stop them from being picked up by someone else.

in turn as we now know, its contributed to putting Wigan right up to the cap limit, if not over it. that I am not happy about.

Your not happy that were at cap limit? Why?
Or
Surely you can't be unhappy about being "Over it" when you have no evidence to say that we are? That would be a very strange thing to be unhappy about, something that hasn't happened?

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jan 18, 2018 9:21 am  

Trouble in Toronto? Moi Moi, Taylor & Bailey all released right before the season starts! https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-le ... i-11870961

Trouble in Toronto? Moi Moi, Taylor & Bailey all released right before the season starts! https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-le ... i-11870961

Re: Rumours and signings v9 : Thu Jan 18, 2018 11:17 am  

Bigredwarrior wrote: Trouble in Toronto? Moi Moi, Taylor & Bailey all released right before the season starts! https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-le ... i-11870961 I wonder what's going on there?

Bigredwarrior wrote: Trouble in Toronto? Moi Moi, Taylor & Bailey all released right before the season starts! https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/rugby-le ... i-11870961 I wonder what's going on there?