Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Wed Apr 03, 2024 10:58 pm  

Absolutely fantastic news though! Takes the sting out of Good Friday a bit...

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 7:58 am  

great bit of news and thats a lot of key players / positions tied down for the near future

with Cooper and Isa likely to retire at the end of this season, that gives us a couple of 1st team spots up for grabs, with Farrell likely to retire 2025 (note i have no inside knowledge but going off age and current contracts), so good opportunities for Nsemba and Walters to stake claims for 1st team 2nd row spots, unsure what we have in the academy in terms of potential future stars in the backrow

i also think with the changes to the high tackle rules and also the number of games a player can play, then the squad will be fully utilised so the likes of Forber, Farrimond, Eckersley etc will all get good game time as part of their developments into 1st team players. we are already seeing how injury / bans have impacted our front row this season, but because we have so much depth, its not really been noticed or commented outside of a Wigan forum

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 11:34 am  

Incredible news. I saw a tweet from Huddersfield saying to tune in to Sky sports news at 3:30. The last time they did that was for Tom Burgess so I thought it would be a big signing. I flicked it on and was greeted with the best news.

When he signed for 2 years at the end of 2022, I got the impression that would it for him in SL. Paid us back for the support given in 2021 and won the GF in 2023.

Especially after his performance in the WCC and all the Aussie media wanting him back in the NRL I thought his time had come.

Elated he’s staying, a player we’ll be telling future generations about.

He’ll be here for nearly 10 years if he stays the duration and can go down as one of the clubs greats if the silverware keeps coming.

Well done Radlinski and Mr Danson.

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 11:54 am  

I suppose he's better being a big fish in a small pond. He would just be another player in the NRL rather than a stand out player in SL. He should have gone to the NRL if he wanted to prove he is a World class player. There are many players in the NRL much better than French.

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 12:08 pm  

WYSIWYG2 wrote:

I suppose he's better being a big fish in a small pond. He would just be another player in the NRL rather than a stand out player in SL. He should have gone to the NRL if he wanted to prove he is a World class player. There are many players in the NRL much better than French.

Rather a small pond than a puddle

Do you think Amone, Asiata and Ipape will go back?

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 12:33 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Rather a small pond than a puddle

Do you think Amone, Asiata and Ipape will go back?

Add Moylan and Lam.

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 1:09 pm  

It feels like a privilege to watch French at times so made up with this news. He'll go down as one of our greatest players

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 2:53 pm  

NickyKiss wrote:

Rather a small pond than a puddle

Do you think Amone, Asiata and Ipape will go back?

All 3 would just be average players in the NRL. They may not even make the 1st team, just like French. The NRL is full of outstanding players. Just take a look at Reece Walsh at Brisbane Broncos. What a player he is and he's keeping another excellent player, Tristan Sailor, out of the team when he comes back from injury.

French is probably the best back in SL, but he would just be average in the NRL. The NRL is a far better product, unfortunately.

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 3:52 pm  

WYSIWYG2 wrote:

All 3 would just be average players in the NRL. They may not even make the 1st team, just like French. The NRL is full of outstanding players. Just take a look at Reece Walsh at Brisbane Broncos. What a player he is and he's keeping another excellent player, Tristan Sailor, out of the team when he comes back from injury.

French is probably the best back in SL, but he would just be average in the NRL. The NRL is a far better product, unfortunately.

So 25 year old 11 game Sailor is excellent….but French would be average. Where is the logic in that?

Re: Bevan French 4yr deal : Thu Apr 04, 2024 4:04 pm  

Sailor looks a great prospect, but as you say, only a handful of games. French would improve plenty (but not all) of NRL teams IMO.

Fortunately, this is all now strictly academic!