I very much remember your mob being arrogant and taking the pee out of a faltering Wigan side at every opportunity. That's what it felt like anyway but maybe I was just being over sensitive.

Maybe the boots now on the other foot?

I thought I'd be unbanned from the Wigan for a moment then. A three page thread discussing the Wigan squad eh? Fancy that.

Taking the pee out of the other side has nothing to do with this. Most of the arrogant posts on the Wigan board don't mention Saints.

Take that point away then and the first part still stands.

Successful clubs (and their supporters) always get accused of being arrogant because everything you say gets scrutinised. Somebody makes a gag on our board that we'll win everything again with two teams, people back that up with serious points about how competitive the season will be but that gets brushed aside.

Read the thread again, it wasn't just that one comment that was very arrogant.

And as I said earlier, I don't recall you lot accusing of being particularly arrogant.

Just seen the Saints squad on the other thread.
What are your A & B squads do you think?

As Champions you'd expect that. I don't think they'll have the quality to repeat this years achievements but I'm sure they'll be there or there abouts.

You seem to be one of the more sensible posters on this forum but I have to laugh at the above. Yes, Wigan have bought out a few players contracts over the last 2 years or so. So what?

Blake Green: Our SO decided to leave early so we needed a replacement, didnt have one in the academy who was ready so paid a fee for what we thought was the best available option to us

Matty Smith: would have signed as a free agent but TL was injured so we brought him in early, again no replacement in the academy was ready

Scott Taylor: outstanding forward developed by another team and wanted to play for a potentially champion side, no brainer to sign him

John Bateman: another outstanding prospect and we where not the only club in for him, another quality player produced by another teams academy.

Tony Clubb: ill give you that one (im still baffled)

Dont think ive missed anyone off that list....

Having one of the top academies is all well and good but other clubs will always produce some players who are superior to our own. Should we not be in for them because we have a good academy? Of course we should, its called being part of a competition where only the best win.

To say that most of the new players we have brought in are bought, I suppose that is technically true over the last 2 years but you seem to have missed the amount of academy players who have made their debuts in that same timescale

If we'd have won the double, we'd be confident going into next season.

We didn't think Wigan were going to be as good in 2013 as they were in '12, losing the likes of Leuleuia (sp), Finch and Lima, but they were even better.
The'yve recruited well in Bateman and Bowen, but losing Tomkins is obviously a massive blow. Richards and Mossop I think they'll replace easily enough.

The only thing I think Wigan should be worried about is that, the way their squad is changing, there less and less room for error. At the moment, Wane seems to have them jumping through all the right hoops, so that's not showing now.

We've made a lot of positive moves to start becoming genuine competitors again. A well stocked pack, a good hooker, a good scrum half, a good full back, pace out wide. However we have a gaping hole at 6 and a little problem at centre.
Our margin for error is minute. Should [i*s*[/i Wheeler [i*chortle*[/i get fit and stay fit [i*sides splitting*[/i and play a season at 6 for us and young Percy gets that little extra beef to manage a proper season, then we could look like the dogs danglies, but the chances of that are frankly a million to one.

We also still don't know if Brown can get us motivated on a regular basis. We know that Wane's teams will always turn up when it matters, but not the same for Saints at the moment.
The final danger seems to be sentimentality over senior players.
Wellens shouldn't be anywhere near the starting 17 and I wouldn't pick Wilkin or Boof in my first choice pack, but we know they'll be knocking about in front of the likes of Flash, Thompson, Walker, Greenwood and Clough.

2 things that jump out from this thread, 1 is that I can't really see any arrogance from them, the other is that the idea of an 'A&B' squad is totally meaningless.

A good summary. I agree on the sentimentality , it is the road to ruin in a professional environment especially one with a salary cap. As a club we need to be ruthless when it comes to the playing squad and that means making the call to let players go who have in the past given excellent service.

I think it will be a test for Wane too as coaches will be looking to counter Wigan , can he adapt and evolve ? There will come a point where aggression alone wont win matches, especially against the better sides.

One big test Wane has to overcome is to play without Sam Tomkins. He's had success at u18's, u20's and at first team level and at each level he's had Sam in his side. I'm not saying for one minute he's made Wanes career because he's a fine coach but it will be interesting to see if we can mix our gameplan up should we have to. If Bowen isn't the success we hope he will be then we will certainly need to do that.

Wigan will be splashing the cash again soon. They in negotiations with a club for another player.

as if you would say no to zak hardaker.

He's only get a game at centre with us and even then I wouldnt want him ahead of Percival. He would be a waste of cap space for us as the only position we are desperate for is a proper out and out 6