I hear Tesco's car park looks lovely at this time of year.

Out of interest how many of these Wigan jnrs are signed up from outside the Wigan town area? Wether spending cash on 1st team players or spending it signing the best youngsters in the country using scholarships to entice them it's still buying a team in the long run. Now if Wigan were significantly funding jnr clubs in Wigan to attract and develop kids I'd be impressed.

But its not tho is it? You develop and nurture them, you have no idea if a 14 year old is the next greg inglis but you could go and buy him or the best players. Also you need to be clear on what you call Wigan. I believe no amateur team have funding from professional teams as i believe it would be against BARLA rules.

I would love to know the list of players that have come through Wigan academy playing super league today i know it would be a long list.

What about?

Winning 6 GFs with a home grown team that came through the club's academy, while someone else waffles on about how their club's amazing youth system has been motoring along for decades and decades...

Also there is a few like josh Charnley who is from Chorley but got signed up from St pats which is a Wigan amateur team.

From Local Amateur teams:

Charnely - St Pats
Goulding - St Pats
Iain Thornley - St Pats
Liam Farrell- St Pats
Sean O'loughlin- St pats
Jack Hughes - St Judes
Logan Tomkins- St pats (so was sam and joel)
Domnic Crosby - Personally i think he was playing for Hindley but on the website it says St pats
Sam Powell- St Pats
Greg Burke- Ince rose Bridge
George Williams - St pats i believe
Dominic Manfredi - Leigh Minners (technically still wigan)
Joe Burgess - Ince rose bridge
Lewis Tierney - orrell st james
connor Farrell - St pats
Ryan Sutton - Ince rose bridge
Ben Austin - Ince rose bridge
Jack Murphy - St Judes

Came through the Wigan academy but not from Wigan:
Michael McIlorum
Ryan Hampshire
Rhodri Lloyd
Rob Lever
James Greenwood

I would say its far from buying a team.