I like Liam Byrne. Big lad, 100+ games for Wigan and won everything there is to win. Bit of an edge with him too. Only 25.

[quote="The Speculator":3p3rakhn]It might not be a case of Wigan "letting him leave". His contract is up at the end of 2025, so it's then just about who makes him an offer and which one he chooses to accept. I have no knowledge about whether or not Wigan have made him an offer to stay, but I would be very surprised if they hadn't. Maybe we have offered him more money, maybe he fancies the idea of working with Big Sam? And maybe, until the move has been confirmed, we are all just getting ahead of ourselves anyway![/quote:3p3rakhn] i've just posted about the rule changes on the other Wigan forum. Its interesting to see that he's sorting his career out so soon under the new rules (if he has). You would assume Wigan have made him an offer, but as a squad player, and Wire may have been able to offer him a starting spot (assumptions on my behalf on all of this but its a scenario), and as you say playing for Sam is an appeal, most likely to a prop forward

[quote="Barbed Wire":209v9soe]While I’m broadly positive about Burgess/Chambers and the recruitment & retention work, I read similar about Bullock when we signed him. Granted, the environment that he came into was different, I just worry as to why Wigan would let anyone leave to join Warrington.[/quote:209v9soe] It’s not a case of them allowing him to leave. With this new thing of players in last year of contract now able to talk to other clubs sooner my guess is we have offered him a better deal than Wigan wanted to.

[quote="karetaker":2vhbeenp]It’s not a case of them allowing him to leave. With this new thing of players in last year of contract now able to talk to other clubs sooner my guess is we have offered him a better deal than Wigan wanted to.[/quote:2vhbeenp] Pretty sure that will be the case. With Thompson and Havard starting games and both regularly playing for 50 minutes plus, there are very few minutes to go at for Dupree, Mago, Byrne and Hill and the need of Warrington, compared to the need of Wigan will have lead to more money being on the table at Warrington. I think he'll be a regularly starter at Warrington and you can't begrudge him taking the opportunity to have both a better chance of a starting shirt and more money, all while still being at a club that can compete for trophies.

Can see him struggling for game time if Peet favours Harvie Hill which is understandable from Wigan’s point of view. Might be coming over in mid season like Luke Yates if we have room in the salary cap.

[quote="49er":b9gwigt0]Can see him struggling for game time if Peet favours Harvie Hill which is understandable from Wigan’s point of view. Might be coming over in mid season like Luke Yates if we have room in the salary cap.[/quote:b9gwigt0] i posted something very similar on the other wigan forum, but more of a question re Hill as myself and the other Wigan fans have said, our starting props are Thompson and Havard, with Byrne usually 3rd choice with Dupree and Mago. It will be interesting to see if Matty Peet still uses Byrne all season, or if he looks to the future (for Wigan) and gives Hill more time from the bench. What Wigan cant do this season, is to isolate him completely as we will need him to be fighting fit when there are injuries and suspensions