We’ve mentioned his name time and again but sadly the ship sailed when Wane wanted to get him from Hull. In terms of what we’ve missed the last couple of years and what we need going forward, they both wouldn’t have been or continue to be an issue had we got him. The whole George Burgess mess probably wouldn’t have happened as well and the club would’ve saved a fortune in the process.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing I suppose.

Why are we incapable of signing the right type of prop? Are we unlucky or is it down to someone not doing their homework?

It seems to be an on-going issue with Wigan - I am struggling to think of any prop signings who have been top drawer (GB might have been an exception if he had been fit but that is another story) in recent times - we seem to have a blind spot in signing props - Lima is the last one I can think of who was really good (I think of the likes of Flower as decent but not in the top bracket).

Certainly in recent years we have a well below average track record, some of the prop signings have been really poor., you have top go back a long way for Wigan to consistently sign top class props- for some reason we have a much better record of signing players in other positions, it is very strange.

When we had Taylor, Flower, Dudson and Mossop was probably the last time we had a set of bog props and we won the double



I think it must have been a policy under Wane to have smaller props no other explanation for it really, The way we played suggest it too.

Since he's left we've signed Bullock and Burgess so seems like we are at least looking for big metre makers now.

Not throwing the baby out with the bathwater but hope we see a better performance this week.

We have a real blind spot when it comes to props. I did a post a couple of years back saying that we don't sign, or produce any props of note. Now that's changed slightly with the progression of Sutton in the NRL and hopefully Havard coming onto the scene ​too.

Like you said however, in the last 20 years you can probably name 2, or 3 top draw Wigan players for every position apart from prop.

I think that if Watts leaves Castleford then he will follow Powell to Warrington

Because the type of prop people want are few and far between, who fits the bill of what we need? Not very many, and the ones available are probably zero.
If Luke Thompson becomes available we should try and move heaven and earth for him and use the Marquee spot.

Some SL props that (IMO) would improve our go-forward:
- Mike Cooper
- Robbie Mulhern
- Mikolaj Oledzki
- Ligi Sao
- Sebastine Ikahihifo

That's kind of what I'm trying to say. We got cap space available late in the season (or maybe early in the off season). That doesn't leave a lot of time to try and attract one of the few available top props in the sport when you have two of your best players about to on the fence whether to stay or not.

Next year I'd expect Leuluai, French and/or Hastings to leave and be replaced internally by Field/Smith and maybe one marquee halfback signing. That should leave cap space for a top prop, with months to identify and negotiate with the right man. I hope we don't use up a marquee spot on a prop. Those spots should be reserved for the spine unless we can get a real superstar IMO.