Quote: DaveO "Very good points all things being equal but they are not. Hock got banned for breaking the rules on drugs. The other 6 props or second rowers didn't. Someone said earlier he deserves another chance. Well IMO that chance should not come at the expense of players who were not stupid enough to take drugs.
We don't actually need him back. We won the GF without him and have players coming through. If Wigan had said he was finished with the club once the ban was confirmed that would be in line with what would happen to many if us in our own jobs and that would not be denying us the opportunity for future employment elsewhere and the same would be true for Hock. He would find another club easily enough (Penirth for example!) but I don't think it would be Leeds or Saints. I don't think they would touch him and I am not sure why we need to either.
Dave'"
But ethics aside (because ethics differ from person to person and are not a standard you can just invoke like you can a legality), surely the club's duty to its fans is to put the best team together possible? In that respect, if Hock looks to Maguire and co like a better option than the other young forwards you mention, and a reasonable financial accommodation can be reached, then the club would be remiss to let him go elsewhere.
The levels of stupidity or lack of stupidity of these respective players don't really come into it.
This Hock thing seems to be a bit of a bugbear for you, Dave. You chunnered a long time about not knowing what was happening with him - a long time after everyone else accepted that it wasn't possible for Wigan to make a decision at that stage. And now you have a problem with the rumour that Wigan are about to reach a deal with him. I respect many of your posts, but there are times - like this - when I feel you're just trying to find a way to swim against the tide.
