True. We forget to factor in the deteriorating standards at other clubs too.

I have no problem with the Bowen signing. He is the the best option available to us even with his dodgy knees. Even if he doesn't manage to play a game for us (which im sure he will) its nothing lost on us as fans as we have no other option. My gripe is with the fact he is being called a marquee signing and used to smooth over the loss of Tomkins. We should of just announced that Matt Bowen will replace Tomkins and left it at that rather than try to make out that we have got some kind of fantastic result out of it all.

A very good signing coming in but a better player (who's only 24) leaving the club. The happy clappers will have to forgive me for not being excited.

Wow!
Is it possible that your more than 100% right!
Some of the "experts" on there make me nearly wet myself.

I mean if certain posters do want someone to buy Wigan and run things completely differently then why font they do it?
I mean they must have billions stashed away from making money as they know Everything and are 100% right about everything.

Bowen is a risk yes, but he's by far the best option you had, of the people questioning this signing, who else should your board have gone for?
Still don't understand why you didn't make Sam stay though, he's not coming back anyway might as well get another 3 yrs out of him I'd have thought?

So your tantrum yesterday was about the use of a word?

I'd hate to watch you and your mates if you had to cope with a real crisis.

It really is quite extraordinary.

Not a Wigan fan but genuinely excited to see him in action next year, as ive read the thread it seems reason he isnt being classed as a marquee signing is the obvious comparisons to Tomkins, but its about as marquee as it gets for super league at the moment, one of the finest full backs of his time and a few of you are still not happy. If my club had signed him id certainly class it as marquee, id be interested to see who you who dont class him as marquee would have signed instead, barring Slater and Barba dont think it could have been any better

The sad reality of life is that some people will moan at the sun coming up in the morning.

Anybody who watches the NRL on a regular basis will know that we have a quality player on our hands IF he stays fit. I think it's the perfect choice and we couldn't have asked for a better stop gap for next season (possibly 2).

Off the bowen topic everybody is saying he's come for a season to help develop Hampshire and tierney, what's happened to jack Murphy ? I've not heard anything about him after Salford let him go off the loan deal we had with them

We on page 8 of this thread and NONE of the critics have suggested a SINGLE name that they would have signed instead of Bowen.

There is no-one in Super League capable of replacing Sam- we are all agreed. So a replacement had to be found from the NRL. Inglis, Slater and Barba are just unrealistic. By common consent Bowen is the next best.

What are people's expectations of signing an Australian? Barrett stayed for two years, Hoffman one. Someone remind me how long Brett Kenny played for the club, and yet he's seen as a legend.(Maybe people expect someone like Pat Richards but he's been the exception)

Just consider this for a moment. Sam is untested at the highest level. Bowen has proved himself. It's just possible that Bowen may be a better player (I said "possible")

If Bowen does a year and is succesful, then who knows where we will be next year? Maybe if Billy Slater listens to Hoffman wax lyrical about Wigan he might fancy a year? If Sam has a poor season in a poor team his stock will drop like a stone. One season is a hell of a long time, and things change...

This time last year the critics were full of doom and gloom about 2013. We have won the Cup and have a great chance of winning SL.

Things were expected to be a whole lot worse.