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.

The term 'marquee' is not what this is really about.

You need to remember that a few people - the usual suspects - have been preparing the tar and feathers for IL since the word got out a few months ago that Sam wanted to leave early. The acquisition of Bowen, while not an ideal like-for-like replacement, is an astute piece of work by Wigan in that it provides a very decent replacement who can also be used as a mentor for our very talented young fullbacks in the junior ranks - and this has really taken the wind out of the lynch-mob's sails, which has obviously infuriated them. The best they can do at present is impotently sputter that: "He isn't a marquee signing - damn you all! He just isn't!"

God knows how frustrated they'll be if Wigan win the Grand Final, which would be IL's fourth major trophy in four years (those of us who are grateful for this are written off as 'happy clappers'). It would be laughable if we weren't stuck with these people on a seemingly permanent basis. It's the ultimate stuck record.

Actually it is.


It's about IL and his insatiable appetite to spin. He has been made to look like a baffoon over the Sam Tomkins affair. He has, intentionally or otherwise, misled the Wigan fans into thinking that ST would be here for at least 3 out of his much lauded 5 year contract.

Yet when this has been proven to be no more than spin and hope, with absolutely no basis in fact, instead of an apology, we get more spin.

Apparently Bowen is an "Excellent replacement for Sam Tomkins" and a "Marquee" signing.

I would say the wording is very relevant.

LENEGAN runs a BUSINESS he's hardly going to come out to fans and say look we are struggling for quality (but in reality he has just signed 1 of the top 5 fullback in the world) but please renew season tickets and merchandise anyway.

Its like McDonalds doing an advert saying are burgers are crap.

He doesn't run a business, he runs a sporting club. There is a difference (or at least should be for a team of the standing, tradition and reputation of Wigan RL).

Tbh his opposition to CC rises has in part led to the dearth of talent available for signing, so to that extent he is the architect of his own misfortune.

No, the first bit about Sam not doing his full three years is/was important, but we already knew about that - we've known about it for weeks - and you'd have looked a bit shallow kicking up about it all over again. So you jumped on the word 'marquee' - only to find, no doubt much to your surprise even though it isn't for the first time - that not everyone agrees with you even on that little matter.

a sporting club is a business and it needs to make a profit or be supported, and all the players are assets if you like it or not. And wigans biggest Asset wants to leave and we would of been stupid to stop him.

I "found" that not everyone agrees with me? On an internet forum? No way! Gosh you are full of spectacular revelations this morning aren't you?



I highlighted the words that I did as it's further evidence of the continued spin from IL. Frankly I now struggle to believe anything he says.

[iYou have answered your own point there.[/i

The rest of your post is irrelevant to the debate.

i know i made my point that Wigan Warriors are a business so what? and its not really tho is it your moaning that we have allowed sam tomkins leave who is an asset and if you keep him he would become unhappy and cause unrest in the club.