Gareth Hock, from all reports, will be our best 'signing' in the last few years

Big call at the moment given he has not touched a ball in a competitive game in 2 years.

He may look the part and train the part but the crunch comes when he takes the field again, I hope you are right, but i do not think there is any need to get the expectations and pressure up, its a long road back from where he has been.

According to some joker on TotalRL, any assistance Wigan gave to Hock during his time off, even though it was indirect and from a distance, is - wait for it - "not within the spirit of the rules".

You couldn't make it up, could you?

This is clearly the new stock-phrase when you're determined to villify a club even though they've actually not done anything wrong or illegal. It's the new "they lose" button.

They didn't act "within the spirit" ...

Agreed - I just hope that fans give Hock some time and don't expect him to be at the level he was in his first game back, it is bound to take a few games for him to get up to speed. In reality I suspect it will be next season before he will be at full speed after a proper pre-season. But he could make some impact in games off the bench and does offer something a little different in his ability to off-load - something the other 2nd rowers at the club don't as much.

Watch this space.

Was anything mentioned about the Gleeson situation ?

Tha's a vain hope, sadly. Hock won't be up to speed for quite a while, and in less than no time certain people will be back on this message board using it as an opportunity to cast doubt on the entire affair.

As Hock finds his feet again they will gradually withdraw into the shadows, but not without making a bit of hay first.

Only that it was a unanimous decision to let him go.

Any chance Hoffman gets he looks to offload. Most times though he rarely has a player up in support to take it.

It's all in the rules what Wigan could and could not do and given supplying him with a personal trainer and paying for it isn't allowed are they daft enough to think IL who seems very astute would expose Wigan to actually breaking rules associated with drugs and enforcement of bans? That would be bigger than a salary cap breach IMO.



There is also no "spirit of the drug enforcement rules" kind of thing as there is with the cap, just hard and fast rules no club would try and circumvent. It would be absolutely insane to try and do so.

On the shirts, Wigan have a three year plan, which some on here may not like.

Year 1 cherry & white
Year 2 cherry & white
Year 3 radical alternative i.e this years pink shirt (which has proved to be a best seller)

I think it's a good idea trying something new every third year. They will know as well that noatter how good the kit is, some people do like going out their way to complain.

Agreed.

According to what IL said last night, Wigan were in full consultation with the relevant bodies (incouding the RFL) all through the Hock process.

Talk of 'breaking the spirit of the rules' is nothing more than an attempt to manufacture suspicion where there isn't any.

Just a point.
The were probably more people attended last nights forum than attended two of the cup ties over the weekend.

"These Wiganers love their rugby league!"

Frenchie

I reckon he’s gonna rip it up from the word go.

Please tell me this is a wind-up. You can't here yourself think half the time, espicially before kick off, you can't even have a chat.

+1

Took my 2-year old on Sunday thinking it would be a good low key first team game to get him indoctrinated but he only lasted about 5 minutes before he wanted to back under the stands where it was much quieter.

nice....

Just to elaborate - They only reported is as too quiet in the West Stand.

I thought they turned it down deliberately in there, just to let the old folk sleep.

Had to shoot away 1/2 way through last night; I was surprised and pleased by the profit figures, was this expanded on as a lot of the non playing costs appear to have increased.

Also Lockers' salary was allowed off the cap from 2 different 50% sources, 1 being due to 10 years' service, can anyone remember the other one?

Longest serving home grown player I think.

and player having played 10 years for one club.

However IL wasn't quite correct, both figures are to a maximum of £50K per year unless the rules have changed again, so it's a £100K allowance for O'Loughlin once he completes his 10 years.

Still frees up a decent sum off the cap to bring someone in though, i.e. a replacement for Carmont, especially if Hoffman does go back to the NRL after this season as well.

what he lacks in pace he makes up for with his tackling............90% of aussie wingers wouldnt get out of the blocks